Bush Pounds Pakistan

(Click on pic for larger image)

Bush Launches Unauthorized
Strike In Pakistan




An attack by Predator drones with Hellfire missles and US F-16's apparently failed to kill the target, Ayman al-Zawahri, believed to be the number two man in Al-Qaida.
Three houses were leveled by the attack on Damadola, a village near the Afghan border.
Pakistan has lodged an official protest, Islamabad insists it does not allow the armed forces of the United States to cross the border in the hunt for Taliban or Al-Qaida fighters.
Pakistani officials say innocent people were among the 17 men, women and children killed in Friday's attack and al-Zawahri was not there.
There are some reports claiming up to 11 extremists were believed among the dead.
Reportedly some were taken away for DNA tests to determine victims' identities.
Protests agains the U.S. and the attacks have occurred in Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and elsewhere.
The government led by General Pervez Musharraf has been an ally, if somewhat imperfect, of the United States in the war on terror. Musharraf's hold on the government is made even more shaky with this action.
As reported by Bob Woodward in his book Bush at War(reviewed on my blog a few entries back) President Bush expressed disdain for Bill Clinton's anti terrorist efforts as "Pounding Sand!" This was in reference to a failed attack by cruise missiles on Osama Bin Laden's hideout in Afghanistan. Reportedly that attack did little damage, killing some camels and destroying some tents. This was a source of amusement and derision from the right for Clinton's policies.
It was not widely noted that intelligence reports said that Bin Laden had left the camp only thirty minutes earlier.
There were many anti terrorist efforts mounted during the Clinton administration but most were kept secret, as they should have been. Much intelligence had been developed about Al-Qaida and their activities in the United States prior to 9-11. Most of this was ignored by the incoming administration because they arrogantly wanted nothing to do with Clinton era programs or intelligence.
Advertising covert effors in public and macho crowing about "strength and decisiveness" is counterproductive!