2009.01.24: January 24, 2009: Headlines: COS - Pakistan: Figures: COS - Morocco: Journalism: Bloomberg: James Rupert writes: U.S. Missile Attacks Kill 15 in al-Qaeda Strongholds

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Pakistan: Peace Corps Pakistan : Peace Corps Pakistan: Newest Stories: 2009.01.24: January 24, 2009: Headlines: COS - Pakistan: Figures: COS - Morocco: Journalism: Bloomberg: James Rupert writes: U.S. Missile Attacks Kill 15 in al-Qaeda Strongholds

By Admin1 (admin) (141.157.17.124) on Sunday, January 25, 2009 - 4:49 am: Edit Post

James Rupert writes: U.S. Missile Attacks Kill 15 in al-Qaeda Strongholds

James Rupert writes: U.S. Missile Attacks Kill 15 in al-Qaeda Strongholds

Eight people were killed when missiles from an unmanned surveillance plane struck a militant compound near the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, and hours later another drone fired two rockets into a house in the town of Wana in South Waziristan, killing seven more, AFP said. The strikes come amid increasing reports of Predator attacks in the region in the past six months that have resulted in the deaths of some senior al-Qaeda officials. In an interview today on CNN, Musharraf said the attacks aren’t popular with Pakistanis, regardless of their views on the militants. "Nobody in Pakistan is comfortable with strikes across the border" from Afghanistan, he said. Musharraf said he hoped Obama also would address "core disputes" about injustices in the Muslim world that spur people to become terrorists. Journalist James Rupert, head of Bloomberg's international bureau in Islamabad, Pakistan began his career abroad as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching mechanics and welding in Morocco.

James Rupert writes: U.S. Missile Attacks Kill 15 in al-Qaeda Strongholds

U.S. Missile Attacks Kill 15 in al-Qaeda Strongholds (Update1)

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Two missile strikes involving U.S. Predator drones killed at least 15 people in al-Qaeda strongholds in Pakistan’s tribal regions yesterday.

The attacks are the first known offensives against suspected terrorists in the region since President Barack Obama took office on Jan. 20.

Eight people were killed when missiles from an unmanned surveillance plane struck a militant compound near the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, and hours later another drone fired two rockets into a house in the town of Wana in South Waziristan, killing seven more, AFP said.

The strikes come amid increasing reports of Predator attacks in the region in the past six months that have resulted in the deaths of some senior al-Qaeda officials.

Earlier this month, a missile fired by a CIA-operated drone in northern Pakistan killed Usama al-Kini, a Kenyan national who was al-Qaeda’s chief of operations in Pakistan, and his lieutenant, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, the Washington Post reported, citing unidentified U.S. counterterrorism officials.

A Predator missile strike in December 2005 killed Abu Hamza Rabia, an Egyptian militant whom Pakistani and U.S. officials described as the operational commander of al-Qaeda fighters.

During the presidential campaign, Obama said he would pursue terrorists in the northwestern tribal region of Pakistan if then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf showed he was reluctant to do so.

‘Actionable Intelligence’

"If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will," he said in an Aug. 1, 2007, speech.

Obama’s comments at the time were criticized by Hillary Clinton, his main rival for the Democratic nomination and now the secretary of state, and by Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, whom he eventually defeated for the presidency.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declined to comment on the reports at a briefing yesterday.

In an interview today on CNN, Musharraf said the attacks aren’t popular with Pakistanis, regardless of their views on the militants.

"Nobody in Pakistan is comfortable with strikes across the border" from Afghanistan, he said.

Musharraf said he hoped Obama also would address "core disputes" about injustices in the Muslim world that spur people to become terrorists.

Slow-Flying Drones

Mir Ali residents said they saw at least one of the distinctive, slow-flying Predator drones above the village before the missiles were fired, Pakistan’s Dawn News reported. Only the U.S. military and the CIA fly Predators, and the CIA arms them with missiles.

The Predator, made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in San Diego, is a 27-foot (8.2-meter) drone that has been used since 1995 in combat zones such as the Balkans and the Middle East, according to the company’s Web site.

Mir Ali is a densely populated oasis of green farmland amid the rugged mountains of Waziristan, and its villages have served for the past five years as bases for Arab, Uzbek and other fighters of al-Qaeda.

Dawn News said the second attack was mounted by a Predator and targeted Gangi Khel, a village about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) west of Wana, South Waziristan’s administrative center.

To contact the reporters on this story: James Rupert in Lahore, Pakistan, at jrupert3@bloomberg.net; Jeff Bliss in Washington at jbliss@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 23, 2009 18:23 EST




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: January, 2009; RPCV James Rupert (Morocco); Peace Corps Pakistan; Directory of Pakistan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Pakistan RPCVs; Figures; Peace Corps Morocco; Directory of Morocco RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Morocco RPCVs; Journalism





When this story was posted in January 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers RSS Feed

 Site Index Search PCOL with Google Contact PCOL Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register


Director Ron Tschetter:  The PCOL Interview Date: December 9 2008 No: 1296 Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Date: December 2 2008 No: 1288 PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director
Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

December 14, 2008: This Month's Top Stories  Date: December 14 2008 No: 1305 December 14, 2008: This Month's Top Stories
Michael Adlerstein to make UN green 21 Nov
Harris Wofford writes: America at a turning point 14 Nov
Margaret Krome writes: Obama win shows power of idealism 11 Nov
Joseph Acaba to fly on February Shuttle Mission 11 Dec
Mary Matterer caught in Bangkok protests 6 Dec
Gen. Victor Renuart Jr. son served in Peace Corps 6 Dec
Kim Kohler opposes mega-projects in Guatemala 5 Dec
Gretchen Snoeyenbos' small town in Mali 5 Dec
Tim Shriver Calls for 'Dept of Development and Service' 4 Dec
Phil Lilienthal brings camp to kids in South Africa 3 Dec
New Peace Corps for Kids Web Site 3 Dec
Ilene Gelbaum brings infants into the world 26 Nov
Jonathan Zimmerman writes: Nepal's ban on private schools 26 Nov
George Packer writes: Will Obama Change? 25 Nov
Aly and Buddy Shanks exhibit African art 23 Nov
Luke King heads Mercy Corps in Congo 23 Nov
Echoes of JFK unavoidable in Obama Presidency 23 Nov
Joseph Opala Connects Africa to Gullah Community 21 Nov
William Yeatman writes: Coal in Kyrgyzstan 20 Nov
Doyle may become next PC Director 14 Nov
Michael O'Hanlon writes: How to Win in Afghanistan 14 Nov

New: More Stories from October and November 2008.

Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Date: October 23 2008 No: 1279 Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own
Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

PCVs Evacuated from Georgia Date: August 19 2008 No: 1254 PCVs Evacuated from Georgia
The Peace Corps has announced that all Volunteers and trainees serving in the Republic of Georgia are safe and they have been temporarily relocated to neighboring Armenia. Read the analysis by one RPCV on how Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that he could launch a lightning assault on South Ossetia and reclaim the republic without substantial grief from Moscow and that Saakashvili's statements once the war began demonstrated that he expected real Western help in confronting Russia.



Read the stories and leave your comments.








Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Bloomberg

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Pakistan; Figures; COS - Morocco; Journalism

PCOL42733
54

By Hillel Neil J. Weintraub (hillel) (123.211.222.51) on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 5:56 pm: Edit Post

I'd like to know know something about these 15 people. Where they all suspected terrorists? will it continue to be our policy to kill "suspects" and anyone who happens to be near them in this way?


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: