January 18, 2006

Attack that Missed al-Zawahiri—Got Other Top Terrorists

Remember that attack last week that missed al-Zawahiri -- and the accusations that followed that the U.S. had killed civilians? Per ABC News, the attack correctly targeted "an apparent terror summit conference" and took out the Al Qaeda bomb maker who trained the shoe bomber:

ABC News has learned that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.

Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of three known al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit conference in the village of Damadola.

..."This is extraordinarily important," said former FBI agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant, who was the senior agent on the FBI's al Qaeda squad. "He's the man who trained the shoe bomber, Richard Reid and Zacharias Mousssaoui, as well as hundreds of others."

Pakistani authorities tell ABC News they have confirmation that Mursi was among those on the guest list for the late-night meeting. The authorities say al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was also expected to attend but apparently changed his mind.

Frank Gaffney: How to Deal with Iran

I've met Frank Gaffney, and my impression at the time was that he was not one to quickly call for military action. This makes his call for consideration of such action in the case of Iran even more significant. From his article titled, "Mortal Threat:"

The truth of the matter is that we now have no choice but to take several steps:

First, we must seek to deter an attack on this country with credible, reliable and useable nuclear forces. This will require a resumption of nuclear testing and the introduction of new weapons designed to hold at risk what the Iranian regime holds dear.

Second, we must field at once missile defenses capable of stopping an Iranian EMP attack. This will require immediately expanding the number of Navy ships with the Aegis fleet air defense system that are equipped to intercept ship-launched ballistic missiles.

Third, we must take active steps to reduce our nation's vulnerability to EMP attack. Rep. Roy Blunt has expressed his support for such steps. The other candidates to lead House Republicans are among those national leaders who should give this need priority attention.

As these measures will take time, it is incumbent upon us to make a concerted effort to help the Iranian people overthrow their government. The regime that threatens us oppresses them. We can - and must - energetically find ways to work against our common foe.

Finally, we may have no choice but to use military force to disrupt, if not destroy, the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Preparations for doing so should be in train now as this option may need to be exercised far more quickly than some would have us believe.

Should such force be necessary, it must be used not only to target the regime's covert nuclear sites, but also the means by which the Iranian government exercises repressive control over its people (e.g., the security services, religious police, intelligence and communication systems). In so doing, we should make clear our solidarity with the people of Iran and that our fight is with their despotic and malevolent mullahs.

Unusual Allies of the U.S. on Iran Nukes: France and Germany

Unexpectedly, France and Germany are allied with the U.S. in seeking to prevent Iran from getting nukes:

TEHRAN, Iran - European powers, supported by the United States, rejected Iran's request for more negotiations on the Islamic republic's nuclear program, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying Wednesday "there's not much to talk about" after Iran resumed atomic activities.

...In Vienna, Austria, the International Atomic Energy Agency said a special meeting of its 35-nation board of governors would be held Feb. 2 at the request of Britain, France and Germany, which have been negotiating with Tehran on behalf of the European Union.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said European nations were seeking the "greatest possible consensus" on dealing with Iran, and the upcoming meeting was a "very important moment."

"What we wish is that there is the greatest possible consensus to mark clearly the limit of what we can accept," he said in Berlin after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The German leader said Iran has "in no way fulfilled expectations" in talks to date.

France and Germany are not known in recent history for their support of U.S. initiatives. Their cooperation here is evidence that the international community recognizes that it is unacceptable to let President Ahmadinejad use oil leverage to blackmail the world.