CNN reporting that Ayman al-Zawahiri,bin Laden's right hand man surrounded

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/03/18/pakistan.alqaeda/index.html

SLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani forces have surrounded what may be a "high-value" al Qaeda target in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, President Pervez Musharraf told CNN.

"We feel that there may be a high-value target," Musharraf told CNN. "I can't say who."

The Associated Press and Reuters reported that officials believe the surrounded figure is Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. The AP attributed its report to three anonymous Pakistani officials.

Musharraf said the ferociousness of the surrounded fighters indicates that they are protecting someone particularly significant.

The military asked locals to leave and is flying helicopters overhead, "pounding" the area with artillery, he said.

U.S. and Pakistani officials have said they believe bin Laden probably is in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.

Word of the standoff comes after Pakistan announced it has launched a fresh offensive against suspected militants near the Afghan border.

Hundreds of Pakistani troops backed by heavy artillery and helicopter gunships raided homes in the nation's tribal region of South Waziristan, two days after a fierce assault in the same area left dozens dead.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/zawahiri/profile.html

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Get OUT

Really???

How long til Bush takes credit? 5 seconds? 10?

[prodigal_green]

2. If that is true

it is excellent news. Politics aside, that guy is/was the most dangerous dude of them all.

Now, how does Kerry spin this to his advantage?

[flpoljunkie]

5. I think that in the short term, his capture may well set off retaliation

by al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda like sects all over the world. Ayman al-Zawahiri is very close to bin Laden, but there are others to take his place. Al-Qaeda is a many headed Hydra.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

12. True

And we need to kill every head of that Hydra

[NewYorkerfromMass]

23. how does Kerry spin this to his advantage?

Well, if they had pursued al Qaeda with this intensity from the get go many Australians and Spanish would be alive today. (No Bali or Madrid).
They fucked up catching bin Laden in Afghanistan at the very start.

[AntiCoup2K4]

3. If this is true, then you KNOW they have Osama stashed

Because as far as I can recall, all previous reports had them travelling together.

[eissa]

7. No question

Everyone on the planet knows these guys have been "hiding" on the Afghan/Pakistani border. We're just bringing them out one by one before the grand finale in October.

[Eurobabe]

24. that's not what I heard yesterday

someone on CNN said that the two had taken to travelling separately to avoid both being captured together.

[pmbryant]

4. "Captured" seems a bit too strong a word, based on the article

The article implies they have somebody important surrounded, they don't know who, but they think it's al-Zawahri.

:shrug:

--Peter

[flpoljunkie]

8. Point taken. Now they are saying Ayman al-Zawahiri is "cornered".

We shall see.

[aquart]

6. Goody. Now what?

[Paragon]

9. Great, NOW we're all safer.

Wait -- now?

Now?

How about now?

:eyes:

[aquart]

10. ABC just interrupted One Life to Live (2:16 eastern daylight time)

Saying that a "high profile target" has been surrounded. NOT that he's been captured. And they don't confirm his identity.

Is that weird or what?

[LionInWinter]

13. We'll know it's true if they interrupt the BASKETBALL

:evilgrin:

[Robb]

11. We also had bin Laden "surrounded"

about a month ago, in the same area.

Thank goodness. I feel safer every day. Maybe in April we'll "surround" some jobs -- will they be hiding on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border as well? :eyes:

[AntiCoup2K4]

17. No, they're a little further east of that

In India.

[w4rma]

14. He's not in the deck of Bush's most wanted because they are all Iraqis.

Not Al Queda.

Al Queda's #2 man isn't in Bush's "Most Wanted" deck of cards.

Just another example of how Iraq had nothing to do with Al Queda before Bush invaded Iraq.

[flpoljunkie]

19. Ayman al-Zawahiri is said to be the "brains" of al Qaeda and mentor to bin

Laden. I'm not sure why you bring up Iraq and Bush's "Most Wanted" deck of cards.

Ayman al-Zawahiri does have as $25 million dollar reward on his head. He is the founder of Egyptian Islamic Jihad.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. wait, I think I've seen this movie before

[still_one]

16. This is good news

but I wonder if they are going to report how bush refused to go after him three times?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4431601/

[sangh0]

18. Is "The Noose" getting tighter?

Did they bring back "The Noose"? I love that Noose

[eissa]

20. Tin hat time

Would the timing of this "capture" have anything to do with the planned protests this weekend?

[Frodo]

21. Nahhh.. It's because of Kerry's speech yesterday.

How many times in the last twelve months has a Democratic "no progress being made" been trumped by immediate progress a day or two later.

Daschle has been made to look the fool a few times this way.

[Moderator]

22. flpoljunkie

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.

Thank you.

DU Moderator

[revcarol]

25. Australian report that he escaped.

See LBN.
Stock market falls, because they saw THIS (capture) as so positive. :wtf: Talk about any port in a storm...