Taliban Leader: We're Planning Attack On D.C. "Soon"

[jefferson_dem]

Source: AP

Taliban Leader: We're Planning Attack On D.C. "Soon"
ISHTIAQ MAHSUD | March 31, 2009 07:13 AM EST |

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — The commander of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and said the group was planning a terrorist attack on the U.S. capital.

Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S., said Monday's attack outside the eastern city of Lahore was in retaliation for U.S. missile strikes against militants along the Afghan border.

"Soon we will launch an attack in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world," Mehsud told The Associated Press by phone. He provided no details.

Mehsud and other Pakistani Taliban militants are believed to be based in the country's lawless areas near the border with Afghanistan, where they have stepped up their attacks throughout Pakistan.

The Taliban leader also claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed four soldiers Monday in Bannu district and a suicide attack targeting a police station in Islamabad last week that killed one officer.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/31/taliban-leader-were-plann_n_181108.html

[elleng]

1. gotta move to iowa NOW!

.

[ixion]

2. ...

:eyes:

[tekisui]

3. I was coming here to post this.

When the Mumbai attack occurred, I asked how many more teams had been trained for an attack like that. We have seen similar tactic used now, twice in Lahore. I take this seriously. I hope we have good intell on it.

[EFerrari]

21. I hope those @ssholes at CIA don't start kidnapping innocent people

and torturing them.

[prostock69]

4. Why would they announce where they are going to attack

If they want it to succeed? It makes no sense. I think it's all talk.

[Eric J in MN]

5. UBL talked about attacking the US before 9/11/2001. NT

NT

[atreides1]

19. And Bush didn't care

Fortunately we have an administration that will take this threat seriously, and hopefully will put procedures into place.

[timtom]

22. UBL didn't attack the U.S. on 9/11/2001

nt

[Echo In Light]

30. Bingo

[dixiegrrrrl]

49. AND we have no proof other than OUR government that he made any threats to do so.

[acmavm]

6. I don't know, I remember a certain memo saying that certain

someones were planning something. Also a warning about terraists using 'airplanes'.

And if I recall, they were ignored.

[indimuse]

7. ...

zackly!...

[Hope And Change]

15. WOW!Is that you indimuse?!?!

[indimuse]

40. it izzz.

And...it's all good! how ya been? :)

[Hope And Change]

51. Thanks mate.I`m ok.Good to see you here again:)

:toast:

[indimuse]

62. Thanks!

Feels good to back! But have noticed some changes...a bit scary at times. hehe.. :toast: see ya aroud!

[MelissaB]

24. Completely off topic, but

I love that photo. I've never seen it before.

[indimuse]

41. Thanks.

I fell in love with it..thought I'd display lil' Peace-Love and *Music*..of course. ;)

[mr1956]

17. The memo didn't come from Al-Qaida

The terrorists didn't make an announcement, the memo (that was ignored) came from intelligence gathering. Big Difference!

[acmavm]

25. No one said the memo came from al Quaeda. Sheesh.

And a warning is a warning, regardless of whether it comes directly from the prospective terrorists or from intelligence agencies who pick up mutterings and whispers or get their info from snitches.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. A variety of reasons:

A. To do a fake-out with a warning and no action.
B. To remind everyone they think they're still players.
C. They may attack, they may not. And they may name D.C. and attack another location with the sleight of hand.
D. OTOH, they do exactly what they threaten.

[bvar22]

44. F. A false fllag "op" to gin up US public support....

...for the escalation of the War in Afghanistan and MORE Military spending.

This is the most likely scenario.

[tekisui]

9. They announce, so if it happens, we'll know immediately who did it.

It may be all talk. But, they have carried out some major attacks in India and in Pakistan. If they did a siege style attack in DC, a lot of damage could be done before they were stopped.

Carrying out an attack in their neighborhood is quite different than carrying one out over here. However, with the easy access of guns and ammo, not impossible. I hope the intell people are taking this seriously. That is really the only way to stop it.

[hootinholler]

48. But if they pick K street a lot of good can be done as well.

:shrug:

-Hoot

[Tim01]

14. Because the goal of terrorism is to get publicity and scare people.

They are not trying to destroy a military target. Even if their terrorist plot is foiled, the fact that it is publicized meets their goals.

[Summermoondancer]

26. I agree...I was wondering what kind of idiot tells you where they are going to attack...

it is sort of like the bank robber calling fifteen minutes ahead of time to warn the bank he is going to rob them...lmao.

[Echo In Light]

31. It only makes sense once you realize who benefits from the "terror" generated

[karynnj]

32. Think of the definition of terrorism

If the claim is believed they have succeeded in creating fear. Our response to fear, societal or personal, then does the damage.

[MellowDem]

10. Hmm, I think something was lost in translation...

"Soon we will launch a party in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world," Mehsud told The Associated Press by phone. He provided no details.

Get out the party hats! :party:

C'mon Mehsud, don't leave us hangin! I know you want it to be a surprise, but we need some details to RSVP!

[Gman]

11. The Republic Party will take full advantage of it

in every possible way. Cheney will arise from his hidden location to condemn Obama. All Republics will say Bush kept us safe. People better take care what they post here critical of Obama as he'll need everyone's united support.

[pmorlan1]

33. Creepy

"People better take care what they post here critical of Obama as he'll need everyone's united support."

This sounds a lot like what Ari Fleischer said about being careful what we say in response to a comment that Bill Maher made that the White House didn't like.

"nowadays you have to be careful what you say and do"

Conformity is not the answer.

[No Elephants]

37. Be careful what we post here? You MUST be joking.

[Gman]

39. NOT at all

don't you support Obama? Or would you rather have an even worse, more draconian president than Bush in 4 years?

Here's the problem with many here at DU: They can't see 2 inches in front of their noses. All they ever see is right now, hard stop.

[Robb]

12. Dingbat: I'm going to start working out "Soon" nt

[Rebubula]

13. Yeah...

....well Jesus himself said, 'I am coming, SOON'

100 Generations have passed and the blind faithful are still waiting...

[Bragi]

16. This sounds like flummery

Sure, the Pakistani Taliban guy would make this kind of threat, but realistically, there is little likelihood that they could carry out an action anywhere beyond South Asia, least of all inside the U.S itself.

Remember, the Taliban is made up of zealous, primitive medevalists with a limited agenda (i.e. turn their own homeland into a 12th century backwater.)The Taliban aren'even the more sophisticated zealots you might find in al Qaeda.

I think this story is just noise. The fact that this kind of report supports Obama's new agenda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is not likely accidental.

- B

[bvar22]

45. My thoughts also.

Cui Bono?

A false flag operation to gin up public support for the escalation of the WAR in Afghanistan and an INCREASE in the military budget?

[Igel]

47. And, at the same time ...

The Taliban can use cell phones and GPS to coordinate attacks using AK-47s and RPGs. They can use mobile radio stations to agitate and help impose their rule. They've shown they can adapt as needed to achieve their goals. In other words, they're people.

They're primitive medievalists, some of home are college educated and able to use fairly sophisticated means to impose their 12th century ideology. They're also primitive medievalists who have access to a large number of fervent, dedicated students to train intensely over the course of months in order to carry out their plans.

[tomm2thumbs]

18. This sounds like something that took a long time to plan - not a month or two

I guess Bush-Cheney will have to be blamed if something (heaven forbid) is attempted because this is definitely from the Bush-Cheney watch.

[pattmarty]

20. AND, they just hired Dick Cheney as their lobbyist in Washington.

[cali]

23. yes, yes. there is no such thing as the Taliban. There are no terrorists

or radical fundamentalists in Pakistan. The Mosque bombing that killed 50 last week was, a) an evil Cheney plan, or b) a figment of the imagination.

Look, the threat is likely one with little potency behind it, but suggesting this is a lie ginned up by the admin, is just flat stupid.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[yurbud]

35. the Taliban are a bunch of backward goatherders who made the mistake of hosting al Qaeda

on their own, they are nothing.

To the extent that they or al Qaeda are a threat, it would make more sense to go after their sponsors, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's ISI, if you want to end the problem once and for all.

I don't hear anyone talking about that, so this is still bullshit, albeit toned down from the Bush years.

[fascisthunter]

28. sounds like fearmongering BS

announcing an attack????

[pmorlan1]

29. Cheney's Tools?

I wouldn't be surprised if there was an attack. These guys are probably bought and paid for by Cheney so that he can then go on TV and say...see I told you so...Obama made us less safe. Then the Republicans can continue to run the Bush/Cheney playbook to use more scare tactics to get the people to elect Republicans so that they can finish what Bush & Cheney started.

[slackmaster]

36. Yeah, and some people are still saying the South will rise again

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28559

[TheWraith]

42. And I'm planning to marry an ultra-rich supermodel. nt

[Imagevision]

43. Cheney talks and out of the woodwork comes his pals...

[bdamomma]

46. Is this Cheney's idea???

[mvd]

53. Could be - he went back to his undisclosed location..

after rattling some sabres. :scared:

[BreweryYardRat]

50. Sorry, Baitullah, the incompetents are out of office.

No free ride this time, asshole.

***
Let's not have a MIHOP/LIHOP debate here. I believe the Bush administration was at the very least grossly incompetent, and that it might have been a case of LIHOP. However, Hanlon's Razor states that: "One should hesitate to attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity."

[dixiegrrrrl]

52. Look at all the holes in this story....

First the story says "Mehsud told The Associated Press by phone."

then further down the story says "Mehsud identified the White House as one of the targets in an interview with local Dewa Radio, a copy of which was obtained by the AP."
Then the story says "The AP has spoken to Mehsud several times in the past and recognized his voice, and a request for an interview with Mehsud was submitted through his aide. The militant leader also granted phone interviews to other media organizations."

A "terrorist" with a huge bounty on his head does what? Calls reporters from "various news organizations"? From a telephone?
A traceable telephone? With Mossad and Russia and China and the USA tracking every damn phone call ever made every day?????
Hey, NSA.. you are listening to me talking to my dying mother but you can't trace a "terrorist" with a 5 million $$$ bounty??

And strangely, this little phone chat
" comes days after President Barack Obama warned that al-Qaida is actively planning attacks on the United States from secret havens in Pakistan."
And how did Pres. Obama know about the plan?
"Pakistan's former government and the CIA "


edited to add:
And how many news organizations spoke to this known terrorist without notifying NSA so they get a trace on the call? Isn't "aiding and abetting a terrorist" still illegal under the Patriot Act?

Then AP spells "capital" instead of "capitol".

[ohio2007]

54. They can only afford to attack where they can afford to reach....ie....

they attack and kill where they are accepted

Swat
Peshwar
Karachi
Lahore

? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAivyEazJQ0

actually, the
next most likely "Mumbai" type attack will be Islamabad.


Those cave dwellars only hope some local nut cases "heed' the call to jihad and do something stupid ...."in the name of jihad" so they can take credit for spreading the word of the
ROP......


jmo
and a few others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3_qelW5qp4&feature=related

[slackmaster]

55. Soon has come and gone - I am getting bored

Where's the beef?

[Prometheus Bound]

63. What he meant by 'soon' was within decades, not centuries.

[Prometheus Bound]

64. Or maybe, within centuries, not milleniums.

[slackmaster]

67. Like most Americans, my mind has been so poisoned by watching TV that I have no attention span

If it isn't entertaining right NOW, I don't give a shit.

[ohio2007]

56. wonder if they are "Going GreyHound"?

jihad on a shoestring (bomber) budget.

They bragged about targetting schools and malls. I'm sure the ISI is already to deny any links

:sarcasm:

[bamacrat]

57. How come I feel as though Cheney grinning as he looks into his crystal ball.

Should there be some feeling that the powers that were in this country still have people around the world to stir up a mess for Obama? What if it is an attack of unconditional peace pillow fights like in that commercial.

[and-justice-for-all]

58. They are full of shit...fearmongering...nt

"Mehsud told The Associated Press by phone":eyes: if your ever going to comment such a horrid act of violence, you don't tell people you are going to do it...DUH!

[Zorra]

59. I bet President Obama has Cheney and Rove under total surveillance.

Can't wait to hear the audio.

[AntiFascist]

60. Pat Robertson, of the American Taliban, would be pleased...

since he has fantasized about DC being destroyed.

[MadMaddie]

61. So in this case this group is claiming they were behind the police

accadamy attack....that is justification for wiping them out. They are in the Pakistani boarder region and they have been allowed to grow unchecked.

This is not preemptive this would be in reaction to the police acadamy attack and the direct threat made against the US.

[truthisfreedom]

65. We amazed ourselves, dude. Our whole country is fucked.

What makes you think you can do better?

[pinniped]

66. Subpoena Amazon's records to see if they shipped any Red Dawn DVDs....

to some cave in Afghanistan.

I live near the coastline, so tomorrow I'll be there with my howitzers.

[ohio2007]

68. Obama sends a strong message in reply

Suspected U.S. drone fires missile in Pakistan, 12 dead


http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSISL425281