When the news broke, oh, a couple days ago, about a missile strike aimed at al Qaeda’s #2 man, I asked myself, which one? I mean, it seems like they keep on capturing and killing number 2 men all the time, doesn’t it? Perhaps there is only one #1, Osama bin Laden; and everyone else in the organization is known by #2. That would certainly make it difficult for their enemies, wouldn’t it? Like every spy in “Casino Royale” being known as 007?
Anyway, I think that al Qaeda is playing a big game of public relations, shuttling #2s around everywhere and fooling US intelligence into attacking, with predictable results:
Pakistani officials said Saturday that a U.S. missile strike intended to kill al Qaeda deputy Ayman Zawahiri had missed its target but had killed 17 people, including six women and six children.
Tens of thousands of Pakistanis staged an angry anti-American protest near the remote village of Damadola, about 120 miles northwest of Islamabad, where Friday’s attack took place. According to witnesses, the demonstrators shouted, “Death to America!” and “Death to Musharraf!” — referring to Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf — and the offices of at least one U.S.-backed aid organization were ransacked and set ablaze.
As much as I detest war and intrigue, I have to give this advice: stop using sledgehammers to kill an ant. Perhaps it is time to get personal and arrange some kind of point-blank assassination. I mean, the US must have the capability of infiltrating or hiring assassins, right? Or have all those spy movies been lying to me?
