Hellfire Missile 1, Shaikh Sa’id al-Masri 0

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ABC’s Jake Tapper reports another U.S. victory:

US officials tell ABC News that al Qaeda’s No. 3 — Mustafa Ahmed Muhammad Uthman Abu al-Yazid, known as Shaikh Sa’id al-Masri and Mustafa Abu al-Yazid – has been killed. Al Qaeda released a eulogy of Shaikh Sa’id tonight, officials said. . . .
US officials believed him to have been killed about a week ago in Pakistan. . . .
“Al-Masri was the group’s chief operating officer,” the official said, “with a hand in everything from finances to operational planning.  He was also the organization’s prime conduit to Bin Ladin and Zawahiri.  He was key to al-Qaeda’s command and control.”   . . .
An Egyptian, Shaikh Sa’id was formerly the chief financial officer of al Qaeda. The Sept. 11 Commission said that internally he argued against the 9/11 attacks “because he feared the U.S. response to an attack.”

Kinda prophetic, considering how things turned out for him.

13 comments

  2. To my mind, it does matter how many civilians get killed in such raids, because it changes the moral equation. It appears we have been very successful in taking out the enemy, but with so many collateral deaths the result is both morally compromised and counter-productive.

    It’s particularly important to see how well the drones can work, because they may, in fact, be the only weapon in our arsenal once the deranged attempt to do counter-insurgency in Afghanistan becomes too obvious a failure to continue. The drones, in other words, may be the key to our withdrawal.

    I am the world’s most popular one man political blogger. Except when I have my team of flunkies writing my copy for me.

  3. To my mind, it does matter how many civilians get killed in such raids, because it changes the moral equation. It appears we have been very successful in taking out the enemy, but with so many collateral deaths the result is both morally compromised and counter-productive.

    It’s particularly important to see how well the drones can work, because they may, in fact, be the only weapon in our arsenal once the deranged attempt to do counter-insurgency in Afghanistan becomes too obvious a failure to continue. The drones, in other words, may be the key to our withdrawal.

    I am the world’s most popular one man political blogger. Except when I have my team of flunkies writing my copy for me.

  6. Gabe over at Ace has the dope on the next ship to run the blockade:

    Israel’s Army Radio reported that the MV Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship, would reach Gazan waters by Wednesday.
    A Marine lieutenant who was not named told Army Radio that he expected an easy takeover of the ship.

    “We as a unit are studying, and we will carry out professional investigations to reach conclusions,” the lieutenant said, referring to a skirmish in which his unit shot nine international activists aboard the Turkish ferry.

    “And we will also be ready for the Rachel Corrie,” he added.

  7. Gabe over at Ace has the dope on the next ship to run the blockade:

    Israel’s Army Radio reported that the MV Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship, would reach Gazan waters by Wednesday.
    A Marine lieutenant who was not named told Army Radio that he expected an easy takeover of the ship.

    “We as a unit are studying, and we will carry out professional investigations to reach conclusions,” the lieutenant said, referring to a skirmish in which his unit shot nine international activists aboard the Turkish ferry.

    “And we will also be ready for the Rachel Corrie,” he added.

  12. So the “chief financial officer of al Qaeda” was killed, eh?

    I guess Barack’s war on “corporate fat cats” is for real.

  13. So the “chief financial officer of al Qaeda” was killed, eh?

    I guess Barack’s war on “corporate fat cats” is for real.

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