Top al-quaida operative reportedly killed. (Pearl's murderer) MSNBC

[FatSlob]

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6106759/

KARACHI, Pakistan - Paramilitary police killed a suspected top al-Qaida operative, wanted for alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, during a four-hour shootout Sunday at a southern Pakistan house, the information minister said. Two other men were arrested.

Amjad Hussain Farooqi was wanted for his alleged role in the kidnapping and beheading of reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 and two assassination attempts against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in December 2003.

My commentary: This news made my evening.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. Possibly good news

But we've heard stuff that later proved to be false. Remember what time of year it is. Let's hope it's not spin.

[FatSlob]

2. Let's hope.

[Union Thug]

3. Yes, it's just about time to trot out Osama...

...gotta distract murkins from Lil' George's dismal performance in the debates...

[Virginian]

10. Hold off on Osama for just a couple of weeks.

We don't want the Murkan public to forgit about him before the election. Gotta bring him in around Oct 25.

[Swamp Rat]

11. Yep.

[sonicx]

4. cool. nt

[DenverDem]

5. This ties up a lot of loose ends.

Way too convenient. Perfect timing.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. Too bad they couldn't have taken him alive

Somebody like that might be useful for information.

[RoyGBiv]

7. Couldn't or Wouldn't?

I have mixed feelings about this.

If I recall the details correctly, Pearl was at that time investigating possible links between the Pakistani Secret Service (ISI) and various militant groups working in Kashmir. Apparently Pearl knew one of his abductors and possibly even Farooqi himself. The whole thing was a set-up from the beginning, the intent being to murder Pearl in as gruesome a way as possible to send a message to anyone who might be cooperating with any investigation into these activities.

Then Farooqi supposedly disappeared, which was the justification for not arresting him. But other reports coming out of Pakistan over the last couple years have suggested police have known where he is all along. Again, IIRC, there are even pictures taken of him at public events.

I remember reading speculation at the time that Farooqi would wind up dead with that death being publicly presented as the capture of a criminal while in fact it would be the assassination of a ISI operative who knew too much and was no longer of value.

None of this is meant to suggest Farooqi did not deserve his fate, but the timing of this thing is convenient and potentially closes the door investigating links between the ISI and various terrorist operations around the world in addition to links between the ISI and other state governments. That is, the blame will be placed on Farooqi himself and diverted away from the ISI and what its larger motives, an alliances, might be.

[Carolab]

8. Just part of the big cover-up

of 9/11

[starroute]

9. That phrase "deserved his fate" makes me very uncomfortable

Statements like that always remind me of the bit in "The Fellowship of the Ring" where Frodo says of Gollum, " 'Now at any rate he is as bad as an Orc, and just an enemy. He deserves death.' "

And Gandalf replies, " 'Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.' "


That exchange struck me very hard when I was a kid, and ever since I've been wary of claiming that any individual deserves to die.

[Union Thug]

12. Fantastic quote

Thanks for passing that along!

[Supersedeas]

14. The virtues of good literature lost on Big Media types...

Thanks for the quote, star, food for thought--tastes great.

[Jacobin]

13. sigh. Only 60 million Pakistanis to go...

A big so what.

[tranche]

15. Israel Radio: Monday - Ayman al-Zawahri caught in Pakistan

Ok,

I figured I'd post this here.. it's the closed suject I could find to the subject of the story:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1096259490364

"Top Bin Laden deputy Ayman al-Zawahri has been caught in Pakistan, according to a report from the region quoted on Israel Radio Monday."

I see nothing else right now that verifies this. I'll see what comes of it.