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You’re going to need to wear more flair if you want to conquer the West
Another al Qaeda Assistant Night Manager clocks out:
Abu Laith al-Libi, a wanted al Qaeda terrorist, was killed in Pakistan by a CIA airstrike, three U.S. officials told CNN Thursday.
Al-Libi was described as a senior al Qaeda leader believed to have plotted and executed attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, including a February 2007 bombing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney.
He was on a "most wanted" list of 12 accused terrorists which was issued in October by the Combined Joint Task Force-82 — an anti-terror unit in Afghanistan.
Earlier, a knowledgeable Western official and a military source confirmed al-Libi’s death to CNN. The same official said al-Libi is "not far below the importance of the top two al Qaeda leaders" — Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Basically, being the third in command of Al Qaeda is the same as being the cop partner who is only one day away from retirement in any one of a thousand cop buddy movies. They really need to start requesting the role of the gruff, but ultimately kind-hearted captain, back at headquarters. The worst that ever happens to him is that he takes a slug in the shoulder…
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Actually, they’re more like the ubiquitous, Star Trek the Original Series men in the red uniforms.
They’re faceless, nobodies heard of them, and as soon as the away team runs into any kind of a snag, they’re dead.
It seems to me that the work safety record of being a third in command of Al Qaeda is only exceeded by the dangers fraught with being a Japanese kamikaze pilot in World War II.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bin Laden, sir, is it ok if I just stay 4th in command. Is that alright? No, I really don’t want the extra money and the 72 virgins. I’ll just stay 4th in command and fly under the radar, if that’s alright.”
From Political Animal:
This is certainly welcome news. I’m curious, though, if anyone has a list of al Qaeda #3s who’ve been captured or killed recently. I was keeping a list for a while, and I think al-Libi is the seventh, following Hamza Rabia, Abu Faraj al-Libbi, Saif al-Adel, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mohammed Sheikh Mohammed, and a senior operational leader identified in court documents as “C-2.”
You’d think, after a while, al Qaeda’s #4 guys would stop seeking promotions.
i really need a ‘most wanted” deck of cards to follow our success on the war on terror
Al Qaeda number 3 is about as lucky as the drummer for Spinal Tap.
-G
Or the keyboard player for the Dead.
Here you are, a deck of the terrorists that America must deal with.
Now lets get to work.
A friend of mine refers to the Star Trek phenomenon you describe as “Random Ensign Disease.”
I guess its real world corollary is “Al-Qaeda No.3 Disease.”
Also, is it just me or is anyone else reeeeeeeeelly unnerved by the words “CIA airstrike?”
Even worse, “CIA airstrike in Pakistan?”
As Fred Thompson once acted: “This shit will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it.”
I’m sure Musharaff is cool with it. Hello, Pervez? Are you still there?
Between the lines is the message that Pakistan is a failed state. Paired with the wild wild west territory of Afghanistan, the bushco foreign policy is humming along on 5 out of 8 cylinders.
Holy crap! Comsympinko, until you pointed it out, the gambit worked on me:
HEY, EVERYBODY WE KILLED AL-QAEDA’S #3 GUY!
(Um, in an airstrike. By the CIA. In Pakistan.)
Details, please…um, news media? Hello?
Al Qaeda #3 is simply a uniform number. When one #3 dies, or is traded to another team for a player to be named later, another player gets to wear the number.
Same as it ever was… *thunk* same as it ever was… *thunk* same as it ever was… *thunk*
Strong squad, Al Quaeda. We keep killing their Babe Ruth, they keep replacing him, they keep on beating the Yankees. OBL looking good for Manager of the Year.
Again.