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Early Birthday Present for Osama!

Special delivery: Heavy US assault on remote part of eastern Afghanistan where OBL may be hiding.  If that was the remote part of eastern Afghanistan that’s called “Pakistan” they might be on to something. Below, Fisk gets wistful on his misunderstood cavedwelling pal’s pending 50th.   ABC first:

… Coalition forces launched a fierce attack on a small enclave in the village of Mandaghel, approximately 17 miles from the border with Pakistan, on Friday afternoon. Warplanes pounded the positions ;  U.S. special forces and Afghan National Army soldiers moved in shortly afterwards.

The assault appeared to  meet stiff resistance from militants  at the compound. Heavy artillery and gunfire could be heard for hours,  local witnesses said . A handful of civilians were reportedly wounded in the strike. Though sealed off from outside access, the area now appears to be under coalition control.

U.S. officials declined to identify who the operation was targeting, but indicated they were after a “High Value Target” (HVT) .  Official  sources would not rule out that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden himself  was the intended target.  Afghan officials said the target could be another senior ranking al Qaeda leader.

Meanwhile, on Osama bin Laden’s 50th — March 10th, mark your calendars! – Robert Fisk wonders whether that thoughtful road-building anti-corruption campaigner has grown wiser with age. Alas, Robert laments, he’s probably not celebrating in his cave.  He wonders whether there’s any point in searching for Osama now. Hmmm. Anyone have any answers for Fisk? 

Topics: Afghanistan, al qaeda

  Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:41 am Comments (4) on Sunday, March 4, 2007

4 Responses to “Early Birthday Present for Osama!”

1. El Cid Says:
   March 4th, 2007 at 2:59 pm

   Anyone have any answers for Fisk?

   Forceps baby. Dropped on his head at birth. Doctor slapped his mother, instead of him.

2. Bill's Bites Says:
   March 4th, 2007 at 5:55 pm

   Osama’s last stand?

   Afghanistan: US forces attack suspected al Qaeda hideout For the past two days, U.S. and NATO forces have been conducting a major attack against a compound in a remote area of Eastern Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden or another senior

3. Old War Dogs Says:
   March 4th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

   Bill’s Nibbles // Open Post — 2007.03.04

   Some Bill’s Bites posts, some things I excerpted and linked but I’m sending you to the original post. I may rearrange the order of the items within this post as I add new things that I think belong above the

4. saltydog Says:
   March 5th, 2007 at 5:14 am

   I’m all for giving Osama a blow-out of a B-day party! Fisk is invited, of course.

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