Yesterday’s missile launch by the U.S. in northwest Pakistan is the most recent of “at least four” attempts to kill al-Qa’ida operatives there. The missile was launched from an unmanned Predator, which provides U.S. intelligence services with real-time imagery of ground targets. The missiles were likely fired by intelligence officials thousands of miles away using the imagery from the plane's camera to pinpoint al-Qa’ida targets.
Has the Bush Administration been planning this final assault against Osama bin Ladin in the final months of Bush’s presidency? This definitely seems plausible. Killing Osama bin Ladin at some point within the next five months would not only rebound Bush’s already tarnished legacy by overshadowing his Iraq blunders, but it would also give John McCain his only fighting chance in the November elections.
Just as Bush did on the USS Abraham Lincoln in October 2003, which marked the pinnacle of his re-election campaign, he will be able to once again claim “Mission Accomplished” – this time, perhaps, a little more truthfully – and do the same for John McCain’s.
I hate to say it, but I must admit that this is the only time since September 11, 2001, that I hope Osama bin Ladin manages to stay alive – at least until after the presidential elections. Nevertheless, even if Bin Ladin manages to do so, I predict that sometime around the end of summer rumors and “unconfirmed reports” will begin to surface claiming he has been captured or killed. At long last, I doubt Bush & Co. would hesitate to use more lies, if necessary, to serve its purposes.
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