Ok, my first thought on this, is that it sucks to be the number three guy in AQ. It always seems like the number three guy gets killed all the time at all the countries AQ is operating at. But this is a little different. This is a big big fish, and we killed him. But this is where I have a big problem with this strike.
If we had a fix on AQ’s number three guy, then I think a capture mission would have been in order. It would have been worth the risk in my view, and we probably could have captured a couple of other fish and documents along with the raid. We are talking about a target that is part of the inner circle of Al Qaeda, and not some junior varsity booger eater. Of course Pakistan would not approve. But in this case, that would be a part of the risk, and I think going in would have been extremely profitable for this war.
That is the downside to all of these drone strikes. For every big fish we kill, we lose out on a bunch of intelligence on the organization. That bonanza of intel could completely open up Al Qaeda, and lead to a massacre of that group. His capture could have led to the capture of Bin Laden, and I think the political or tactical risk involved with such a capture mission would have been acceptable in this case. We are at war with a non-state enemy, and yet we continue to allow this group to take advantage of the of a state in places like Pakistan. –Matt
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Strike Is Said to Kill a Top Qaeda Leader
May 31, 2010
By ERIC SCHMITT
WASHINGTON — The operational leader for Al Qaeda in Afghanistan was killed in an American missile strike in Pakistan’s tribal areas in the last two weeks, according to a statement the group issued late Monday that American officials believe is correct.
The militant leader, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, an Egyptian, was a top financial chief for Al Qaeda as well as one of the group’s founders, and was considered by American intelligence officials to be the organization’s No. 3 leader, behind Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, another Egyptian.
“His death will only be a severe curse by his life upon the infidels,” Al Qaeda said in a statement issued to jihadist Web sites and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors statements by jihadists.