BRIAN ROSS REPORTS
- Like Jay-Z + the Beatles, But Worse
- Update: Help for Homeless Children
- Bush Era, Revised -- and with More Barbeque
- The Tax Woman Cometh
- Paging Mr. Stanford: Antigua Called
- Who Are You Calling Partisan?
- Update: IRS Won't Use Private Debt Collectors
- But Is It Art?
- PMA Scandal a Sore Point for Dems in 2010?
- Down in Flames
- A New Mystery for RNC Chief
- PMA Clients Were Big Givers
- Raided Lobby Firm Still a Force on Capitol Hill
- Stanford Update: Another $143 Mil Found
- Cheney, Hooked on Controversy
TOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES
- Abramoff Lobbying Scandal
- American Al Qaeda
- Avian Flu
- Beirut Hospital Out of Gas
- Cheney
- CIA
- CIA Secret Prisons
- D.C. Madam Affair
- FBI
- Federal Air Marshal Service
- Homeland Security
- Hurricane Katrina
- IRS
- Mark Foley Internet Scandal
- Millionaire Sex Scandal
- Nigerian E-mail Scams
- Norman Hsu, Clinton Fundraiser
- NSA: Wiretapping
- Osama bin Laden
- Payola
- Pharmacy Investigation
- PMA
- Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
- Stanford
- Steele
- Terror
- Troopergate
- U.K. Airline Terror Plot
- U.K. Bombing Attempts
- Wen Ho Lee
- William Jefferson
- Zarqawi
« Previous | Main | Next »
Afghanistan: U.S. Forces Attack Suspected al Qaeda Hideout
Email
Print
ShareMarch 03, 2007 3:12 PM
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 al Qaeda leader may be hiding, ABC News has learned.
According to eyewitnesses and local reporters in Kunar province, 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.
The coalition, which generally refuses to discuss ongoing operations, declined to make an official comment.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
According to a local official, the compound under attack belongs to an Islamic militant and suspected drug trafficker named Haji Aminullah.
The area of Kunar province is known as a stronghold of Wahabbists, followers of the strict sect of Sunni Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, according to Barnett Rubin, senior fellow at New York University. Since the 1980s, the area has been a haven for Arab militants, including Osama bin Laden.
This post has been updated.
Weigh In: Where is Osama bin Laden?
March 3, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (49)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Bombs away,make sure no pebble goes unturned.
Posted by: mike | Mar 3, 2007 5:47:18 PM
Hope we got him.
Posted by: Jim | Mar 3, 2007 5:50:47 PM
Good Luck! My first choice is that those who wish to destroy the United States would cease and desist. But since that doesn't seem likely, I hope the men and women of the coalition forces are able to stop them.
The concept of something like "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is good to keep us responding in a way that we will regret later. But like most things, it needs some balance. Look at deaths that have come and are coming from years of hateful speech and misconceptions.
Hopeful
Posted by: Hopeful | Mar 3, 2007 6:21:33 PM
"and suspected drug trafficker named Haji Aminullah"
If we're supposed to give up our SUVs and drive more fuel efficient vehicles to "stop supporting terrorism", does that also suggest that some should give up their use of illegal pharmaceuticals to 'stop supporting terrorists'?
DAISY CUTTERS! DAISY CUTTERS! Woo-HOO!
Posted by: Kristen L. | Mar 3, 2007 6:24:20 PM
I doubt the HVT is Osama. In fact, I doubt Osama is still alive. He has not made a video or audio in years. Osama is very egotistical and doubt he would recluse himself for that long.
Posted by: Chocolate Cowgirl | Mar 3, 2007 6:53:33 PM
What happens when the enemy (OLB) is gone? Who becomes are new enemy?
Interesting how the Cold War ended so quickly and OLB became our new enemy. Who's next, raise your hand...
Posted by: steve | Mar 3, 2007 6:59:38 PM
Answer for Steve:
I don't know, Steve, didn't the first attempt to destroy the WTC happen in 1993? Didn't the attack on the Khobar Towers occur in 1996? Didn't the attack on the USS Cole happen in 2000?
/remember the USS Stark
Posted by: Kristen L. | Mar 3, 2007 7:15:50 PM
ABCNEWS, is this what journalism has descended to? An unnamed official source states that he would not "rule out" that the target is OBL and you believe that this is news? This is sensationalism at its worst.
Would the "Official source" also not rule out that the target was Kim Jong-il? If not, should the reader infer that the target is Jong-il? Get real!
Mike in Nevada
Posted by: Mike Perine | Mar 3, 2007 7:24:23 PM
"Interesting how the Cold War ended so quickly and OLB became our new enemy."
Yeah, I guess the US govt needs an enemy du jour to justify pursuing our imperialist agenda. Destruction of the WTC? Well, that must have been an inside job.... controlled demolition.... Yeah, that's it....
Posted by: John | Mar 3, 2007 7:46:40 PM
Let's hope we got him. It's not about driving SUV's. It's about cowards attacking innocent civilians anywhere in the world.
Posted by: Halster | Mar 3, 2007 8:11:24 PM
this time maybe the dictator
islamist may be brought to justice!
would be excellant if mullah Omar
and Ayman catch hell too.
They have lived long enough.
This time, it is hoped they are
completely surrounded by USA and
NATO (withOUT ISI Pakistan
corruptness).
God Bless the USA & NATO !
It is time to get the job done.
Posted by: Igor | Mar 3, 2007 8:27:56 PM
I think somebody needs to wake up and remember 9/11. Give me a break. Yes, he needs to go along with all the terrorists who threaten the security of our country. You cannot appease these people,(history shows that)they are after you and our children. It is either kill them or be terrorized and or killed.
Posted by: Joel | Mar 3, 2007 8:52:43 PM
The Daisy Cutter is so "1967". The new and much improved "MOAB" (Mother of all Bombs) is state of the art, tested and ready. Who becomes the new enemy? Let's see....How about anyone who encourages or faciiltates an attack on the United States or it's allies. Is it more complicated than that, or am I missing something?
Posted by: mark | Mar 3, 2007 9:10:59 PM
Steve,
We didn't end the cold war and then...go out looking for a new enemy.
Somone broke into our home and
slaugtered 3000 members of our
family, remember ????
Posted by: Ron | Mar 3, 2007 9:20:18 PM
Steve, are you leading us to believe that OLB was just minding his own buisiness when the Twin Towers fell down?
Posted by: Joe | Mar 3, 2007 9:24:50 PM
Since the quest for Osama detoured to Iraq 4 years ago, it's good to see that the commander-in-chief has found the motivation to return to the war against the terrorist leaders who attacked us 5-1/2 years ago.
Posted by: Kevin Hayden | Mar 3, 2007 10:07:35 PM
>> Interesting how the Cold War ended so quickly and OLB became our new enemy <<
1989 to 2001 was 12 years. That's not exactly "quick".
Posted by: Jeff | Mar 3, 2007 10:21:37 PM
this whole thing is very sick and getting sicker. blind mice.......
Posted by: rexhavock | Mar 3, 2007 10:37:23 PM
america itself is not interested to capture bin-laden , as they trying to use him & al-qaeda to pressurize or invade countries like Pakistan,Iran & Syria.....
Posted by: john stowe | Mar 3, 2007 11:17:04 PM
'HVT" is another way of saying "We don't don't know who the target is, but we hear that they don't like us..."
Posted by: Bob | Mar 4, 2007 2:21:47 AM
Post a comment
