bin Laden Captured in Fallujah

[zimv20]

april fools

(sorry, couldn't resist)

[diamond geezer]

WOMD FOUND (not planted).

[grapes911]

do us all a favor and resist next time

[bousozoku]

Definitely, not funny.

[diamond geezer]

Remember Zim, according to your own previous posts regarding Bush's "where are those WOMDs", not enough time has past.

You can joke about the Titanic, you can almost joke about AIDS (see southpark), but you cant joke about OBL.

[IJ Reilly]

I think you guys are mad because he made you click.

[zimv20]

has anyone picked up on the "hidden" joke?

[kgarner]

I thought it was funny. I was so excited to see the news, and then...

Maybe I just have a sick sense of humor.

[zimv20]

do us all a favor and resist next time
fwiw, i *did* resist writing a full article about it

[IJ Reilly]

has anyone picked up on the "hidden" joke?

Uh, no...

[diamond geezer]

The non-fact that Osama was captured in Iraq, thereby making the connection between Osama-Saddam-Iraq and suggesting that it's external terrorists rather than flower-throwing iraqis desecrating those 4 US mercenaries?

some joke!!

[beefcake]

They weren't mercenaries, but they definitely weren't "contractors" either. I personally think they were serving some kind of military function, possibly intelligence, but that doesn't change the fact that I hope Fallujah spontaneously combusts. It will be interesting to see what happens now, as this whole thing is eerily reminiscent of Somalia 1993.

[zimv20]

The non-fact that Osama was captured in Iraq, thereby making the connection between Osama-Saddam-Iraq
that's it, yeah.

any tie-in to fallujah's violence (not just yesterday) would be a thin reference to the surrounding of the "high value target al qaeda target" in pakistan from last week (or the week before).

[zimv20]

They weren't mercenaries, but they definitely weren't "contractors" either. I personally think they were serving some kind of military function, possibly intelligence
according to abcnews, they were employees of a private security firm w/ a big contract in iraq (i forgot the name, but it contains the word "Black"). they also reported that the company had issued a statement on its website mourning the loss.

fwiw, this is the company that supplies paul bremer's security. not sure why the marines aren't doing that. abcnews also pointed out that the cost of private security in iraq is some 15% of the overall budget. again, i pose my marines question.

[diamond geezer]

They weren't mercenaries, but they definitely weren't "contractors" either.

link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1162442,00.html)

The US is hiring mercenaries in Chile to replace its soldiers on security duty in Iraq. A Pentagon contractor has begun recruiting former commandos, other soldiers and seamen, paying them up to $4,000 (£2,193) a month to guard oil wells against attack by insurgents.

Last month Blackwater USA flew a first group of about 60 former commandos, many of who had trained under the military government of Augusto Pinochet, from Santiago to a 2,400-acre (970-hectare) training camp in North Carolina.

"We scour the ends of the earth to find professionals - the Chilean commandos are very, very professional and they fit within the Blackwater system," he said.

Chile was the only Latin American country where his firm had hired commandos for Iraq. He estimated that "about 95%" of his work came from government contracts and said his business was booming.

In an interview with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, a former Chilean army officer, Carlos Wamgnet, 30, who was going to Iraq, said: "We are calm. This mission is nothing new for us.

"In the end, this is an extension of our military career."

John Rivas, 27, a former Chilean marine, said the work in Iraq would provide a "very good income" that would allow him to support his family.

"I don't feel like a mercenary," he added.

[IJ Reilly]

They weren't mercenaries, but they definitely weren't "contractors" either. I personally think they were serving some kind of military function, possibly intelligence, but that doesn't change the fact that I hope Fallujah spontaneously combusts. It will be interesting to see what happens now, as this whole thing is eerily reminiscent of Somalia 1993.

About which the Progressive Conservative said:

In Somalia, the Rangers and other Special Operations units deployed there performed excellently. They did their best, considering the handicaps to which they were subjected by the top political leadership in Washington, D.C. In the final analysis, the troops were forced to suffer the consequences of the shortsightedness and blunders of the Clinton Presidency, which was much more concerned with keeping its domestic political image well polished and enhancing Democratic candidates chances in the coming 1994 and 1996 federal elections than it was with properly equipping and providing the necessary back-up and protection for American troops sent into very dangerous situations overseas.

I wonder what the Progressive Conservative is saying now?