Leon Panetta: There May Be Less Than 50 Al Qaeda Fighters In Afghanistan

Source: AP

CIA Director Leon Panetta said on Sunday there may be less than 50 al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan, with "no question" that most of the terrorist network is operating from the western tribal region of Pakistan. Panetta's remarks came as President Barack Obama builds up U.S. forces in Afghanistan to prop up the government and, in his words, "disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda." About U.S. 98,000 troops will be in Afghanistan by fall.

Asked by ABC's Jake Tapper to estimate the number of al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan, Panetta said, "I think the estimate on the number of Al Qaeda is actually relatively small. At most, we're looking at 50 to 100, maybe less. It's in that vicinity."

Panetta told ABCs' "This Week" that the CIA is heavily focused on killing the al Qaida leadership in Pakistan, and he defended CIA drone strikes against "dead wrong" claims that they violate international law. He said Osama bin Laden is hiding amid the region's rough terrain with "tremendous security around him."

Asked to describe what an American victory would look like in Afghanistan, Panetta said: "Our purpose, our whole mission there, is to make sure that Al Qaeda never finds another safehaven from which to attack this country.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/27/leon-panetta-there-may-be_n_627012.html

Everyone home, and with their families by thanksgiving. Mission done-come home.

Fabulous!

to have bought them off. Lots cheaper.

As Philip Slater points out, modern war is completely pointless: it bankrupts the country pursuing it, destroys infrastructure, kills lots of civilians, and gains nothing.

No sane country would make war.

Let A=50.

Let M=$300,000,000,000.00

Now solve for M / A to determine the amount spent trying to get each individual Al Qaeda fighter in Afghanistan.

http://www.google.com/search?q=300,000,000,000+/+50

$6,000,000,000.00 USD per terrorist.

No wonder we can't stop them, that's 1000x more than the 6 million dollar man!

why we are in Afghanistan?

then and now.

but making money for the military industrial complex*

is probably right up there, too.




*hereafter referred to as the war machine

We should start with settling the Middle East Isareli/Palestinian conflict. Ya gotta do the easy stuff first.

Because compared to creating a peaceful, stable Afghanistan, that would be easy.

Al Qaeda cells with no telling how many were in each cell. We must have really whopped them if only fifty people are left.

This has got to be the biggest disappointment I have with Obama. And that is saying a lot.

...And this President has increased the operational tempo in Pakistan.

Another decade and they'll be in China. Problem solved! You're welcome, China!

n/t

Source: ABC

CIA: At most, 50-100 Al Qaeda in Afghanistan

June 27, 2010 9:29 AM


In an EXCLUSIVE interview on “This Week,” CIA Director Leon Panetta told host Jake Tapper that there were “at most” only 50-100 Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

“How many Al Qaeda, do you think, are in Afghanistan?” Tapper asked.

“I think the estimate on the number of Al Qaeda is actually relatively small,” Panetta said. “At most, we’re looking at 50 to 100, maybe less. It’s in that vicinity. There’s no question that the main location of Al Qaeda is in the tribal areas of Pakistan.”

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/06/cia-at-most-50100-al-qaeda-in-afghanistan.html

---

VIDEO: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/06/cia-at-most-50100-al-qaeda-in-afghanistan.html

and this from emptywheel re: the above headline:
We Spend $1 Billion/Year Fighting Each al Qaeda Member in Afghanistan
By: emptywheel Sunday June 27, 2010 8:13 am
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/27/we-spend-1-billionyear-on-each-al-qaeda-member-in-afghanistan/

We have mission creeped again. We are awaiting the Sunni Awakening in Not Al Anbar. Then the Resurge will surely be a giant success.

We went in there for 2 reasons: mineral wealth (and we knew about that far longer than we admit), and to gain a corridor for oil & gas pipelines. (Remember the carpet of gold or carpet of bombs.)

Obama seemed to revitalize that theory, as did Kerry, when each of them ran and stated their reasons for why they would continue operations in NotIraqIstan.

But I agree it was bullshit when Bush said it and it is bullshit now.

Gee, what could this war be all about?

Time to bring our troops home, for the war in Afghanistan was lost back in 2008.

Let A=50.

Let M=$300,000,000,000.00

Now solve for M / A to determine the amount spent trying to get each individual Al Qaeda fighter in Afghanistan.

http://www.google.com/search?q=300,000,000,000+/+50

$6,000,000,000.00 USD per terrorist.

No wonder we can't stop them, that's 1000x more than the 6 million dollar man!

(cross-posted from the earlier dup)

-------- manually added signature since the powers that be like to censor everything here -----

Hi!

is exactly what they desire. We walked into the trap.

The reality they would paint would be nothing like that described in the corporate owned 'news' media.

"well, we managed to get another 3 billion off the books again today, good thing we got the lowlifes rallying round the flag"

"Can you believe that the majority of Americans still believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Osama Bin Laden?"

I think you get my drift.

Source: http://www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf

and curtailing civil rights? A few guys in Afghanistan?

It is ridiculous.

couple of million a year each and end the whole thing?

on these guys?

I don't think we are getting our money's worth.

K&R