# Two Arab Canadians Killled in Predator Strike



## tomahawk6 (31 Aug 2008)

Five killed in al Qaeda safe house strike in South Waziristan

By Bill RoggioAugust 31, 2008 12:18 AM 

The US has targeted another al Qaeda safe house in South Waziristan, according to reports from Pakistan. 

At least five al Qaeda operatives were reported killed in the attack, which appears to have been launched by unmanned Predator aircraft hovering over the area. "Two Canadians of Arab origin" were among those killed. Two Punjabis were reported wounded.

The strike was targeted at the home of Noor Khan Wazir in the Korzai region near Wana. The home was recently rented to "foreigners."

The region is controlled by Mullah Nazir, a rival of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud. Nazir is often described as a "pro-government" Taliban leader as he does not advocate overthrowing the Pakistani government and ejected Uzbeks from the al Qaeda-allied Islamic Jihad Union from the Wana region in 2007.

But Nazir openly supports al Qaeda and its leadership, and admitted he would provide shelter to senior al Qaeda leaders. "How can I say no to any request from Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar under tribal traditions, if they approach me to get shelter?" Nazir asked the Pakistani press in the spring of 2007. 

Arab al Qaeda operatives help finance Nazir’s operations. He also openly supports the continuation of the jihad in Afghanistan and vowed to provide fighters to support the Taliban.

US steps up attacks on al Qaeda's havens in Pakistan's tribal areas

The US has dramatically increased the attack tempo against Taliban and al Qaeda safe havens in Pakistan. Ten camps and safe houses were confirmed to have been targeted by the US military in 2006 and 2007. The Wana attack is the eighth confirmed US strike on al Qaeda and Taliban safe houses and camps in Pakistan this year. 

Three of the attacks have taken place in South Waziristan, three have occurred in North Waziristan, and two occurred in Bajaur. The last attack occurred against an al Qaeda safe house near Wana on Aug. 20.

Three senior al Qaeda commanders have been killed in this year's strikes. 

The US military killed Abu Khabab al Masri during a targeted strike on an al Qaeda safe house in the village of Zeralita in the Azam Warsak region of South Waziristan on July 28. Khabab was al Qaeda's chief bomb maker and headed its chemical and biological weapons programs.

On May 14, a US airstrike killed Abu Sulayman Jazairi along with 13 associates, in an attack against a Taliban and al Qaeda safe house in the town of Damadola in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal agency. Jazairi was a senior Algerian operative for al Qaeda’s central organization who directed the group’s external operations. He is described as a senior trainer, an explosives expert, and an operational commander tasked with planning attacks on the West.

Abu Laith al Libi was killed in a US strike inside the North Waziristan tribal agency in Pakistan in late January. Al Libi was the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and served as a chief spokesman for al Qaeda. Al Libi also commanded al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan.

Pakistani sources have put out false reports of the death of three senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders this summer. Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command, was rumored to have been killed in the South Waziristan strike that killed Khabab. Zawahiri appeared on a videotape a week later urging Pakistanis to fight the government.

The Pakistani military speculated that Faqir Mohammed, the Taliban emir, or leader in Bajaur and the deputy leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, was killed during fighting against Pakistani forces in the tribal agency on Aug. 15. Faqir later spoke to a Pakistani television station.

Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan, was also reported killed during the heavy fighting in Bajaur last week. Al Qaeda never confirmed Yazid's death, and the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies never presented evidence he was killed. Yazid is featured in a new al Qaeda propaganda tape.

While the strikes have disrupted al Qaeda's senior leadership, they have done little to disrupt the growth of al Qaeda and the Taliban in northwestern Pakistan.

The Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied terrorist groups have established 157 training camps and more than 400 support locations in the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv...d_after_al.php


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## George Wallace (31 Aug 2008)

This might prove interesting.  I am waiting for the follow up investigation/confirmation of these two Canadians.  Who are they?  Are they immigrants or naturally born Canadians?  What region/city in Canada are they from?  What are their families views/comments?  Are they linked in any way to other 'know' sympathizers in Canada?  

A lot of questions to ask, if these two really are holding Canadian passports.


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## tomahawk6 (31 Aug 2008)

I agree it will be interesting to see if they were home grown,immigrants or just holding fake passports.


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## armyvern (31 Aug 2008)

Valid passports ... and "innocents who were just over there visiting relatives" ...

That's my call.


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## NL_engineer (31 Aug 2008)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> I agree it will be interesting to see if they were home grown,immigrants or just holding fake passports.



I'd guess immigrants with valid passports, that don't live in Canada, just use us as a country of convince  :


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## gun runner (31 Aug 2008)

Gee, where have we heard that comment recently? I wonder how many more "citizens" of ours we have fighting against our boys and girls in Aghanistan? As a country we really need to step up our immigration policies. But, yes this will be one to watch to see the exact region these Canadians come from..and why they were injured in an enemy safe house. Ubique


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## Bruce Monkhouse (31 Aug 2008)

I'm sure it was just a wedding party............


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## The Bread Guy (31 Aug 2008)

....and that's what one gets for crashing the party?


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## 1feral1 (31 Aug 2008)

Happy friends, hope I am not too fresh by saying, the Canadian welfare system has just been lightened by two 'dole bludgers' who won't be recieiving their cheques anymore.

 ;D

Or two less AHs in the world.

Regards from the first day of spring here in Australia (01 Sep 08),

OWDU


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## aesop081 (31 Aug 2008)

Overwatch Downunder said:
			
		

> Regards from the first day of spring here in Australia (01 Sep 08),



Damned you and your oposite land..........


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## larry Strong (1 Sep 2008)

I wonder if any of the passports used to belong to the Khadr family!


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## brihard (1 Sep 2008)

Oh boy. The CBC readership is gonna go ape when this breaks.


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## George Wallace (1 Sep 2008)

If it breaks....


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## brihard (1 Sep 2008)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> If it breaks....



Two people with Canadian citizenship getting blown up by the Americans in Pakistan? I'd be very surprised if it doesn't. They're probably just waiting for confirmation of nationality.


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## Franko (1 Sep 2008)

I'm sure CSIS and the RCMP are waiting for confirmation and start the drag netting.

Jack will scream bloody murder and it'll make headlines.

Regards


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## armyvern (1 Sep 2008)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Two people with Canadian citizenship getting blown up by the Americans in Pakistan? I'd be very surprised if it doesn't. They're probably just waiting for confirmation of nationality.



And also waiting for videotaped statements from all those others who attended the "wedding" to be uploaded ...


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## The Bread Guy (1 Sep 2008)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> If it breaks....



On the CBC, anyway.


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## armyvern (1 Sep 2008)

Interestingly,

A googlesearch by me this morning has me finding mention of this only here on this site and in the Charlottetown Guardian:



> *Five killed in al Qaeda safe house strike in South Waziristan*
> 
> By Bill RoggioAugust 31, 2008 12:18 AM
> The US has targeted another al Qaeda safe house in South Waziristan, according to reports from Pakistan.
> ...



Come on MSM --- where the hell is this news?? It's day 2 already.  :


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## The Bread Guy (1 Sep 2008)

ArmyVern said:
			
		

> Come on MSM --- where the hell is this news?? It's day 2 already.  :



Don't hold your breath, Vern - it took them two weeks to go from this:
http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/pressreleases/2008/08-august/pr080814-390.html

to this
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080831/national/afghan_cda_tourniquets

and I'm STILL waiting to read/see/hear something about this:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/71494.0/all.html

But wait - when they find out they can play the "bad American" card on the PAK story, they'll be all over it like stinky on a junkyard dog!  :


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## armyvern (1 Sep 2008)

We should start a "Coundown" page - actually _moreso_ a "Countup" page where Mike puts a little ticker clock onto the site that ticks away the days/hours/minutes until they decide that traitors are worth reporting about ... is it possible to set an electronic clock for "infinty"??  :


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## The Bread Guy (1 Sep 2008)

Good one - a sort-of "We Beat MSM to the First Word by XXXX Days/Months" clock....


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## armyvern (1 Sep 2008)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Good one - a sort-of "We Beat MSM to the First Word by XXXX Days/Months" clock....



I think they call that a "Scoop" ... 

Unfortunately, these days, only the pooper-*scoop*er seems to be applicable to MSM coverage so feareth they that they may offend the left ... oh wait a minute ... they ARE the driving force of misinformation and biased reporting FOR left. Forgot about that little tidbit.


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## greentoblue (2 Sep 2008)

I tracked this report from Long War Journal to some website called "Dawn":

WANA, Aug 30: Four people, including *two Canadians of Arab origin*, were killed and two other people injured when a missile reportedly fired from Afghanistan hit a house in the Korzai area of South Waziristan on Saturday.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/08/31/top3.htm
----

Anybody see anything else about this?


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## NL_engineer (2 Sep 2008)

there is already a thread on this



Edited to add: Holy Crap you guys work fast  :cheers:


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## vonGarvin (2 Sep 2008)

Overwatch Downunder said:
			
		

> Regards from the first day of spring here in Australia (01 Sep 08),


Did equinox  come early this year?


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## The Bread Guy (2 Sep 2008)

greentoblue said:
			
		

> I tracked this report from Long War Journal to *some website called "Dawn"*



It's a daily news outlet from Pakistan.


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## MarkOttawa (2 Sep 2008)

_Dawn_ is one of the most influential English-language newspapers in Pakistan.  It was founded in 1941 by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the "father" of the country:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_(newspaper)

Mark
Ottawa


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## tomahawk6 (2 Sep 2008)

Pretty reliable to boot.


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## Nfld Sapper (2 Sep 2008)

Overwatch Downunder said:
			
		

> Regards from the first day of spring here in Australia (01 Sep 08),





			
				Mortarman Rockpainter said:
			
		

> Did equinox  come early this year?



Me thinks he has dipped a wee too much into the rye  ;D


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## The Bread Guy (3 Sep 2008)

*DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING!*  We have an MSM pick up, folks! Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the _Copyright Act._

*Pakistan probes deaths of alleged Canadian militants*
COLIN FREEZE, With a report from Dawn Walton in Calgary
Globe & Mail, 3 Sept 08
Article link

Diplomats in Pakistan are investigating a report that two Canadian militants were killed by a possible U.S. missile attack that blew up a house in a remote tribal region of the country.

Canadian Foreign Affairs officials, in conjunction with other agencies, are working with Pakistan to determine the identities of men killed Saturday after villagers said they saw U.S. Predator drones in southern Waziristan.

As many as five suspected militants died in the attack, including two Arabs, Pakistan-based reporters said.

Pakistan's Dawn news service specified that the ranks of the dead included "two Canadians of Arab origin." 

Defence Minister Peter MacKay gave a speech in Calgary yesterday expressing hopes that Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan could help stanch the flow of Taliban militants from Pakistan.

When asked about the reported missile strike, he said: "I haven't had a chance to speak to [Foreign Affairs Minister] David Emerson directly about it. But I am aware of the situation, but I can't give you any more details."

The deaths in Pakistan are high on Ottawa's foreign affairs agenda.

"The Canadian High Commission in Islamabad is aware of a news report that two Canadians have been killed in a missile attack in Wana, Pakistan," Foreign Affairs spokesman Rodney Moore said.

"Consular officials are in contact with local authorities in an attempt to confirm these reports."

He added that "due to the Privacy Act no further information can be released at this time."

But he did not explain the specifics of why the act applies in this case.

Last month, Ted Gistaro, a senior U.S. analyst of terrorist threats, warned that al-Qaeda operatives from "North America" are training in Pakistan to attack the United States.

In a speech in Washington on Aug. 12, Mr. Gistaro suggested that Canadian passport holders are among the biggest threats.

"Al-Qaeda has strengthened its safe haven in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas," Mr. Gistaro said.

He is a 20-year U.S. Central Intelligence Agency analyst and is now the chief national intelligence officer for transnational threats.

The tribal areas encompass North and South Waziristan.

Mr. Gistaro said al-Qaeda operatives include "North American and European citizens and legal residents with passports that allow them to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa." ....

More on link


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## MarkOttawa (3 Sep 2008)

Nothing in _Toronto Star_, _National Post_ or _Ottawa Citizen_.

Mark 
Ottawa


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## brihard (3 Sep 2008)

Yup, I sure called that one wrong.


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## Dog Walker (3 Sep 2008)

The story is now on CTV.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080903/pakistan_militants_080903/20080903?hub=TopStories




> Newspaper says Canadians killed in Pakistan strike
> Updated Wed. Sep. 3 2008 2:18 PM ET
> CTV.ca News Staff
> Canadian diplomats in Pakistan are trying to confirm a newspaper report claiming that two Canadians have been killed by a possible U.S. missile strike in a remote region of the country.
> ...


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## armyvern (3 Sep 2008)

Dog Walker said:
			
		

> The story is now on CTV.
> 
> http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080903/pakistan_militants_080903/20080903?hub=TopStories



Only on day 4 too!! Gentlemen get out your tickertape --- it's some kind of record I'm sure. AND, it's a "SCOOP" by CTV in the MSM - there's still nothing that I can find on CBC et al yet.

Perhaps someone from CTV has visited this thread recently (ie today).


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## The Bread Guy (3 Sep 2008)

It appears Canadian Press did make their own calls (posted ~031730EDTSept08):


> Canadian diplomats in Pakistan are investigating a report two Canadians were killed by a missile attack in a remote area of the country, a Foreign Affairs spokesman said Wednesday.
> 
> "The Canadian High Commission in Islamabad is aware of a news report that two Canadians have been killed in a missile attack in Wana, Pakistan," Rodney Moore said from Ottawa.
> 
> ...


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## armyvern (3 Sep 2008)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> It appears Canadian Press did make their own calls (posted ~031730EDTSept08):



Sure. After they read it here first?


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## brihard (4 Sep 2008)

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/09/03/canadians-pakistan.html

CBC as well.

I stand corrected... again?


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## armyvern (4 Sep 2008)

Brihard said:
			
		

> http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/09/03/canadians-pakistan.html
> 
> CBC as well.
> 
> I stand corrected... again?



Notice that it was posted at 8:49 pm this evening ... probably after they read all about CTV's "scoop" here ...  >

You know they come here to surf every time we experience the loss of one of our Comrades-in-Arms - today sadly, has been one of those days (just look at the number of "guests" viewing that thread).


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## The Bread Guy (4 Sep 2008)

ArmyVern said:
			
		

> You know they come here to surf every time we experience the loss of one of our Comrades-in-Arms - today sadly, has been one of those days (just look at the number of "guests" viewing that thread).



Now if they'd only take away more perspective and share it with the readers/viewers/listeners (hey, I can dream, can't I?)


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