{"id":15589,"date":"2016-05-25T10:29:59","date_gmt":"2016-05-25T15:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hcstx.org\/?p=15589"},"modified":"2016-05-25T10:29:59","modified_gmt":"2016-05-25T15:29:59","slug":"crusader-corner-killing-terrorist-leaders-is-not-the-magical-solution-to-stopping-terrorism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/2016\/05\/25\/crusader-corner-killing-terrorist-leaders-is-not-the-magical-solution-to-stopping-terrorism\/","title":{"rendered":"Crusader Corner: Killing Terrorist Leaders Is Not the &#8220;Magical Solution&#8221; to Stopping Terrorism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-15590\" src=\"https:\/\/hcsblogdotorg.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/05\/terror1.jpg?w=620\" alt=\"PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN-UNREST-TALIBAN-US\" width=\"620\" height=\"297\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another day, another dead terrorist leader. This time, the <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/05\/23\/obama-rolls-the-dice-with-killing-of-taliban-chief\/\">dead terrorist guy<\/a> was Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan, and everyone is cheering, because everyone knows that each dead terrorist leader is, well, another dead terrorist leader.<\/p>\n<p>Mullah Mansour\u2019s death is \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/the-press-office\/2016\/05\/23\/statement-president-death-taliban-leader-mansur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an important milestone<\/a>,\u201d President Barack Obama declared on Monday morning. But it\u2019s a milestone on the road to nowhere.<\/p>\n<p>After all, we\u2019ve passed this milestone several dozen times before. Let\u2019s briefly recap:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In April, U.S. and Kurdish forces killed <a href=\"http:\/\/bigstory.ap.org\/article\/e2decdcda59e4697ae7ec09ba1ab2813\/us-kurdish-operation-killed-islamic-state-operative-iraq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salman Abu Shabib al-Jebouri<\/a>, a \u201csenior\u201d Islamic State leader in Iraq. In March, S. forces killed \u201ctop Islamic State commander\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/03\/25\/isis-leader-killed-iraq-syria-delta-war\/\">Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli<\/a> in Syria. The United States also killed Islamic State \u201cdeputy\u201d<a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/03\/25\/isis-leader-killed-iraq-syria-delta-war\/\">Haji Imam<\/a> and \u201csenior operative\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/03\/09\/kill-or-capture-washingtons-new-isis-plan-claims-two\/\">Abu Omar al-Shishani<\/a> in Syria that same month. In February, U.S. strikes killed <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/02\/19\/why-the-us-strike-in-libya-wasnt-just-about-libya\/\">Noureddine Chouchane<\/a>, another \u201csenior\u201d Islamic State operative in Libya.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2015, the United States managed to kill \u201csenior al-Shabab leader\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/pentagon-airstrikes-kill-two-senior-terrorist-leaders-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abdirahman Sandhere<\/a> in Somalia; militant chiefs <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2015\/06\/15\/militants-death-would-present-united-states-with-a-dilemma\/\">Mokhtar Belmokhtar<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longwarjournal.org\/pakistan-strikes-hvts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Khawray Mehsud<\/a> in Pakistan; Islamic State \u201cNo. 2\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2015\/08\/21\/the-white-house-says-the-islamic-states-no-2-is-dead-for-real-this-time\/\">Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali<\/a> in Iraq; al Qaeda leader <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2015\/06\/16\/yemen-al-qaeda-zawahiri-wuhayshi\/\">Nasir al-Wuhayshi<\/a> in Yemen; and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longwarjournal.org\/pakistan-strikes-hvts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ustad Ahmad Farooq<\/a>, the deputy emir of al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2014, U.S. strikes killed terrorist leader <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2014\/09\/05\/will-al-shababs-new-leader-be-as-dangerous-as-its-old-one\/\">Ahmed Abdi Godane<\/a> in Somalia, followed by al-Shabab intelligence and security chief <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2014\/12\/31\/u-s-strike-kills-top-somali-militant\/\">Tahlil Abdishakur<\/a>, as well as Nusra Front leader <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2014\/09\/23\/world\/meast\/isis-airstrikes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abu Yousef al-Turki<\/a>, who was killed by U.S. strikes in Syria, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longwarjournal.org\/pakistan-strikes-hvts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Omar Farooq<\/a>, a senior al Qaeda coordinator. The United States also successfully targeted <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longwarjournal.org\/pakistan-strikes-hvts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mufti Sofian<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longwarjournal.org\/pakistan-strikes-hvts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abu Bakar<\/a>, both senior commanders in the Afghan Taliban.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2013, the United States killed\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-yemen-qaeda-idUSBRE96G08420130717\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Said al-Shehri<\/a>, the second in command of al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP). The Taliban\u2019s original leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, also <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2015\/07\/29\/dead-or-alive-mullah-omar-is-a-relic\/\">bit the dust<\/a> in 2013, though he reportedly died of a non-drone-related illness, and his death apparently made <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2015\/08\/04\/mullah-omar-we-hardly-knew-ye-taliban-afghanistan\/\">so little difference<\/a> to the Taliban that no one even noticed he was dead until 2015.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2012, U.S. strikes killed another \u201cal Qaeda No. 2,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2012\/07\/23\/the-ghost-of-abu-yahya\/\">Abu Yahya al-Libi<\/a>, in Pakistan; senior al Qaeda leader <a href=\"http:\/\/security.blogs.cnn.com\/2012\/12\/31\/taken-down-the-top-terrorist-threats-killed-or-indicted-in-2012\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sakhr al-Taifi<\/a> in Afghanistan; AQAP leader <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2012\/05\/11\/terrorist-fishing-in-the-yemen\/\">Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso<\/a> in Yemen; Taliban ally <a href=\"http:\/\/security.blogs.cnn.com\/2012\/12\/31\/taken-down-the-top-terrorist-threats-killed-or-indicted-in-2012\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Badruddin Haqqani<\/a> in Pakistan; and Jemaah Islamiyah leader<a href=\"http:\/\/security.blogs.cnn.com\/2012\/12\/31\/taken-down-the-top-terrorist-threats-killed-or-indicted-in-2012\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zulkifli bin Hir<\/a> in the Philippines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In 2011, U.S. drones killed <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2011\/07\/26\/were-winning-in-somalia\/\">Fazul Abdullah Mohammed<\/a> in Somalia; the American cleric and al Qaeda propagandist <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2011\/09\/30\/gone-but-not-forgotten\/\">Anwar al-Awlaki<\/a> in Yemen; al Qaeda\u2019s chief of operations in Pakistan, <a href=\"http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/blogs\/politics\/2011\/09\/al-qaeda-chief-of-pakistan-operations-killed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abu Hafs al-Shahri<\/a>; and <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2011\/08\/29\/the-death-of-atiyah\/\">Atiyah Abd al-Rahman<\/a>, reportedly al Qaeda\u2019s second in command after Osama bin Laden\u2019s death; along with <a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2011\/06\/06\/al-qaedas-toughest-task-2\/\">Ilyas Kashmiri<\/a>, said to be a senior Pakistani al Qaeda operative. And, of course, we killed <a href=\"http:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/osama-bin-laden-killed-by-u-s-forces\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Osama bin Laden<\/a> himself, al Qaeda\u2019s original No. 1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I left out a few dozen other senior terrorist leaders, most of whom were also killed by U.S. strikes, but you get the idea.<\/p>\n<p>Read the Remainder at<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/05\/24\/the-magical-thinking-of-killing-mullah-mansour-taliban-al-qaeda-obama\/\"> Foreign Policy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another day, another dead terrorist leader. This time, the dead terrorist guy was Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan, and everyone is cheering, because everyone knows that each dead terrorist leader is, well, another dead terrorist leader. Mullah Mansour\u2019s death is \u201can important milestone,\u201d President Barack Obama&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1704,5072,13,2574,74,3172,2413,2726,6182,2990,272],"tags":[545,1779,1083,11862,1575],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}