My heroes this week are the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community. The recent killing of an al Qaeda leader was reportedly due to improvements in U.S. intelligence.
CSM:

Still, his reported killing late Monday or early Tuesday just outside Mir Ali in north Waziristan represents a significant gain in American or coalition intelligence gathering within the restive tribal belt. As of Thursday, his death had not been officially confirmed.

"It means they are having some accurate intelligence information gathering.... Usually the second rank of leadership is very careful in its movements," says Abdel Bari Atwan, editor in chief of al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper in London and the author of "The Secret History of Al Qaeda."

Mr. Atwan says that after many reports of unsuccessful attempts at targeting senior Al Qaeda leadership in the region, "it seems this time they have accurate information, which is a success.

My hack this week is the Oakland International Airport:

The Oakland International Airport did not break any laws or regulations when it denied 200 Marines and soldiers access to the passenger terminal during a layover last year from Iraq to the troops' home base in Hawaii, the Transportation Department says.

The contract to allow military layovers at the California airport "did not require that military personnel have access to the airport terminal; it only required that military personnel be allowed to deplane and stretch their legs on stops lasting over one hour," said a report released yesterday to House lawmakers who requested an investigation into the matter.

The Sept. 27 layover was the last stop for fuel and food, but the troops, who were returning from a tour in Iraq, were denied access to food and bathroom facilities.

A Marine reported the incident to Rep. John L. Mica, Florida Republican and ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and said it "felt like being spit on." (Emphasis Mine)

Sad.

Labels: Afghanistan, Hero/Hack

Posted by Ryan S. on Friday, February 01, 2008 at 12:47 PM | Permalink |