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The End of al Qaeda?

By FbL on March 22, 2009 | | Comments (14)
Okay, now that I've got your attention...

The success of the Predator campaign has prompted some counter-terrorism officials to speak of a post-Al Qaeda era in which its regional affiliates -- in North Africa and elsewhere -- are all that remain after the center collapses.

"You can imagine a horizon in which Al Qaeda proper no longer exists," said Juan Zarate, former counter-terrorism advisor to Bush.
Fascinating stuff from an article in the LA Times.  It's packed full of information from unnamed intelligence officials, but the number and variety of people speaking on and off the record suggests to me that this might be an approved leak.

With that in mind, what really jumped out at me was this:

Predators were originally designed as video surveillance aircraft that could hover over a target from high altitudes. But new models are outfitted with additional intelligence gear that has enabled the CIA to confirm the identities of targets even when they are inside buildings and can't be seen through the Predator's lens.
Makes me wonder whether that's just poor (or intentionally vague) writing referring to interaction between predators and on-the-scene personnel marking a target, or if there really is a whole new level of technology.  Regardless of its true meaning, read at face value it's gotta just add to al Qaeda's paranoia and fratricide described elsewhere in the report. 

Altogether a very encouraging article.

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14 Comments

By Argent on March 22, 2009 8:09 PM
It's a lot to hope for and unfortunately means less with all this other branded fanatics, but it is indeed an encouraging article.
 
By Josh on March 22, 2009 9:50 PM
All you could get through a building would be an IR picture and possibly sound through the use of parabolic microphones.  I don't see how IR could ever be used to identify anybody, but if you can hear the first guy say "Hi Osama, how's the Al-Qaeda thing going?", then hey, launch that Hellfire!
 
By Argent on March 22, 2009 10:12 PM
Well I've not really thought about it but there's all kinds of possibilities for doing it, might need some rather fancy equipment though.  Not sure IR would cut the mustard, I can't really see very much of it making it through a building nor being of a kind useful for exact determination of the targets or are we simply using a normal video and peeping through the windows or something? 

Really confirming identity is rather specific stuff, we aren't just looking for dodgy guy with a gun or John might show up on the screen.
 
By Josh on March 22, 2009 10:46 PM
Yeah you can't exactly check permits from 5,000 ft AGL...
 
By Mike Folks on March 23, 2009 12:07 AM
They may  be talking about the MQ-9 Reaper or known as the Predator "B "for a while.
It has longer wings,range, and higher operating speed and altitude than the standard Predator.

The Reaper is powered by a Honeywell  turbo prop engine for smoother operation and faster responce time. Both the Predator and Reaper are built by General Atomic in San Diego Ca.

http://www.futurefirepower.com/mq9-reaper-uav-predator-on-steroids-the-reaper-aircraft
 
By BillT on March 23, 2009 12:45 AM
All you could get through a building would be an IR picture and possibly sound through the use of parabolic microphones.

Nup. Right church, wrong pew.

I don't see how IR could ever be used to identify anybody,

*huge, knowing grin*

 
By Josh on March 23, 2009 2:50 AM
What are they doing with the Global Hawk these days?
 
By Mikey Lee on March 23, 2009 9:17 AM
All you could get through a building would be an IR picture and possibly sound through the use of parabolic microphones.

Nup. Right church, wrong pew.

I don't see how IR could ever be used to identify anybody,

*huge, knowing grin*

Having been a contractor, I'd call it unwise to underestimate what the geek, uh bright boys can come up with when given a task that will make them feel "cool" for awhile! No offense to the bright boys, as I used to be one. (Stll a geek though).
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 23, 2009 11:17 AM
*Mirroring the knowing smirks grins.*
 
By FbL on March 23, 2009 11:26 AM
I thought you guys might like that...

*unknowing smirk/grin*
 
By BillT on March 23, 2009 12:54 PM
*Un*knowing smirk?

This from the Devil With The Blue Dress On?
 
By FbL on March 23, 2009 1:33 PM
LOL!  Bill, I got the notification of the comment in email and couldn't figure out what you were talking about until I came over here and saw the link.  Thought maybe you'd forgotten what color the pant suit was.  You seem to have quite an obsession about what I wear, don't you?  ;)
 
By BillT on March 23, 2009 2:00 PM
Thought maybe you'd forgotten what color the pant suit was.

Nup. Purple.

You seem to have quite an obsession about what I wear, don't you?

Would you prefer I obsessed with what you don't?

 
By Walter M. Clark on March 23, 2009 9:55 PM
An unknowing smirk is, in my case, triggered by almost off-hand comments in articles I've seen on the 'net over the past six months or so. The first time someone mentioned identifying someone inside a building from 10,000 feet or so I laughed, but after several more "mentions" it stops being funny and begins to make me wonder. After all, the real advances always occur during wartime when there are lives on the line. I don't know but I don't doubt. Walter M. Clark