About a month ago, John Judis, Spencer Ackerman, and Massoud Ansari wrote a devastating piece for The New Republic titled, “July Surprise.” The article’s conclusion was almost too disgusting to believe.
The New Republic has learned that Pakistani security officials have been told they must produce [high-value targets] by the election. According to one source in Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), “The Pakistani government is really desperate and wants to flush out bin Laden and his associates after the latest pressures from the U.S. administration to deliver before the [upcoming] U.S. elections.” Introducing target dates for Al Qaeda captures is a new twist in U.S.-Pakistani counterterrorism relations — according to a recently departed intelligence official, “no timetable[s]” were discussed in 2002 or 2003 — but the November election is apparently bringing a new deadline pressure to the hunt.
In other words, the Bush administration is desperately looking for a political boost in the campaign’s closing stretch and is leaning on Pakistan to make one happen. If true, it’s the kind of disgusting political manipulation of international affairs for partisan gain that suggests Bush would stop at literally nothing to win a second term.
A couple of weeks ago, we saw the first hint the “July Surprise” article may have been on to something. The New Republic’s piece emphasized that the administration asked for a high-value target during the Dems’ convention and, sure enough, Pakistan announced on July 29 that its forces had captured Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian al Qaeda operative wanted in connection with the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Ghailani was captured several days prior, but the announcement was held until yesterday afternoon — about seven hours before Kerry took the stage in Boston.
The second really strong hint came today.
Further bolstering the premise of the July Surprise piece, the LA Times reported today that Bush administration pressure on Pakistan is growing more intense as the election draws closer.
One source familiar with the investigation said Washington had stepped up pressure on Pakistani authorities to turn their latest leads into the capture of more high-level targets before the U.S. presidential election in November.
Bush administration officials have warned that intelligence indicates Al Qaeda may be planning an attack before the election.
“The next month and a half is absolutely crucial,” said the Pakistani source, who spoke on condition that he not be identified because his superiors had not approved the interview. “The way the Americans are pressuring Pakistan, they want Osama bin Laden.”
Just to be clear, I’m entirely supportive of more aggressive searches for bin Laden and al Queda leaders. The difference is, I was hoping for stepped-up pressure on Pakistan to capture terrorists in 2002 and 2003, instead of just three months before Election Day.
Any guesses on what prompted the administration to really turn up the heat now?