One of the recurring suspicions of Democrats is that BushCo would spring an "October Surprise"- like the capture of Osama bin Laden or some other "high value target". I've always found those suspicions to be rather on the paranoid side, but this latest turn of events is enough to make me wonder.
Earlier this month, the New Republic reported that the Bush administration was putting pressure on Pakistan to arrest some major-league terrorists before the November election.
In fact, the magazine quoted one unidentified Pakistani intelligence official as saying that a White House aide told the head of the spy agency last spring that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT [High-Value Target] were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July." Those just happened to be the first three days of the Democratic convention.
Gee, guess what happened? I know, I'm as shocked as anyone that BushCo could be so craven as to politicize the war on terror to their own advantage. Gee, whodathunkit?
The AP has reported Thursday afternoon that "Pakistan has arrested a Tanzanian al Qaeda suspect wanted by the United States in the 1998 bombings at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the interior minister said Friday. He said the suspect was cooperating and had given authorities 'very valuable' information."
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was reportedly to be on the FBI's list of 22 most wanted terrorists, and a reward of up to $25 million was offered for his capture.
And get this: The arrest was actually made Sunday, the AP reported from Islamabad. But the capture was announced Thursday. The bulletins hit the wires soon after 3 p.m., or about seven hours before John Kerry delivers his acceptance speech.
Of course, no one has any direct evidence to link the capture of Ghailani to anything but great good fortune, but Howard Kurtz does raise a good point. If in fact Ghailani was apprehended on Sunday, why would the Administration wait until just hours before John Kerry's acceptance speech to announce it? Did no one stop to think that the timing might be thought to be just a wee bit suspect?
This may be nothing more than idle speculation on the partisan of an extremely partisan Democrat, but it does make me wonder. If the Bush Administration could be capable of this sort of political manipulation, what else might they be capable of? Stealing another election perhaps? One shudders to think of the possibilities....
WE DESERVE BETTER.
