Taliban threat reminder of risk to U.S.

by Frank James

Here's hoping U.S. intelligence officials are correct when they discount the latest threat made by Pakistan's Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud who is threatening to attack Washington in retaliation for U.S. missile strikes against his forces.

It's easy to see how intelligence experts draw their conclusion. Mehsud is no Osama bin Ladin and his organization isn't al Qaeda. Also, Mehsud's made such threats before.

But his threat is a reminder that the nation's capital remains a high-value target for terrorists and America's enemies, even under the new Obama Administration. America's reputation with much of the world may have risen because of the new administration.

But the change in administrations hasn't necessarily taken the nation out of the bulls-eye. In a way, Mehsud's threat may be beneficial since it reminds Americans of how much some people still want to kill them and may make it easier to fight off complacency.

An excerpt of from an Associated Press story:

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan's Taliban chief claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a police academy, saying he wanted to retaliate for U.S. missile attacks on the militant bases on the border with Afghanistan.

Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million bounty on his head from the United States, also vowed to "amaze everyone in the world" with an attack on Washington or even the White House.

The FBI, however, said he had made similar threats previously and there was no indication of anything imminent...

Mehsud told The Associated Press that the academy and other recent attacks were revenge for stepped-up American missile strikes into Pakistan's border badlands.

"Soon we will launch an attack in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world," Mehsud said in a telephone interview with an Associated Press reporter. He offered few details, though in a separate recorded conversation with local Dewa radio station, he said the White House was a target.