AP REPORTING MESHUD IS STILL ALIVE

NYT/AP:

A Taliban spokesman and a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud claimed Saturday that the Pakistani Taliban chief was not killed by a CIA missile strike, contradicting another aide who confirmed Mehsud's death a day earlier.

The claims, made in calls to Pakistani and international media organizations, could undermine the growing confidence among U.S. and Pakistani officials that Mehsud died. They also could be tactical maneuvers to prevent defections as the Taliban leadership searches for a successor to Mehsud or even to delay a decision on naming an heir.

Pakistani intelligence officials acknowledged Saturday that the missile strike said to have killed the Taliban chief was carried out with Islamabad's help, indicating growing coordination between the two countries despite Pakistan's official disapproval of the strikes.

Mehsud deputy, Hakimullah, and Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar each called two separate Associated Press reporters Saturday to say that Mehsud was alive. They pledged evidence of his continued existence would be brought forth in the coming days.

• WE WON'T KNOW HE'S DEAD UNTIL WE EXAMINE HIS CADAVER.

• WHO KNOWS WHAT THE TRUTH IS IN THE FATA REGION?

• IT'S A RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY WRAPPED INSIDE AN ENIGMA.

• WE CAN'T EVEN TRUST PAKISTAN'S ISI BECAUSE, SEPARATING PAKISTAN'S SELF-INTEREST FROM ITS IRRATIONAL ISLAMIST ROOTS IS AS DIFFICULT AS PRYING BARNEY FRANK OFF A PINKO-RENTBOY.

• MY SOLUTION: DEMAND PAKISTAN EXTEND MILITARY CONROL OVER THE REGION - AND START APPLYING CIVIL LAW THERE, OR DECLARE IT A NON-NATIONAL TERRORIST-HAVEN AND THEN NUKE IT UNDER THE 2001 AUMF. (THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN 2001 - THEN THERE'D HAVE BEEN NO IRAQ WAR, NO GWOT, BECAUSE WW4 WOULD HAVE ENDED RIGHT THEN AND THERE!)
  

UPDATE; I SCOOPED HOT AIR AND LONG WAR JOURNAL ON THIS STORY.
AND SCOOPED MEMEORANDUM.

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