Bush Pressures Pakistan for "July Surprise"

The New Republic Online

Bush has recently been hammering the Pakistani government to deliver high level al-Qaeda officials. Why?

Because the Democratic Convention will soon be underway, and they want the capture of Bin Laden to knock the Democrats off the news networks.

A third source, an official who works under ISI's director, Lieutenant General Ehsan ul-Haq, informed (The New Republic) that the Pakistanis "have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of (High Value Targets) before [the] election is [an] absolute must." What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: "The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington." Says McCormack: "I'm aware of no such comment." But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Well, now. Who's the real enemy here, Mr. Bush? Osama bin Laden? Or your political opponents?

When will we get some grownups in charge again?