All the Heavies are Weighing In

Seventeen Pakistani villagers have been sacrificed in the latest American atrocity for the so-called, "War on Terror."

The Associated Press reporter, Nedra Pickler, wrote an article entitled, Rice: al-Qaida Can't Be Treated Lightly. The article provides us with a full range of justifications and lies Americans can utilize in order to avoid any guilt or even responsibility over the murder of poor foreigners.

As Rice spoke Sunday, thousands of Pakistanis took to the streets for a second day to protest the airstrikes. They chanted "Death to America" and demanded U.S. troops leave neighboring Afghanistan.

In furtherance of her sarcasm in the wake of the tragedy,

"It's obviously difficult at this time for the Pakistani government," Rice said in the first remarks from a top Bush administration official following the airstrikes. "We'll continue to work with the Pakistanis and we'll try to address their concerns."

As for our "allies in the war on terror,"

Pakistani officials have strongly condemned the attack. It has fueled increasing anger in Pakistan, where many of the 150 million residents oppose the government's involvement in the U.S.-led war against terror.

And, in a punch line, to add insult to injury,

"The biggest threat to Pakistan of course is what al-Qaida has done in trying to radicalize the country," Rice said.

Then the Bushco noise machine cranked into high volume.

The White House declined to comment on the attacks, except to praise Musharraf as well as Pakistan as "a valued ally on the war on terror."

A U.S. counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the information's sensitivity, said it's still unclear if al-Zawahri was killed in the attack.

Senators defended the airstrikes Sunday.

"We apologize, but I can't tell you that we wouldn't do the same thing again" in going after al-Zawahri, said Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz.

"We have to do what we think is necessary to take out al-Qaida, particularly the top operatives. This guy has been more visible than Osama bin Laden lately," McCain, a Senate Armed Services Committee member, said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Sen. Evan Bayh (news, bio, voting record), D-Ind., who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the CIA had been watching the area for several days and that the agency would not have conducted such an operation without extraordinarily high levels of intelligence.

"It's a regrettable situation, but what else are we supposed to do?" Bayh told CNN's "Late Edition." "It's like the wild, wild west out there. The Pakistani border is a real problem."

Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss., another Intelligence Committee member, said such strikes are necessary to get at al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan who are directing anti-American violence in Iraq. "My information is that this strike was clearly justified by the intelligence," Lott said.