Shooting foiled attack-Whittington May Be an al Queda Lieutenant

[kpete]

Shooting foiled attack: White House

Posted: 2/17/2006
Reno Gazette

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Vice President Dick Cheney's shooting of a supposed Republican backer on a Texas ranch this week was a positive step in the nation's war on terror, a White House spokesman said today. The spokesman blamed "a few discontented Democrats" for using the incident for political gain, but said President Bush will present Cheney with a prestigious award for his part in spoiling an unspecified "terrorist plot."

"It's been established that (shooting victim) Harry Whittington was to blame," Scott McClellan said, referring to administration claims that Whittington, wearing an orange vest and crashing through brush, "broke protocol" by approaching the vice president from behind during a hunt.

"Our intelligence indicates that Mr. Whittington may not have been who he presented himself to be," McClellan said. "Had the vice president not acted, innocent American quail could have been killed."

McClellan declined to give details, citing national security concerns. White House sources speaking on condition of anonymity said the man they knew as an ally of the administration may be an al Qaeda lieutenant named Pulin Yerchain. Central Intelligence Agency reports suggest Yerchain infiltrated the Texas Republican party as early as 1950 and used hefty political donations to rise to a position of trust.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006602170377

[Missy M]

1. I think he was the #2 man in al Qaeda

[melody]

2. We killed #2 ... several times

Of course, Harry might have been #3, which now makes him #2.

[tanyev]

3. That's funny. Onionesque.

I am surprised to see it in a "real" newspaper.