Stardate 20011231.0700

(On Screen): Afghan politics being what they are, it seems as if a few of the locals who had been giving us good information about the location of Taliban and al Qaeda concentrations have started lying to us to bring airstrikes onto their local competition. Our people on the ground are going to have to become a bit more skeptical, or we'll start having more high profile mistakes.

But it's not a foregone conclusion that every such bombing raid is a mistake, just because reporters can find someone local afterwards who will say "Why did they bomb us? We don't have any Taliban here!" What do you expect them to say, "It's a fair cop"?

It's been said that there are no guilty men on death row -- just ask 'em; every one will tell you they were framed. By the same token, if you ask around in Afghanistan, you'll be told that there are no Taliban or al Qaeda there, not a single one. Just ask.

The reporters surely will, and will report that to us in the aftermath of every attack we make from now on.