Great news – the KSM rundown

Thanks to Man without Qualities for finding this report from the Sydney Morning Herald:

Washington: The captured terrorist mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was carrying the names and phone numbers of members of al-Qaeda sleeper cells in North America when he was apprehended, according to intelligence officials.

This is HUGE.

Former CIA officer Robert Baer also gives his take on the KSM capture in the National Review:

Kathryn Jean Lopez: How big of a deal is it that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was arrested this weekend?
Robert Baer: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed's arrest is the most important counterterrorist arrest, ever. In all the attacks against American targets in the Seventies and Eighties, we haven't seen a success like this. Not only can he tell us who paid for 9/11 (a state?), he can tell us where the other cells are, should there indeed be others. Still, the most important is state sponsorship. Maybe Iraq? Maybe Iran? Potentially his interrogation could be history making.

And speaking of KSM’s interrogation, there was this iiiiiiinteresting exchange on Fox News Sunday between Brit Hume and Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee:

HUME: How aggressive should his interrogators, American interrogators, be in trying to get information from him?
ROBERTS: Well, basically as aggressive as we can be over time. You hope for success. We are not doing anything that would be at odds with the Geneva Convention. That sometimes this takes a little more time, and we will take that time.
HUME: His two sons, I believe, are in captivity.
ROBERTS: That's correct.
HUME: Should their captivity be a factor in how he's questioned?
ROBERTS: Well, I know what you're inferring, but I don't think that would be the case. But the fact that all three are now in captivity sends another message to the Al Qaeda.

(Von Horst talking about the torture of Nick.)
Von Horst: "They're still working on him. They've tried everything. He won't break. Do you want me to bring out the Leroy Neiman paintings?"
General Streck: "No, we cannot risk violating the Geneva convention."

From “Top Secret!”