What a fabulous coincidence! Still reeling from the humiliation of the Osama bin Laden raid (and its implications for any last shred of credibility for Pakistan as an "ally" in the war on terror), the Pakistani ISI has announced they have good information on the whereabouts of Taliban head honcho Mullah Omar.

Conveniently, the ISI seems to think the terrorist leader is on Pakistani soil, in or around Quetta, the largest city in Balochistan province (How nice of them to reveal the timing and location of this manhunt operation ahead of time, just to give their quarry a running head start).

Coincidentally, there is a significant US and coalition forces military presence there to hinder Taliban infiltration from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

If I were conspiratorial-minded, I might think the ISI had a sneaky plan ready to go.

First, wander over to Mullah Omar's address, which has actually been known to you for a number of years. Put a bullet through the old man's skull so he can't spill any secrets. Next, dump the body in the middle of a short but dramatic staged firefight just a few hundred yards from the closest US Marine. Make sure the TV cameras are there to record some soldiers running around and shooting into a house.

As you announce the death of Mullah Omar in a desperate battle, note that the villain seemed to be living within a five minute jog of the nearest US soldier and "let the public draw their own conclusions." Finally, remind America that once more, you've shown your worth as a reliable ally in the war on terror -- oh, and by the way, can we have more money, now? Our nuclear weapons arsenal is kind of expensive to maintain and we'd hate for one of our bombs to fall into the wrong hands. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

Surely, the Pakistanis think they can still salvage their reputation and the flow of aid with such theatre. And one can hardly blame them for such bizarre pretensions. We've been effectively subsidizing their jihadist networks, nuclear program and bribery schemes for years. It's a mad and foolish endeavor. So why wouldn't they think they can get away with this?

Jonathon Narvey is the Editor of The Propagandist