Bin Laden Is Killed!

[heliochrome85]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world ... ed.html?hp

I just wish I felt safer now than I did 10 years ago...

[mattblancarte]

You will feel safe, dammit. That's how you've been told to feel.

[bigbadberry3]

It's still a victory for the families and friends of all of those effected by the events and those after of 9/11.

[HashiriyaS14]

This is a huge deal irregardless of the actual tactical impact.

[IBCoupe]

Honestly, I've felt pretty safe all along.

Anybody hear about/see Pakistan's press release? Apparently, nobody told them we were going in.

[Cold_Zero]

Good. But now brace for the counter attacks. Maybe not right now, but they are coming.

[R/T Hemi]

Bin Laden is dead, one shot to the head.
Raid ordered by Obama. Is it too soon to bring up the President for life amendment?

[HashiriyaS14]

Honestly, I've felt pretty safe all along.

Anybody hear about/see Pakistan's press release? Apparently, nobody told them we were going in.

Gee, I wonder why that was.

They were hiding him, and I'm positive that they built that compound. I don't believe that Zardani knew anything about it, but people in the military/intelligence community over there definitely knew and were directly complicit.



Saw this today and LOL'd:

[R/T Hemi]

Al Jazeera said he died as he promised he would, a free man. I don't see how much freedom there is in looking over your shoulder for 10 years. I'm assuming the seals tried to capture him but had to settle for a head shot instead. Then they took charge of his body, took DNA samples and left him. He was buried at sea, obviously, even in death he's not as free as he might think.

[HashiriyaS14]

I'm assuming the seals tried to capture him but had to settle for a head shot instead.

Nope

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/ ... 7920110502

[Cold_Zero]

Bin Laden is dead, one shot to the head.
Raid ordered by Obama. Is it too soon to bring up the President for life amendment?

If it didn’t violate their security since they conduct covert operations, I would nominate the members of SEAL Team Six exempt from paying taxes for the rest of their life. That might be a better Amendment than one that could be construed as a ‘Dictator for Life’ Amendment.

Call me cautious or leery, but after watching the news coverage at USMA (West Point) and outside the White House of the crowds cheering of the death of Bin Laden, did it strike anyone as weird at how young the cheering crowds were? I just thought to myself, these kid s (specifically reflecting at the USMA crowd) were what 11 years old at the time of 9-11? It just seems a bit odd, but maybe I have not ‘digested’ enough media coverage.

[stebo0728]

Just gotta say, woo hoo. Obama gets the credit, but so what, the sum'bich is dead. Might not change much, might not be the end of the terror era of history, but nonetheless, the sum'bich is dead! No quibbling over where to try him, how to treat him, whether to torture him, no BS other than his corpse on the bottom of the ocean. Props for dropping him where he'll never be enshrined by his goons too.

[Cold_Zero]

Stebo,
We need to get beyond all the political grand standing. Obama (rightfully so) gets credit for keeping up the operations, creating the infrastructure and environment for these operators to do their job, preaching patience on the matter and approving the order for the operation (which probably will have political implications). Let’s NOT play up or down (in your case) the credit that is deserved because of a potential ‘bump’ in approval ratings. It is this petty s*** that keeps the dialog going around in circles and at the end of the day, we get nowhere.

In my mind both the Bush and Obama administration get credit, as well as the members of SOCOM/JSOC, the NSA, the FBI and the CIA for their work from 2001 to present hunting down the 9-11 conspirators. I include these organizations because it is very easy to forget the command and control structure and the support structure that allows operators on the ground to function so effectively.
While the Global War on Terror may not be over, as you pointed out, this is a big blow to the morale of Al Qaeda.
Bud

[R/T Hemi]

. . .

Call me cautious or leery, but after watching the news coverage at USMA (West Point) and outside the White House of the crowds cheering of the death of Bin Laden, did it strike anyone as weird at how young the cheering crowds were? I just thought to myself, these kid s (specifically reflecting at the USMA crowd) were what 11 years old at the time of 9-11? It just seems a bit odd, but maybe I have not ‘digested’ enough media coverage.

I would prefer that the news didn't broadcast the cheering and fireworks. That just serves to infuriate his supporters. However, I see the death jokes are starting to make the internet. No good ones yet.

[n00b240]

Call me cautious or leery, but after watching the news coverage at USMA (West Point) and outside the White House of the crowds cheering of the death of Bin Laden, did it strike anyone as weird at how young the cheering crowds were? I just thought to myself, these kid s (specifically reflecting at the USMA crowd) were what 11 years old at the time of 9-11? It just seems a bit odd, but maybe I have not ‘digested’ enough media coverage.

THIS. I thought the same thing, a bunch of kids......in the streets, in front of the white house, the pentagon.....celebrating, with signs!! WTF. I understand a bad man is dead. I felt like I was looking at the streets of Pakistan, or Somalia or some country like that. Celebrating death, I was really turned off by such a display from fellow Americans.

How about, first taking the time to remember those, who have fallen on that day 11 years ago. How about those who fell from Sept 12, to today, in search of this man. Many Americans gave their lives, I dont see them celebrating.

[stebo0728]

Cold, I did not intend to diminish any credit due to Obama. What I meant was to say that whether he gets the credit, or not, earned or not, doesn't matter to me, because the job got done. Obama would get the credit simply by being in office, but that doesn't necessarily mean he didn't earn any of the credit.

And I agree with the uneasiness of how our populous reacted. I was overjoyed myself, but the images of people rejoicing in the streets looked eerily like the people dancing in the streets after the 9/11 attacks. Are we no better? Are we the same primitive type of people, with base reactions?

[Cold_Zero]

Call me cautious or leery, but after watching the news coverage at USMA (West Point) and outside the White House of the crowds cheering of the death of Bin Laden, did it strike anyone as weird at how young the cheering crowds were? I just thought to myself, these kid s (specifically reflecting at the USMA crowd) were what 11 years old at the time of 9-11? It just seems a bit odd, but maybe I have not ‘digested’ enough media coverage.

THIS. I thought the same thing, a bunch of kids......in the streets, in front of the white house, the pentagon.....celebrating, with signs!! WTF. I understand a bad man is dead. I felt like I was looking at the streets of Pakistan, or Somalia or some country like that. Celebrating death, I was really turned off by such a display from fellow Americans.

How about, first taking the time to remember those, who have fallen on that day 11 years ago. How about those who fell from Sept 12, to today, in search of this man. Many Americans gave their lives, I dont see them celebrating.

I think you helped verbalize that I was feeling this morning. Thank you.

[Cold_Zero]

Cold, I did not intend to diminish any credit due to Obama. What I meant was to say that whether he gets the credit, or not, earned or not, doesn't matter to me, because the job got done. Obama would get the credit simply by being in office, but that doesn't necessarily mean he didn't earn any of the credit.

I think I was trying to draw out that he deserves more credit than just 'being in office at the right time.'

[stebo0728]

Obama: BAMF of the day?

[AppleBonker]

[mattblancarte]

Call me cautious or leery, but after watching the news coverage at USMA (West Point) and outside the White House of the crowds cheering of the death of Bin Laden, did it strike anyone as weird at how young the cheering crowds were? I just thought to myself, these kid s (specifically reflecting at the USMA crowd) were what 11 years old at the time of 9-11? It just seems a bit odd, but maybe I have not ‘digested’ enough media coverage.

I'd say you're being totally reasonable and I shared that sentiment with you. I was/am actually disgusted by a lot of the fanfare.

[mattblancarte]

I'm also waiting for pics of Osama's dead body.

I find it curious that they decided to bury him at sea only two hours after he was killed (so says the reporting I've read). I understand some of the responses they've given (i.e., Islamic law requires the burial to occur within 24 hours, burial site on land could be a "pilgrimage" site for terrorists, etc)... Just seems a little hasty to me, though.

[Cold_Zero]

The water burial doesn’t surprise me if you think about the planning of the operation. You grab (dead body of) the #1 guy in Al Qaeda, where is the safest place in the region to land your helo’s? So that you can conduct your debriefing, handle your prisoners and confirm the identity of Osama Bin Laden? The USS Carl Vinson. I guarantee that once the helo(s) touched down on the deck the entire Carrier Strike Group took off (full steam ahead) and kept moving. Al Qaeda (conceivably) may have the ability to hit a land base inside Afghanistan to disrupt your activities after your operation, but they don’t have the ability to hit a Carrier Strike Group. The CSG operates miles off the coast of Pakistan (in the Arabian Ocean), they can be constantly changing their location (mobile) and the USS Carl Vinson has its own security detail of US Marines that protect the ship. Not to mention that boarding a Nimitz class carrier is a task inside of itself.

Now as to the speed of the burial: I still cant but to help but to think about OpSec. If you kept the body around for hours or days after the press found out about it, it would be a media circus and I guarantee that the media would launch lawsuits to obtain access to the body. By dumping him into the sea, I mean burying him immediately. They are free to try and locate the body (at the bottom of the Arabian Sea.) The US Military doesn’t not have to produce a body.

"Today's religious rites were conducted on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian sea. The ceremony started at 1:10am and finished at 2:10am ET," the second official said. "Procedures for Islamic body were followed. The body was washed and placed in a white sheet. A military official read prepared remarks, which were then translated into Arabic by a native speaker. The body of Osama bin Laden was placed on a flat board, which was then tipped up, and allowed to slide into the sea."

[telcoman]

Bin Laden is dead, one shot to the head.
Raid ordered by Obama. Is it too soon to bring up the President for life amendment?

Obama accomplished what GWB failed to do.

The excitement on the streets and college campuses reminded me of student responses during Vietnam except this time it was a positive reaction.

Most of them will be eligible to vote in the next election so I think Obama can look forward to another four years.
As far as beyond the next four years who knows? I'm sure they will be voting if they expect to see their medicare and social security remain intact.

Telcoman

[Cold_Zero]

Obama accomplished what GWB failed to do.

Howie,
Dont be a tool. You know in an operation like this, it is vigilance of all involved that leads to the success of the operation. That would be like saying that the people who served during the 1980’s failed to win the Cold War, because the Soviet Union did not fall until 1991. That my dad had no part of winning the Cold War in Germany in 1968…
You know better.

[mattblancarte]

The water burial doesn’t surprise me if you think about the planning of the operation.

Thanks for the explanation. That actually makes a lot of sense now, considering the tactical viewpoints.

[Cold_Zero]

Don’t take my word as Gospel. It is just a view point. I am sure 20 years from now, we will be reading about the details and rationale of the operation from a Pentagon bureaucrat’s book who was on point for the planning of the operation..

[mattblancarte]

Definitely. I was just having a hard time coming up with a legitimate need to get rid of the body ASAP, as they had a slightly larger window within the Islamic burial guidelines.

I don't doubt there is much more to the story than we've been told here in the first day.

[C-Kwik]

Kudos to all those involved in making this happen.

[AZhitman]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world ... ed.html?hp

I just wish I felt safer now than I did 10 years ago...

10 years ago, you weren't driving, traveling, drinking, cooking your own food, buying your own clothes, working, or hanging out with other adults.

As such, it's no surprise that you don't feel safer now.

Duh.

....jeez, they'll let anyone into medical school these days... probably because he's brown...