Osama Bin Laden is dead.

[Keef]

Don't worry, you two. I am sure they will post up the evidence, right next to the birth certificate.

Look, I disagree with Obama on nearly every issue, but I am not out looking for evidence that he is trying to hide stuff like this from us. Play in the facts you have.

Right now showing evidence of Bin Laden's death is tricky, or have you already forgotten the grief that Bush dealt with when Hussein's sons were killed or even when they captured Saddam?

I almost feel like a conspiracy theorist and it's creeping me out. I'm blaming my degrading attitudes on Omnis.

After all, it is election season.

Now we really need Obamacare to be struck down!

Again, interesting interpretation. What I mean is, Bin Laden was found and taken out on Obama's watch. Regardless of how personally Obama was involved in planning or refocusing the search for Bin Laden, that unescapable fact alone will always count in his favour.

It'll only count in his favor to the people who write history books, and as we all know, they are hardly perfect.

As a republican intelligence chief said, "This is a powerful moment. This is really the proof that the United States doesn’t forget, the US won't give up and if you’re involved in the slaughter of one or two or 3,000 of our citizens, we will be relentless in finding you and bringing you to justice.”

The US, the US, the US. I just watched Obama's speech. The intro story was touching, the images emotional, and the few acknowledgements of the people on the ground were appropriate. But it quickly degraded into I, I, I, and I thought there was too much of it. I wish his speech and tone would have been more positive, happier, and proud. He sounds like he doesn't really want to be making this speech.

Jesus. How cynical can you get

How naive can you get? The Democrats are going to ride this pony until election night.

 

[Joey D]

I am quite happy we got him. I know it doesn't mean a victory by any means but it's a pretty big win, especially for the country's morale. Obama should get some kudos off of this since he is the Commander and Chief, the man has done a lot of things I haven't agreed with as president but I do have to commend him on finishing a job that should have been done in 2001.

I haven't said this in a long while, but I'm proud to be an American today and I'm really happy our SEAL's did their job. I may not respect most in the military but SEAL's are just bad-asses.

 

[FoolKiller]

Jesus. How cynical can you get

Maybe it is because I live in my state capital and have politicians on both sides of my family, but I can guarantee that someone at Obama HQ thought, "We just announced the reelection bid, just did the birth certificate thing, and are trying to overcome rocketing gas prices and an all time disapproval rating. The timing here is perfect! WINNING!"

We are talking about the president who hired a chief of staff quoted as saying, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."

And I have already seen comments all over the Internet that this could be what keeps him in office a second term.

And just to be clear, it is not as if I said that he timed the event for election effect, but rather that he will be sure to claim as much responsibility as possible for election purposes. And before you call that cynical, keep in mind that he did say he would have all troops out of Afghanistan by July of this year. Now he can keep or break that promise based on this alone and not have it bite him in an election.



And across town at GOP HQ a group of guys are cussing and figuring out how to spin this in their favor. Is saying that cynical?

But let's be honest, there is a saying in American politics, "It is always an election year."

Next you are going to tell me Bush didn't fly in on a fighter jet, wearing a jumpsuit, and then give a speech in front of a Mission Accomplished sign without thinking how awesome that photo will look at election time.


EDIT:

I haven't said this in a long while, but I'm proud to be an American today and I'm really happy our SEAL's did their job. I may not respect most in the military but SEAL's are just bad-asses.

 

[Touring Mars]

How naive can you get? The Democrats are going to ride this pony until election night.

Of course they are... I'm not stupid, I do realise this... I just don't see the need to emphasize this point in an attempt to belittle the achievement.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

It doesn't feel like that big of an achievement, probably because it took them 10 years. The impact isn't as big as if say, it happened 5 years ago.

 

[CodeRedR51]

It doesn't feel like that big of an achievement, probably because it took them 10 years. The impact isn't as big as if say, it happened 5 years ago.

Agreed. The guy was probably getting old anyway.

 

[Danoff]

I'd say also keep in mind had this operation been a dismal failure, see President Jimmy Carter and the Iran Hostage Crisis, then the PotUS would have been pretty much expected to bear full responsibility for it. Although Carter presumably had near zero input into operational planning and execution of Operation Eagle Claw he sure suffered the consequences of its debacle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis


So there's kind of a double standard isn't there. Although I can understand the concerns of Obama not giving "enough" credit to the military and intelligence communities for a success, surely he would be derided to even a greater degree if the mission failed and he didn't take full responsibility as he is the one, and only, Commander in Chief.

This isn't a double-standard. Obama would get tons of credit for this without ever having to say a word - just as carter got tons of credit for failure without ever having to claim it himself.

My point is that it's a bad speech. And I'm right. I'd use the word Childish to describe someone taking credit for other people's work in this fashion.

Since this ridiculous debate continues, I thought I'd point out the satire...

Our... as in the United States. Our... as in not His.

 

[Keef]

Of course they are... I'm not stupid, I do realise this... I just don't see the need to emphasize this point in an attempt to belittle the achievement.

I'm not really excited about it. Besides that fact that our hunt for Osama was our government's doing anyway, all this will do is make somebody else take his place, and Al Qaeda will cause that much more chaos and fight us that much harder. Our situation over there is getting nothing but worse, and it's not about to end any time soon. The mistake to get involved was made a very long time ago, and I'm not about to support anything related to it.

 

[Villain]

Well, if this event does lead to a flare-up in al-Qaeda activity they will become that much easier to pick them off. The more active they are, the easier it becomes for the intelligence community to track them down.

There's always someone to make the case "if you bad guy x, then there will be bad guy y to take his place" and while that is a valid arguement, I don't think it's always true and I don't think that will be the case this time. al-Qaeda has been in shambles for a while already and the loss of the number one leader isn't likely to be an event that galvanizes them.

Look, lets put it in an American Football analogy. If you're already losing a game and then your quarterback gets injured, is that really going to make everyone else step up and win? Is a back-up QB going to come off of the bench and rally up everyone to take the game back? Probably not.

 

[icelt]

This isn't a double-standard. Obama would get tons of credit for this without ever having to say a word - just as carter got tons of credit for failure without ever having to claim it himself.

Took awhile to find, but Carter indeed took full responsibility at the time. Now whether he "had to" or not is completely debatable.

The following statement was issued the day after the failed rescue attempt.
http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/0472108670-03.pdf

On April 25, 1980, the president issued a statement that read, in part, "The President accepts full responsibility for the decision to attempt the rescue." (pg. 73)

I would agree that regardless of him publicly stating as such, he would have been held ultimately accountable.

My point is that it's a bad speech. And I'm right. I'd use the word Childish to describe someone taking credit for other people's work in this fashion.

Personally I don't recall Obama taking credit for performing the mission, only for authorizing it. Once again, maybe he "should" have spent more time acknowledging those who did the detailed strategizing and the actual execution. However reviewing the text of his speech I don't see at any point that Obama takes credit for anything other than those actions he actually took and those directives he actually made. So from that standpoint I think your describing his press release as "childish" to be a little, let's say, confusing.

Full text of the speech:
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/05/02/text-obamas-announcement-of-bin.html

And for reference, following are the 3 paragraphs that deal directly with the operation itself:

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

 

[Dan_]

Hmmm, I don't think so. He might be considered a hero by now, and many people would embrace and follow his "legacy", or whatever name you want to give it.

 

[Duman079]

Tango sagat ! He deserved it.The basterd.....

God bless america xD.

 

[icelt]

Interesting photo, if indeed accurate that it is of the executive team as they watched a live feed of the operation.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/5680724572/

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

 

[CodeRedR51]

What's with the blurred paper on the laptop in front of Hillary Clinton there?

Crazy photo if the description is true.

 

[Ardius]

Don't worry, you two. I am sure they will post up the evidence, right next to the birth certificate.

Look, I disagree with Obama on nearly every issue, but I am not out looking for evidence that he is trying to hide stuff like this from us. Play in the facts you have.

Right now showing evidence of Bin Laden's death is tricky, or have you already forgotten the grief that Bush dealt with when Hussein's sons were killed or even when they captured Saddam?

The facts are pretty much;
Obama and the American government + military are telling us they killed Bin Laden.
Supposedly some guy tweeted about the action, so at least there was an attack.
The US claim to have dumped the body at sea and claim 99% certainty of a DNA test of unknown type.

Its more to do with simply being told by a government they have done something, with little to no evidence. Sure, there are reasonable excuses for why certain evidence can't be shown, but there is still a lack of evidence. The typical religion vs. science thinking really.

 

[icelt]

What's with the blurred paper on the laptop in front of Hillary Clinton there?

Crazy photo if the description is true.

Intentionally PS'd to obscure sensitive information maybe.

FWIW here is the actual tweet:
http://twitter.com/#!/adbrandt/status/65165237111894016

 

[Vitzio]

Justice .

 

[icelt]

Poor tweet link I think, going back up the directory tree I was able to find this description for the pic:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/5680724572/

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

I'll add this to my original post now as well.

 

[Joel]

How Abottabad place to hide eh?

 

[Danoff]

I would agree that regardless of him publicly stating as such, he would have been held ultimately accountable.

Glad we agree.

Personally I don't recall Obama taking credit for performing the mission, only for authorizing it. Once again, maybe he "should" have spent more time acknowledging those who did the detailed strategizing and the actual execution. However reviewing the text of his speech I don't see at any point that Obama takes credit for anything other than those actions he actually took and those directives he actually made. So from that standpoint I think your describing his press release as "childish" to be a little, let's say, confusing.

The bit you quoted strikes me as childish. He works himself in at every possible point - something he didn't need to do, and shouldn't have done. Are you telling me it wouldn't have been a stronger, better speech if he hadn't done that? Are you telling me that this speech plays better with him going "I I I my I"?

It was a bad speech, and his credit grabbing wasn't even the worst part. The part where he drones on about how weak we are and how badly Al Qaeda hurt us is the worst part. It emboldens the enemy. Should have gotten Hillary's press guy.

 

[Dapper]

Our... as in the United States. Our... as in not His.

Wait, you didn't hear the first sentence of his speech?

 

[Villain]

Wait, you didn't hear the first sentence of his speech?

You mean this?

Good Evening.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Anyone have the link to that speech?

 

[McLaren]

There isn't really a good way to deal with the problem of his body, giving him a proper burial would be giving him too much respect (at least in the eyes of the victims) and simply chucking him in the sea isn't going to go down well with his supporters.

Who gives a 🤬 what they think. All they should know is that they're next.

Totally agreed. Bin Laden death doesn't solve anything. It might be good for raising Obama's popularity and US troops spirits, but now backfire is to be expected.

So what would you rather us do? Let him live? As soon as US troops captured him, he knew his time was up.

I find it very disturbing that people are marching through the streets, celebrating the death of someone. Yes he has caused the loss of life all over the world, but humans beings deserve better than this.

No. No, Osama doesn't. He didn't think we deserved to even live on this earth.

An eye for an eye.

I dunno about all this. I'm a part time conspiracy theorist and I feel its a bit too convenient that while the world was staring at an extra irrelevant wedding, the government shows up with Osama's body?

Hmmmm....

Please tell me you don't think 9/11 was a conspiracy, too....

 

[a6m5]

I don't have all the facts, but still puzzled as to how this thing took this long. Now I wonder how Bin Laden's Pakistani connection would be dealt with. Maybe a war, maybe not a damn thing. It would be interesting to see how much information will become uncovered.

While I realize that assassination of Bin Laden will not hurt the cause of these civilian murdering criminals, I am glad that U.S. Military got to put a bullet in his body, sending him straight to hell. 👍

 

[Grayfox]

9/11 is not a cospiracy, if it was and it got out.

Everyone who knew something out be seen as a mass murder including Bush for startin a war and using 9/11 as an excuse.

I think the moon landing was one though

 

[icelt]

Anyone have the link to that speech?

I posted it a little earlier.

Full text of the speech:
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/05/02/text-obamas-announcement-of-bin.html

The bit you quoted strikes me as childish. He works himself in at every possible point - something he didn't need to do, and shouldn't have done. Are you telling me it wouldn't have been a stronger, better speech if he hadn't done that? Are you telling me that this speech plays better with him going "I I I my I"?

It was a bad speech, and his credit grabbing wasn't even the worst part. The part where he drones on about how weak we are and how badly Al Qaeda hurt us is the worst part. It emboldens the enemy. Should have gotten Hillary's press guy.

Glad you're standing down from the claim that Obama childishly took credit for “other people's work.”

Personally I have no significant concerns with the speech as given.

Also I don't feel this speech especially emboldens the enemy, presuming you mean Al-Qaeda. I mean they hate us. Period. No matter what I/you/we/Obama/Cameron/Merkel/etc say or do they are going to continue right on hating us. And they will kill members of our respective militaries, governments and citizens as the mood and opportunity strikes them. Just the way it is, such a group doesn't need emboldening as they've already claimed justification by their Creator. “God has granted me the right, in fact commanded me to kill as many of 'you' as possible.” A belief doesn't get much more bold than that.

 

[Villain]

I dunno about all this. I'm a part time conspiracy theorist and I feel its a bit too convenient that while the world was staring at an extra irrelevant wedding, the government shows up with Osama's body?

Hmmmm....

Man, get out of here with that. Eveything is convenient to something or another. People will always draw a line from event x to motivation y. Just stick with the facts as you know them and keep that tin foil handy.

 

[Akmuq]

What puzzles me is, and it was mentioned on Sky News this morning is that, how did he hide in a mansion for 10 years, in a town, with 18 foot high walls and no telephone lines. Did nobody wonder what was going on in there?

 

[Grayfox]

What puzzles me is, and it was mentioned on Sky News this morning is that, how did he hide in a mansion for 10 years, in a town, with 18 foot high walls and no telephone lines. Did nobody wonder what was going on in there?

Some people like privacy, it is somthing that the western world lacks a bit with every thing being recorded.

The Amish don't use modern things like phones, should we start suspecting them of evil deeds?, No.