UPDATE- Bin Laden is Dead-President spoke

[Nova]

On ABC News they just reported that the wife voluntarily jumped in front of him and made a threatening gesture of some sort, and that's when they shot her in the ankle and exposed him to gunfire. Very impressive self restraint and accuracy. (Imagine trying to shoot someone in the ankle who may be moving and in the dark using only night vision!)

Exactly!

We've heard reports that Obama gave a "kill only" order on OBL and we've heard reports denying that. (Although I think such an order would be wrong, I can't say I'd blame him. I certainly wouldn't blame those who followed the order.)

Sounds to me like our guys were taking care to minimize collateral damage (at tremendous risk to themselves), so it may very well be that OBL made a move that sealed his fate.

As I said, I can't celebrate the killing of anyone; but I also don't mourn the departure of Bin Laden.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Why are we always so friggin' special we can't even stop and consider the views of the international community?

After all, other countries have been the targets of far more Al Quaeda attacks than we have; and, between terrorist attacks and "collateral damage" from our counterterrorism efforts, have lost hundreds of times as many people killed as we have.

Isn't it possible somebody out there has a little perspective from which we might learn something?

Does the international community ever consider our views? Like when England released the Lockerbie Scotland bomber so he could go home to die and even admitted it was because of a deal they struck? All those families of those victims here - boy were they upset.

IMHO I believe its time we stop worrying about how the international community views us. We have played grandpa and papa and "the USA to the rescue" to all these countries for decades. I get tired of seeing Americans donate and invest millions of dollars in countries overseas when our own children are starving and our own people need help.

We done pizzed off AQ with killing him - if releasing a photo of him dead is what it takes - then do it. I don't think its gonna make them any madder then they already are.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me one wit who said it, it's the contents I agree with.

As I have pointed out, I just wanted those who are using it to know it was not a correct quote the way it was written.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Exactly! I think most of us are better. I see nothing wrong with feeling a deep sense of satisfaction....I'm still feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

So you are saying those Americans that celebrate this (I'm one of them) are some how less than others?
What does "most of us are better" mean?

 

[Kimberlyd125]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42873423/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/?GT1=43001

CIA director: Bin Laden death photo to be released

 

[Dark Knight]

Ok - now I give up. New banner on the screen says 20-25 Nacy Seal Commandos w/weapons and night-vision goggles.

As for my above post. It happened in the very beginning of her show. She showed about 15 - 20 seconds. It was 3 guys - with night vision - clearing a room. There was no gunfire but they were holding weapons. Then it was gone.

I'm wondering if they shouldn't have shown that at all because now there hasn't been another word about it.

They just said the the CIA announced that it will release the photo - but didn't say when.

I apologize about my first post - I was just so stunned to see that footage. I don't know if it was real - but it sure looked like it and it was very very very quick.

I think for as careful as the Administration was to make sure it was OBL who was killed, they were too fast to try and release the raid details to the media. They should have said they were waiting until SEAL Team 6 was debriefed (going on today) before they released details, and then released an accurate accounting of the raid.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42881728/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/?GT1=43001

Bin Laden compound could yield big intelligence harvest

US gathered 'an awful lot of information' in weekend raid, Panetta says

"Thousands of documents" recovered from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan could help the U.S. "destroy al-Qaida," U.S. officials told NBC News.


White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday that the information was believed to break down into three categories:

•"Evidence of planned attacks."
•"Information that could lead to other high-value targets or networks that we don't know about."
•"The sustaining network for bin Laden himself in Pakistan — what allowed him to live in that compound as long as he did."


***More at Link***

 

[shana]

Although Panetta's statement may prove to be true, my understanding is that the President will make the final decision.

Source: my ears listening to CNN

 

[tlcya]

The "International Community" can kiss my squirrel.

Bravo!

And I would like to add to that sentiment that the international community has no problem picking up the phone to call us for aid whenever they face trouble. And we are always there to provide.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

A timeline of Osama bin Laden's life
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42853015/ns/world_news

I find this very interesting.
What a monster he was.

 

[gitana1]

Would they be the same "experts" that claimed that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq?:waitasec:

Well, here's the thing. Every one of the top Al Qaeda operatives that have been caught thus far, were caught in big cities all over Pakistan.

Further, numerous operations conducted by our military to find bin Laden or his associates, which Pakistani officials were notified of in advance, failed. The targets were not there or had just left before our forces got there.

There is a reason our government did not notify Pakistan at all, in advance, of the decision to invade deep within their airspace and get this guy living in an obviously out of place compound. That decision, IMO is why we were able to capture America's most wanted monster.

I have been following Pakistan for years. They are very shady and I think a far greater threat to us than Afghanistan, for example. They have funded terrorism or extremist madrasas used as recruiting centers for the Taliban and Al Qaeda, for years. I fully believe the were aware of what was going on and I don't trust them at all. Several of our military leaders and politicians have voiced the same concerns and questions as to what the heck our supposed ally is really doing.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

And gitana1 - after all that we send them BILLIONS of dollars a year in aid! Boy o boy that money sure could be put to good use over here helping OUR people and OUR country - dontcha think?

 

[Kimberlyd125]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42880435/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

CIA chief: Waterboarding aided bin Laden raid


WASHINGTON — Intelligence garnered from waterboarded detainees was used to track down al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and kill him, CIA Chief Leon Panetta told NBC News on Tuesday.

 

[krkrjx]

Well, here's the thing. Every one of the top Al Qaeda operatives that have been caught thus far, were caught in big cities all over Pakistan.

Further, numerous operations conducted by our military to find bin Laden or his associates, which Pakistani officials were notified of in advance, failed. The targets were not there or had just left before our forces got there.

There is a reason our government did not notify Pakistan at all, in advance, of the decision to invade deep within their airspace and get this guy living in an obviously out of place compound. That decision, IMO is why we were able to capture America's most wanted monster.

I have been following Pakistan for years. They are very shady and I think a far greater threat to us than Afghanistan, for example. They have funded terrorism or extremist madrasas used as recruiting centers for the Taliban and Al Qaeda, for years. I fully believe the were aware of what was going on and I don't trust them at all. Several of our military leaders and politicians have voiced the same concerns and questions as to what the heck our supposed ally is really doing.

Laughing all the way to the bank?

 

[gitana1]

Ya lost me.

He has an opinion, so what? Look into how many senators backed Bush in his claims that Saddam had WMD. Guess what, they were wrong. The public had been played, lied to and lead like SHEEP.

Why does Sen. Levin hold Pakistan to a higher standard than he does the USA government?

The terrorists from 9/11 lived here, FLIGHT trained here. One, IIRC was only interested in learning how to take off, not land. That, apparently raised no concerns or red flags here.

There is zero evidence Bin Ladin EVER left that compound. Do you believe our government knows every person within a mile radius, around every military installation here, isn't a terrorist?

Well, there is evidence according to some military officials I heard interviewed that repeated operations to recover bin Laden or his affiliates failed when Pakistan was notified of them in advance and the fact that the US did not notify them of this one and it succeeded, says a lot.

Also, it's true that there was intelligence prior to 911 about terrorists living here and planning a major attack, which the Bush administration dropped the ball on, but remember, 911 had not happened yet. So the seriousness of we were facing was probably not foreseen.

Since 911, however, the world is well aware Now, however the world is quite aware and intelligence around the world has changed accordingly.

The fact is, this is their culture and their people. They know when something is out of place and in these cultures, intrigue, secrets, plots, etc., are very exciting. Everyone is involved in everyone else's business in a lot of these countries. And if the ISI had been doing it's job, it would notice and investigate a strange compound with multiple buildings, much larger than those in the neighborhood, with people who have no internet service and who burn their trash themselves, and huge, nine foot walls around and within the compound. Not hard to spot and not hard to investigate.

But, I do suspect they knew full well that someone wanted was there and chose to do nothing or even aid on some level in hiding whoever they thought was there. I don't trust them at all.

 

[Fairy1]

Has anyone seen any reports on what will happen to all his $$$? He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would leave it to his family.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I'm sure he had ways to ensure AQ would get it. It was a cause near and dear to his heart.
Hope we can stop that.

 

[Charlie09]

Why are we always so friggin' special we can't even stop and consider the views of the international community?

After all, other countries have been the targets of far more Al Quaeda attacks than we have; and, between terrorist attacks and "collateral damage" from our counterterrorism efforts, have lost hundreds of times as many people killed as we have.

Isn't it possible somebody out there has a little perspective from which we might learn something?

Seems like this is trying to have it both ways....either we are special which is why we're supposed to be "better than them" or we're not in which case it shouldn't matter anyway.

 

[Nova]

Does the international community ever consider our views? Like when England released the Lockerbie Scotland bomber so he could go home to die and even admitted it was because of a deal they struck? All those families of those victims here - boy were they upset.

IMHO I believe its time we stop worrying about how the international community views us. We have played grandpa and papa and "the USA to the rescue" to all these countries for decades. I get tired of seeing Americans donate and invest millions of dollars in countries overseas when our own children are starving and our own people need help....

Actually, yes, the "international community" was incredibly sympathetic after 9/11 and cooperated greatly in helping to curb terrorism here and abroad. In return, we told most countries to go eff themselves, we wanted to invade Iraq.

The "international community" jumped to offer aid after natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, California earthquakes, etc.

Yes, 9/11 was a terrible, terrible day. But our casualties were small compared with 100,000+ Iraqis who have been killed in the decade since and the several million who have had to go into exile. Our casualties were tiny compared to those of Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia and any number of other countries that have endured much worse terrorism and genocide over the past decade.

Frankly, we have a lot of money that buys a lot of "smart bombs" so that we are able to keep American casualties relatively low, even when we do go to war. (And thank God for that!) Well, actually we used to have a lot of money; now we just borrow a lot of money, so let's don't break an arm patting ourselves on the back over how generous we are with Chinese money.

So naturally the rest of the world raises an eyebrow when we claim to be so exceptionally aggrieved and so specially deserving of celebration.

That being said, most of the world is just as glad as we are that Bin Laden is no longer a problem. So it wouldn't kill us to act like grown ups about it.

As Vince Lombardi once said; "When you get to the end zone, act like you've been there before."

(I snipped the part about releasing photos of the body. I have no opinion on that; I'm not even sure whom it would offend.)

 

[Nova]

Special?

Look, as soon as I hear them taking the US into consideration before they shoot off their pie holes I'll do the same.

My sister lived in New York and lost friends of hers, friends whose bodies have never been found, because of the deliberate actions of this worthless sack of protoplasm. I'll be damned if I'll tell her to temper her enthusiasm over Osama assuming room temperature because some random mime busking on the Champs-Élysées thinks it's unseemly.

How the "International Community" stands up to terror and evil:

adnoid, whence comes this idea that other countries never consider us or how we feel? We're the most powerful country on earth, with an armed forces as large as the next 20 largest forces combined!

Other countries have no choice but to "keep us in mind." That doesn't mean they will always agree with us.