Bin Laden dead!

[bfargin]

Edit to add: awesome video of Obama's alternate speech from Sunday night.

Pretty good...other than the 2 term feces. If we elect that numbnuts for 2 terms, America really is FUBAR.

[M2]

A photo from the bin Laden funeral was released by the US Navy today...

[nsplayr]

Pretty good...other than the 2 term feces. If we elect that numbnuts for 2 terms, America really is FUBAR.

I've heard myself saying this exact same phrase before around 2003...

[Guest Miclhstrase]

I've heard myself saying this exact same phrase before around 2003...

2. But regardless, I highly doubt Obama's presidency expedited this assassination. As much as I don't like the man, Bush laid the groundwork that got us there.

[nsplayr]

2. But regardless, I highly doubt Obama's presidency expedited this assassination. As much as I don't like the man, Bush laid the groundwork that got us there.

I think there's credit due all around. The folks who gave the order and carried out the mission would not have been in a position to do so if there wasn't groundwork laid ahead of time. The desire to bring a ruthless killer to justice can and does transcend partisan politics.

Edited May 6, 2011 by nsplayr

[Smokin]

It is absurd that people are trying to politicize this. I heard some numbnuts on the news the other day saying that the reason we got UBL now (rather than 6-9 years ago) is because President Obama made it a priority whereas President Bush "took his eye off the ball and got distracted by Iraq." Anyone who believes such partisan dribble is beyond dumb.

[Silentcom]

Al Qaeda Confirms Bin Laden Death.

Story

Edited May 6, 2011 by Silentcom

[SurelySerious]

We have created a tourist site in Abbottabad. There's something positive you can spin Pakistan!

[Rokke]

We have created a tourist site in Abbottabad. There's something positive you can spin Pakistan!

Forget Pakistan. I'm using that as a bullet in my next OPR.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Rokke

[Whitman]

Tool alert! I'm sure you were "just joking" but I'm appalled at the tools who talk about opr fodder in a time like this. The ppl who deserve the recognition aren't out looking for it.

[Rokke]

Tool alert! I'm sure you were "just joking" but I'm appalled at the tools who talk about opr fodder in a time like this. The ppl who deserve the recognition aren't out looking for it.

I guess you missed the humor in the post I was responding to. Or maybe you're just jealous I thought of it first. Don't worry...I've got one for your OPR too.

- Keen inability to discern sarcasm and humor makes him an excellent candidate for (fill in appropriate level of PME) in residence--Appoint president of CGOC for life!

[Champ Kind]

Would all of that fit on one line?

[Rokke]

Would all of that fit on one line?

Good point.

- Keen inablty to discrn srcsm and humr makes him exclnt cnddt for (fill in appropriate level of PME) in rsdnc--Apnt pres of CGOC for lfe!

Fixed it. Just use more !!!!!!! to fill in white space if required

[Vertigo]

It is absurd that people are trying to politicize this. I heard some numbnuts on the news the other day saying that the reason we got UBL now (rather than 6-9 years ago) is because President Obama made it a priority whereas President Bush "took his eye off the ball and got distracted by Iraq." Anyone who believes such partisan dribble is beyond dumb.

Nov 13, 2002

"I don't know where Bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." -George W. Bush

[SurelySerious]

Nov 13, 2002

"I don't know where Bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." -George W. Bush

Did you mean March 13, 2002? Thanks for taking quotes out of context. Here's the full response:

QUESTION: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that?

Also, can you can tell the American people if you have any more information -- if you know if he is dead or alive. Deep in your heart, don't you truly believe that until you find out if he is dead or alive, you won't really want to make...

BUSH: Well, deep in my heart, I know the man's on the run if he's alive at all. And I -- you know, who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not? We hadn't heard from him in a long time.

And the idea of focusing on one person is really -- indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission. Terror's bigger than one person. And he's just -- he's a person who has now been marginalized. His network is -- his host government has been destroyed. He's the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match.

He is -- you know, as I mention in my speeches -- I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death. And he, himself, tries to hide, if, in fact, he's hiding at all.

So I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you. I'm more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well supplied, that the strategy is clear, that the coalition is strong, that when we find enemy bunched up, like we did in Shah-e-Kot mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did.

And there will be other battles in Afghanistan. There's going to be other struggles like Shah-e-Kot. And I'm just as confident about the outcome of those future battles as I was about Shah-e-kot, where our soldiers are performing brilliantly; we're tough, we're strong, they're well-equipped, we have a good strategy. We are showing the world we know how to fight a guerrilla war with conventional means.

QUESTION: Do you believe the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead of alive?

BUSH: As I say, we hadn't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, you know, again, I don't know where he is.

I'll repeat what I said: I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.

But, you know, once we set out the policy and started executing the plan, he became -- we shoved him out more and more on the margins.

He has no place to train his al Qaeda killers anymore. And if we find a training camp, we'll take care of it -- either we will or our friends will. That's one of the things that's part of the new phase that's becoming apparent to the American people is that we're working closely with other governments to deny sanctuary or training or a place to hide or a place to raise money. And we got more work to do.

See, that's the thing the American people have got to understand -- that we've only been at this six months. This is going to be a long struggle. I keep saying that. I don't know whether you all believe me or not. But time will show you that it's going to take a long time to achieve this objective.

And I can assure you I am not going to blink, and I'm not going to get tired, because I know what is at stake. And history has called us to action and I am going to seize this moment for the good of the world, for peace in the world and for freedom.

[Vertigo]

Did you mean March 13, 2002? Thanks for taking quotes out of context. Here's the full response:

Ya that may be it...

BUSH: As I say, we hadn't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, you know, again, I don't know where he is.I'll repeat what I said: I truly am not that concerned about him.

But you're right the website I got that from did a horrible job of paraphrasing and I was lax on verifying the quote. But if you don't think that resources and attentions were diverted from Astan and the focus put on Iraq then you need to take off the blinders.

[abmwaldo]

Video of Bin Laden watching his own press.

[JS]

Did you mean March 13, 2002? Thanks for taking quotes out of context. Here's the full response:

It is absolutely f-ing amazing how different things can seem when the entire context is laid out. I know that several on this board have reiterated the maxim of "don't ever talk to the fucking media," for this very reason, but I would also add that you have to be super careful when reading the fucking media too. The fact that this one quote (mis-quote, actually) was called out and the entire contextual paragraph was pointed out is great. Just think about that example every time you read an article and say or think "why would someone do/say that - bad on them." Chances are, there is a lot more to the story.

Thanks for posting the entire response.

[SurelySerious]

Good perspective piece on SEALs, "The SEAL Sensibility"

What kind of man makes it through Hell Week? That's hard to say. But I do know—generally—who won't make it. There are a dozen types that fail: the weight-lifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an indication of their strength, the kids covered in tattoos announcing to the world how tough they are, the preening leaders who don't want to get dirty, and the look-at-me former athletes who have always been told they are stars but have never have been pushed beyond the envelope of their talent to the core of their character. In short, those who fail are the ones who focus on show. The vicious beauty of Hell Week is that you either survive or fail, you endure or you quit, you do—or you do not.

Some men who seemed impossibly weak at the beginning of SEAL training—men who puked on runs and had trouble with pull-ups—made it. Some men who were skinny and short and whose teeth chattered just looking at the ocean also made it. Some men who were visibly afraid, sometimes to the point of shaking, made it too.

Almost all the men who survived possessed one common quality. Even in great pain, faced with the test of their lives, they had the ability to step outside of their own pain, put aside their own fear and ask: How can I help the guy next to me? They had more than the "fist" of courage and physical strength. They also had a heart large enough to think about others, to dedicate themselves to a higher purpose.

SEALs are capable of great violence, but that's not what makes them truly special. Given two weeks of training and a bunch of rifles, any reasonably fit group of 16 athletes (the size of a SEAL platoon) can be trained to do harm. What distinguishes SEALs is that they can be thoughtful, disciplined and proportional in the use of force.

Edited May 9, 2011 by SurelySerious

[Smokin]

But if you don't think that resources and attentions were diverted from Astan and the focus put on Iraq then you need to take off the blinders.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. President Bush must have sent out a memo to all the three letter agencies and told them not to worry about UBL once we got involved in Iraq. By contrast, when President Obama took office, he has personally been walking around Pakistan searching for the terrorist. Unlike any previous President or human, President Obama can magically share his focus between Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, healthcare reform, the stimulus packages, unemployment, and the Nobel Peace Prize all without decreasing any potential focus in any one of those areas. That reason and that reason alone is why UBL is dead.

This is exactly what I was talking about with people injecting politics into this. The killing of bin Laden is the culmination of ten years of searching by countless people and agencies. President Obama may have given the order and one SEAL may have fired the shots, but thousands of people have been working on this for a long time. This is an American victory, not a Democratic or Republican victory. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise is simply trying to take advantage of the situation for political gain.

[M2]

President Obama may have given the order and one SEAL may have fired the shots, but thousands of people have been working on this for a long time. This is an American victory, not a Democratic or Republican victory. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise is simply trying to take advantage of the situation for political gain.

Fuckin' A!

[M2]

Usama bin Laden's Last Will and Testament!

[Vertigo]

Yes, I'm sure you're right. President Bush must have sent out a memo to all the three letter agencies and told them not to worry about UBL once we got involved in Iraq. By contrast, when President Obama took office, he has personally been walking around Pakistan searching for the terrorist. Unlike any previous President or human, President Obama can magically share his focus between Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, healthcare reform, the stimulus packages, unemployment, and the Nobel Peace Prize all without decreasing any potential focus in any one of those areas. That reason and that reason alone is why UBL is dead.

This is exactly what I was talking about with people injecting politics into this. The killing of bin Laden is the culmination of ten years of searching by countless people and agencies. President Obama may have given the order and one SEAL may have fired the shots, but thousands of people have been working on this for a long time. This is an American victory, not a Democratic or Republican victory. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise is simply trying to take advantage of the situation for political gain.

I completely agree. I only commented on your statement of "whereas President Bush "took his eye off the ball and got distracted by Iraq." Anyone who believes such partisan dribble is beyond dumb."

If you're doing one thing then all your attention is on that one thing. If you add a second task then your focus is now on two things, thus you have diverted your full attention on the first thing and have become distracted by the second task.

[Royal]

...If you add a second task then your focus is now on two things, thus you have diverted your full attention on the first thing and have become distracted by the second task.

[matmacwc]

I completely agree. I only commented on your statement of "whereas President Bush "took his eye off the ball and got distracted by Iraq." Anyone who believes such partisan dribble is beyond dumb."

If you're doing one thing then all your attention is on that one thing. If you add a second task then your focus is now on two things, thus you have diverted your full attention on the first thing and have become distracted by the second task.

Huh? 1+1=2.....thanks for the insight.