A few thoughts on the OBL aftermath

As a companion piece of sorts, check out B-Daddy's thoughts on the matter here.



The photo(s): Don't have a big problem with it/them not being released however... we paid for all this, so let's see'em.


The President not making a speech on Thursday at Ground Zero was the appropriate and consistent thing to do. He claimed releasing any photos would be akin to an end zone celebration and we think he came to a similar conclusion after initially planning to make a speech.

The seemingly constant changing of the story of what went down inside the OBL compound. The short explanation: the fog of war. The administration could've done much better in the release of information as the after-action reports were collated and analyzed. And it certainly doesn't help matters that the new White House press secretary, Jay Carney is in way over his head. No conspiracies here just a failure to tighten things up. bin Laden is dead and he remains so and at the end of the day, that is the only thing that matters.


President Bush's decision to not appear with President Obama was the right call as was President Obama's decision to invite his predecessor. President Obama's decision reflected a grace which his administration sorely lacks and much more importantly, it symbolized the continuity of purpose from administration to administration that is a hallmark of a stable republic. And President Bush remained consistent in his desire to stay in the background in his post-presidency.

Didn't have a problem with President Obama allegedly taking 16 hours to make up his mind on the SEAL Team strike. A decision of this magnitude, once entered, should not come about from rashness, especially considering his Presidency would've been pretty much history if things went south.


The Decision Pt. II: it wasn't his decision? Article here details how Obama was effectively overruled by a combination of top military brass and his own senior officials, notably CIA head Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton. We're not buying this. It is inconceivable to us that anyone, military or civilian, would/could overrule the Commander-in-Chief on a decision of this magnitude. And it remains inconceivable that anyone working for the President would jeopardize U.S. lives as well as the viability of Obama's presidency without his approval. The decision was his and his alone. We understand that this plays into a narrative of Obama dithering and detachment but not so in this particular instance.


Kill or capture? In an interview Leon Panetta claimed that the decision to kill Osama was left up to the SEALs on the ground.

Mr Panetta also revealed it was the Navy Seals themselves who made the final decision to kill the Al Qaeda leader, rather than Mr Obama.

This implies there were orders for the SEALs to capture Osama if he did not put up any resistance which we don't believe there was. A live bin Laden is a liability and a political nightmare for the administration. This was a "hit", pure and simple and we have no problems with that. Obviously, what Panetta said was to give the administration cover for any ensuing "legality" questions, insulating the administration for any heat they will catch for this.


O.K., that should be a wrap for any and all OBL business.