The tip that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden came from a Gitmo detainee:
Sunday afternoon’s raid by U.S. forces that killed Osama bin Laden was the “culmination of years of careful and highly advanced intelligence work,” senior administration officials said in a conference call, describing the genesis of an operation that sounded like it was right out of a “Mission Impossible” movie.
Some time after Sept. 11, detainees held by the U.S. told interrogators about a man believed to work as a courier for bin Laden, senior administration officials said. The man was described by detainees as a protégé of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and “one of the few Al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin laden.”
Initially, intelligence officials only had the man’s nickname, but they discovered his real name four years ago.
Two years ago, intelligence officials began to identify areas of Pakistan where the courier and his brother operated, and the great security precautions the two men took aroused U.S. suspicions.
Although it cannot be denied that this is a victory shared by Barack Obama, you’d never know anyone other than Obama gathered the intelligence or participated in the remarkable raid.
“I directed Leon Pannetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority”
“I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden”
“I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden”
“I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action and authorized an operation to get Usama bin Laden and bring him to justice”
“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad Pakistan”
“I have made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam; bin Laden was not a Muslim leader”
Had Obama been President at the time of the 9/11 attacks, the US would never have found Bin Laden. Obama gave an order that terrorist detainees be read their Miranda rights.
When 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was captured on March 1, 2003, he was not cooperative. “I’ll talk to you guys after I get to New York and see my lawyer,” he said, according to former CIA Director George Tenet.
Of course, KSM did not get a lawyer until months later, after his interrogation was completed, and Tenet says that the information the CIA obtained from him disrupted plots and saved lives. “I believe none of these successes would have happened if we had had to treat KSM like a white-collar criminal – read him his Miranda rights and get him a lawyer who surely would have insisted that his client simply shut up,” Tenet wrote in his memoirs.
If Tenet is right, it’s a good thing KSM was captured before Barack Obama became president. For, the Obama Justice Department has quietly ordered FBI agents to read Miranda rights to high value detainees captured and held at U.S. detention facilities in Afghanistan, according a senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. “The administration has decided to change the focus to law enforcement. Here’s the problem. You have foreign fighters who are targeting US troops today – foreign fighters who go to another country to kill Americans. We capture them and they’re reading them their rights – Mirandizing these foreign fighters,” says Representative Mike Rogers, who recently met with military, intelligence and law enforcement officials on a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan.
It was in 2007 that the courier’s name was identified.
As in Gitmo. As in President George Bush. As in Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.
Current and former U.S. officials say that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, provided the nom de guerre of one of bin Laden’s most trusted aides. The CIA got similar information from Mohammed’s successor, Abu Faraj al-Libi. Both were subjected to harsh interrogation tactics inside CIA prisons in Poland and Romania.
Barack Obama was going shut down Gitmo and afford detainees all kids of protections given to US citizens. Under Obama KSM would have been taken to New York and he would have clammed up. And we would not have learned the name of the courier. But don’t expect to hear that from Obama. I suspect that Obama is trying to paint over the facts as much as possible before the truth is sorted out. Karl Rove was on Fox News and offered Obama and Hillary much praise. George Bush congratulated Obama.
Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.
Obama couldn’t even tip his hat to Bush for creating the tools Obama used to get Bin Laden. Not even a cup of coffee.
And it has to be said again- the US military is nothing less than fantastic.
God bless America.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 40 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 45 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter who is in the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
Why should we be surprised by Obama’s acceptance of more credit than is his due for the US military finally getting Osama?
When every policy oil Obama has set forward himself has cut the amount of oil we will obtain domestically, Obama still took credit for the higher productivity of domestic oil we still get under Bush’s older policies.
Obama’s damage to our oil production hasn’t all kicked in yet.
@DrJohn:
As stated in your quote:
But there’s more to the story than that, to wit:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42863247/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach, CA
In other words, Larry… you give no value to the nom de guerre, which began this thread of intel to fruition.
Figures…
I give credit where credit is due… President Obama does get kudos for the go ahead to get Bin Laden. Our MILITARY gets MORE KUDO’S for risking their lives and doing their job flawlessly.. .. A HUGE THANK YOU !! And Thank You President George Bush for standing up to terrorists, and keeping the Hunt for Bin Laden alive…
And yes, Obama really does have some kind of disorder where the spot light ‘must’ be on him perhaps he has a “complex” that does come through — a lot… He needs to be more humble and “spread the credit around” – it really doesn’t [cost much ] to do that…
I still want to see PHOTO’S as Gruesome as that may sound… can’t be any more gruesome than the photos found on English Al Jazzeera…
I want to see the long form death certificate
@openid.aol.com/runnswim: Larry, you would make a poor lawyer.
@FAITH7:
I think that’s important, Faith.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Hawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
@John (#6):
You say:
Thank you. I take that as a compliment! 🙂
P.S. re: photos: I just read a story that said he was hit above his left eye and it blew away part of his skull.
– Larry W/HB
Larry, perhaps the most ironical thing to be said about the entire matter is that had the Democrats gotten their way, there would not have been a ‘war’ on terror, there would been a ‘capitulation.’ Now a man who voted against the war every time he had the chance is now taking credit for taking Obama, but it is unfortunately his ‘credit’ as it’s on his watch, but try to refrain from lecturing us on how to grovel a little more as they do in Britain when the royals make an appearance.
Those preening Democrats have no shame, but this is entirely nothing new.
@openid.aol.com/runnswim:
The autopsy photos of Kennedy were Kennedy and identifying him by casual observer was immediate.
Why not Osama?
And yes, let’s extend a very hearty THANK YOU to George Bush!
It’s only fitting that a dem was on duty when OBL got killed. After all, thanks to a dem OBL was left free to plan and help carry out 9/11. If he’d been killed/captured sooner thousands of Americans who died on 9/11 might still be alive.
@openid.aol.com/runnswim:
If we’d done it the way libs wanted to, we would have gotten NO information at all and probably half would have been acquited in civilian criminal hearings despite being guilty as sin.
So, the Bush admin set in motion the interrogations that gave us the intel. The intel network built by the Bush admin pursued it. Obama green lighted the operation planned and directed by actual experts (not obama), but obama deserves most of the credit? Ummmmm, yeah keep thinking that libs.
If anything it shows our way of doing things worked.
Oh and Larry…
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/04/22/obamas-dni-reminds-obama-that-enhanced-interrogation-worked/
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/228157/yes-harsh-interrogations-work/rich-lowry
1. U S A !!!!!!!!!!
2. God Bless our military!!!!!
More importantly,,,,,,Thank you President Bush. I Miss YOU!!!!!!!!!
Ok,,,,I have this sneaky suspicion that as more of the wikileaks documents start pouring out, we will find out what this administration really knew about OBL than what is being reported right now? And the media is going to have to get out the BIG paint brushes to gloss it over!!! I am more concerned with what is going on in the other hand??
Israel is still surrounded and this article made me pause and think about what pressures the regime is putting on them?? http://www.debka.com/article/20898/
I can’t begin to tell you how much I want to celebrate this moment. But knowing what this administration is capable of,,,,I can’t let my guard down. Just what could’ve happened if Holder had been allowed to trot KSM around the circus tent? There’s a great deal of heartache coming for us in this country, and this crapweasel in the WH has got a lot to answer for. I expect him for the next few days to do his victory lap and high fiving as many as he can. And for the next few days I won’t be able to watch TV because of him doing just that!!!!!!
And could someone please explain the REAL difference between this now dead dirtbag, and the one we’re chasing around Libya?? Why the two different military campaigns?? Really,,,,I’m trying to understand.
In a single word, Spartan, “politics”.
Mission Accomplished.
I will hope against hope that, in the personal phone call, he did that. But certainly not in his me me me speech.
@Steve Parker… meaning, good to leave Afghanistan now, Steve?
Our family thanks both Bush and Obama. I never thought I would thank Obama for anything. But he gave the order to have Bin Laden killed. The man who gave the order to have our son killed. Bush set in place all the operations, and Obama just gave the word to use those operations to take out one of the most evil men that has lived. Bush made plenty of mistakes as well at first too. He refused to push Saleh of Yemen to to let the FBI talk directly with the Cole bombers, so the Cole investigation went cold. Not unitl the day after 9/11 did Bush tell Saleh of Yemen that he would cooperate, or else. Bush even sent Cheny over to Yemen to tell Saleh that he would be attacked if he did not cooperate. But it was too late by then. So I hold all of our politicians responsible for the Cole attack, and 9/11. Regardless of their party. Even the FBI admit that if “only our presidents had pushed Saleh” 9/11 could have been averted. But that topic is like the elephant in the living room. Even now. So yes, Obama does deserve some of the credit. He could have said NO. And history would have been differnet. I am just glad that Bin Laden is DEAD! It gives me the greatest satisfaction to say, and type those words. And I would have done alot worse to all of them than just waterboarding.
I wrote Bush at the end of May 2001, that Bin Laden would attack America proper if we did not respond back to his attacks on our people. That his latest attack was a probe to see how, and if we would respond. (Military 101) I told him that I agreed with the few in his administration that believed that Bin laden needed to go before he could kill more Americans. Bush was kind enough to write me back, and told me not to worry. That basically my fears were unfounded. We all know how that turned out. But once Bush got started he ran with it to his credit, and even took out a couple of the Cole bombers with missiles. I just don’t want people thinking that I am picking on Bush.
Gary Swenchonis, welcome back to FA. It’s been too long. For those of you who don’t remember, Gary – the father of a USS Cole fallen sailor, – penned a letter to Yemen’s President Saleh and posted it here on FA as a reader’s post back in Oct of 2008. Today, it’s worthy of yet another read. And, as usual, Gary has a realistic handle on the events, sans the politics, and all of those who contributed to the Seals’ mission in Pakistan.
I hope you find some solace in UBL’s demise. I am only sorry that it does not return your son, or his shipmates on the USS Cole that were murdered in Yemen’s harbor. And I most certainly hope you pen another readers’ post for us on the latest events.
AS AN ASIDE_ CONSERVATIVE STEPHEN HARPER WINS MAJORITY GOVERNMENT IN CANADA!
OUTSTANDING !!!!!!!!!!
Larry, in an argument we had over a year ago, you wanted the US military out of over seas bases. You could not understand the reasons we were there. I told you we needed to be there to maintain intel sources at a minimum. This operation would never have happened if we did not have military forces in Afghanistan.
Dr, J,
Hilarious. How hard was it to come up with something to attack Obama about today? I applaud you for your creativity in parsing his usage of the word “I”, but you should talk to your agent about that contract if you couldn’t duck the daily rigmarole just this once. Congratulation on being the most bitter American of 5/02/11!
Given… That a Guantanamo detainee began giving up details on the courier in 2006-2007, google “Al Qaeda high ranking captured” and look for that time range.
Here’s the first one that pops up. A high ranking Al Qaeda who was in Saddam Hussein’s regime.
“The al-Qaeda leader who is thought to have devised the plan for the July 7 suicide bombings in London and an array of terrorist plots against Britain has been captured by the Americans.
Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, a former major in Saddam Hussein’s army, was apprehended as he tried to enter Iraq from Iran and was transferred this week to the “high-value detainee programme” at Guantanamo Bay.”
@oil guy from Alberta:
Congrats on that.
I just read that the Liberal party dropped more than 40 seats to a humiliating third place finish. It is the first time in Canadian history that the Liberal party did not finish either first or second.
All this is preliminary.
I hope it holds.
Nan, gun control is now history. Abortions are now severely controlled. Huge money for the military. Taxes slashed and we pay debt which is at half a trillion. As conservatives we have to expand our military dramatically.
We don’t have an elected senate and Harper has been pushing this for years Huge mandate. Much more and Harper now has 5 years to do it.
@MataHarley:
And isn’t that what matters? I know that Bush would have been far more gracious.
Indeed, Drj… Bush would have been more gracious. But then the notable difference between Bush and this POTUS is that today’s temporary steward of the WH requires and voraciously feeds on public accolades and the spotlight. Bush did not. He was a man who accepted public demonization, but was comfortable with his decisions because he felt they were best for the nation.
So if you were to ask me if I thought Bush was upset that Obama didn’t slather public praise on him and the decisions of his admin – all of which Obama opposed and were campaign slogans for this temporary WH occupant – I’d say no. From his past behavior, I’d say that Dubya was simply happy that UBL was dead, and rested content in the knowledge that his actions and policies enabled that.
@Tom:
I had nothing to say right up to the moment I learned that this all grew out of a detainee tip. There is no question that Obama used to framework Bush established to get Bin Laden. Obama has abandoned his pledge to handle terrorists in accordance with US law:
ST6 was sent to kill Bin Laden, not capture him. I do not lament Bin Laden’s death. As good as the news is, I find this episode one more example of Barack Obama’s rank hypocrisy.
No Gary, we don’t think you are bashing Bush. We here understand he made mistakes and wasn’t perfect and have said as much. Thank you for your post.
Bin Laden was unarmed:
To steal and modify a quote:
Well, if he was going plot an attack like 9/11 on the U.S. as he did, he should have armed himself.
The MSM will set everything straight. Last night I had the “pleasure” of catching part of an NBC news (if you want to call it that) special about what has transpired in Afghanistan etc. Peter Williams and whatever the other guy’s name was, Fogel or something like that, were doing a segment on Iraq. They presented opinion as fact, lied, distorted facts, left out facts, and of course had just enough of Bush in there to make him look bad. No doubt the underlying objective was to cut down Bush in order to prop up Obama without mentioning him by name. The NAZI’s and communists turned propaganda into an an art form. Our MSM is working on perfecting it into a science.
I’ve seen a lot of photos of George Bush, shaking hands and thanking veterans for their service, even in his retirement. Perhaps he was not the president people in the media wanted him to be. I’ve never seen a picture of BHO with a military guy, except ether Petreaus or McCristal. Not to say there isn’t any but most of BHOs leisure pictures are party and golf.
You will have to go up to the 2 minute mark to see President GWBush shaking hands with returning troops at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in 2010.
But, if you do, you will notice that he isn’t empty-handed when he shakes each hand.
He is giving each returning soldier a coin.
He is giving them each a ”Challenge Coin.”
I hope you realize that holding a presidential challenge coin would make them highest coin holder in any group.
I only know of a few Challenge Coins given out by Obama: all to dead soldiers.
Obama usually assigns Michelle to do their interacting with the military.
But, if anyone has a published account of Obama giving a living soldier a Challenge Coin, I’d love to read about it.
@Zac: Having served under all 6 presidents from Carter to Obama, I’d say GW Bush was probably my favorite CiC, although I didn’t dig some of his domestic policies. His father and Reagan were great CiC’s as well. The other three, not so good to varying degrees. It would be interesting to see how the other Vets who post here who served under multiple CiC’s feel.
@MataHarley: I agree, Mata. I think W is content knowing the truth within himself. It’s commendable and it emphasizes how more more class he has than Obama will ever have.
OOOOOOOOoooooooooooo…………..
Apparently not.
(Thank George Bush, from the White House, that is.)
I just half-heard Obama spokesman Carney say something (Looking for transcript.) about how they give no credit to anything old AND/OR anything gained from enhanced (torture) techniques!
CSPAN does not have the whole transcript.
Still looking.
@Hard Right:
Love the modified qu0te, love the movie. Unforgiven is one of my all-time favorites.
@Nan G:
Because President Obama accelerated the war in AfPak. He dramatically poured in the resources and assets, thus resulting in the death of UBL.
@Hard Right:
I’m sorry, didn’t 9/11 happen on President Bush’s watch, some 9 months into his administration? Does that mean the fault of 9/11 lie with the Clinton Administration? When is cut-off date for “fault/blame/responsibility”?
Hard Right, don’t you agree that Condi was an unmitigated DISASTER of the first degree as NSA?
@Spartan
Spartan, Why don’t you thank President Obama for the death of UBL? Honestly, Bush has been out of office for nearly 3 years so his responsibility is very minimal.
Obama is and always will be a punk in my eyes, but the level of partisanship displayed here is frightening! The death of UBL was a great AMERICAN moment, not one that should be turned into a “Well Bush did it!” moment.
Ivan, do go play catch up with the news and various threads. Kinda embarrassing to wander in here, johnny-come-lately, with such an obtuse observation.
Here’s your homework.
1: Where did the original leads for the nom de guerre of the contact come from, and when?
2: Where were those detainees located?
3: Was the facility that held those detainees still in place, and was the intel used the same intel that would have been thrown out in a US federal court?
4: Were some of those detainees also held in other locations, and not subject to the US interrogation ROEs?
“…Bush has been out of office for nearly 3 years so his responsibility is very minimal”
duh
@Ivan@ #41:
Ivan, when Obama BLAMES Bush for every sundry thing going on presently, may I quote you back to him?
LOL!
@MataHarley:
Is this your idea of civility? This is what I’m talking about, Mata. I come here, disagree in a polite manner with the man’s statement about Bush being responsible for the capture of Bin Laden, and you then rip into me by talking down to me.
It took a lot for me to apologize to you, Mata. The very least you could do, or be if that is possible, is civil and not talk down to me.
Shall we try again, Dear? Or once again, are you the injured party in your attack on me? (Rolls my eyes to heaven).
Oh stop whining, Ivan sweetie. There was nothing “uncivil” about my comment to you. But I’m genuinely sorry that I pointed out… evidently in a way that annoyed you.. that you are way behind the threads of the intel, the timeline, and the whole FA debate going on as to why we’re offended at Obama’s statement. But you pop in here with such a statement, and it makes me think you’ve been hanging out on a remote island, without the benefit of any sort of news outlet… Internet or cable. Makes the rest of us think we have to start all over and repeat ourselves… especially since how that timeline, the policies, the controversies, are all well documented in this single thread.
So let me ask you this… did you even read the prior comments in this thread that explain the relevance of shared and acknowledged contributions to this event? Or did you just pick a single comment that caught your eye?
And perhaps you’ll explain to all of us how the intel obtained four years ago, in facilities that Obama didn’t support keeping open, and by interrogation methods Obama opposed, conducted on detainees picked up on battlefields Obama opposed makes those events and policies “very minimal” contribution?
@Nan G:
We know he’s a punk, but he deserves kudos for pouring-and I mean pouring-resources into the Afpak theater.
What I keep seeing on Republican blogs is what can only be termed as “sour grapes” and it makes us look petty and trite.
@Ivan:
Ivan I agree with you that Obama, to the extent he does exactly what George W. Bush had been doing, is deserving of kudos.
Like, today, Obama’s administration admitted that, although Obama was dragged, kicking and screaming, into extending the BUSH-ERA Tax Cuts, those cuts resulted in an unexpected $150 BILLION more in tax revenues than planned for.
Now the Congress can dither for a few more weeks before tackling the debt ceiling.
Obama ought to get and wear a ”WWGWBD?” bracelet.
You know: What Would George W. Bush Do?
@Nan G:
Agreed and I’m glad to see you’re taking the high-road on this one. I wish all of us could and would take the high road and remember, even if it is just for 24 hours, we’re all Americans in this fight together.
This “Obama is a scum-sucking bandit” WHEN HE DOES SOMETHING GOOD hurts our cause.
Here is a soundbite from the Carney Press Briefing that I had semi-caught earlier.
See what you think…..
whole transcript
{{{{I think he used the word,”strains” rather than ”strange.”}}}}
You were condescending and you know it.
And I’m not “behind the thread”. Obama kept the Bush policies in place, I understand that. But for the love of God, he did the right thing. Why is that so very hard to understand?
This entire thread has the ring of “sour grapes” and “urinate on Obama” to it and it makes us look petty and trite.
I notice President Bush was man enough to congratulate President Obama. Something I see lacking here (without the clarifications that is).
No one said he *didn’t* do the right thing, Ivan. The only thing we debate is the amount of glory that Obama assigned to himself with his statement and the ensuing media press.
However note the subject matter of the thread…. should it, or should it not be politicized?
And since when you care about the GOP looking “petty and trite”? Didn’t bother you with the Chump.
@MataHarley:
Okay, Mata, you don’t see it and I do. Let’s disagree on the appearance of the sour grapes, shall we?
“Mission Accomplished”. Bush politicized his victory of that POS Saddam to the hilt, and bravo to him as he deserved it.
So what if Obama takes a victory lap? He went AGAINST HIS BASE, which wanted him out of AfPak, and joined with Republicans in 2009 to produce another surge-and it worked. Good on him for doing the right thing.
“Chump”? Well, I know if I say anything about the “fertility Goddess” I get an earful about it! Donald TRUMP is calling it like it is and your changing the subject.
Why would you want to go off-topic? Getting a little hot in here for you?
;->
oil guy from ALBERTA good news I’m happy and I know you are too.
all the best to STEVEN HARPER
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0511/no_thanks_578d0b74-d901-469e-afa6-b3ab9fe13f42.html
Well, how very interesting. It seems President Obama invited President Bush to the Ground Zero Commemoration.
Sign me vindicated.
@MataHarley:
Tis appears you spoke too soon. Please see post #54 for today’s lesson in humility.
;->
Hardly speaking too soon, since our commentary has been focused around Obama’s Sunday official WH statement on this and the “Politicize or not Politicize” thread.
But since you say you read the threads, but apparently really didn’t, I’ll point out @my comment #16.
ooops… did you speak too soon, Ivan?
All that’s left to say now is that I’m glad that Obama is, indeed, sharing the moment… even if not acknowledging the Bush policy accomplishments. Or perhaps this is his quiet way in doing so, without doing a public mea culpa. So some extra kudos to Obama.
ADDED: I see Dubya refused. Considering how Obama has treated him publicly… accusing him of “neglecting” Bin Laden and Afghanistan… and also taking into consideration how Obama deliberately set up Ryan and the GOP for public humiliation on his budget speech, Dubya may indeed prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Or perhaps he realizes this could be yet another of Obama’s political set ups.
@Ivan???????
The Afghanistan surge resulted in the UBL death???
Oh, do elaborate for us, puleeeeeze.