Barack Obama learned of Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts in August of 2010. It has been reported that the intelligence was “solid” by mid-February. The mission to kill Bin Laden did not take place until May 2. Immediately after the raid the accolades began flowing from the White House to the White House, and it was noticed:
One Army veteran who was a longtime operative involved in numerous similar aerial black ops across that region was apprised of the Obama administration’s account of the mission.
He said two themes struck him: First was the ability of Bin Laden to live in comfort some 60 miles from Pakistan’s capital.
The other theme that struck this career soldier, who participated in the hunt for Bin Laden, could perhaps be expected in political Washington the year before a presidential election.
But it was that such an inherently complex military team operation was being framed by Obama aides to steer way too much credit to the spectators in the White House and away from the unidentified operatives and their vast military support network.
And it was made clear that the most courageous member of the SEAL team was Barack Obama:
During his 49 minute presentation Brennan did squeeze in one reference to the mission’s “very brave personnel.”
But the emphasis, with 2012 just around the calendrical corner, was on the boss’ valor. “There was nothing that confirmed that bin Laden was at that compound,” Brennan related as if such uncertainty is uncommon in war.
“And, therefore,” Brennan continued, “when President Obama was faced with the opportunity to act upon this, the president had to evaluate the strength of that information and then made what I believe was one of the most gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory.”
According to early reports of the incident, detailed here in The Ticket, 24 SEALs rappelled down ropes from hovering Chinooks in post-midnight darkness Monday Pakistan time with Osama security forces shooting at them. Brennan didn’t have much time to go into all that today, the goal is to elevate the ex-state senator to at least a one-star commander-in-chief.
The intelligence trail leading to the death of Bin Laden started in the previous administration, not that you’d know that from the current one. Long after the damage caused by the failure to acknowledge the Bush administration was done, Barack Obama coughed up a half-assed fur ball of an effort at recognizing Bush.
I mean keep in mind this is something, first of all, that that wasn’t just our doing. Obviously since 2001, countless folks in our intelligence community and our military had worked on this issue. President Bush had obviously devoted a lot of resources to this, and so there was a cumulative effort and a testament to the capacity of the United States of America to follow through. And to do what we said we’re gonna do. Even across administrations, across party lines and the skill with which our intelligence and military folks operated in this was indescribable.
Still absent was “President Bush deserves much of some a smidgen a teeny bit of credit for this conclusion.”
Nonetheless, it has become clear that the killing of Bin Laden will see Barack Obama spiking the football for the next 18 months or so.
Osama bin Laden, mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, is now an applause line in a presidential campaign speech.
Bin Laden’s name came up a couple of times in Obama’s address Tuesday evening at a fund-raising event in Austin, Texas.
Early in Obama’s appearance, someone shouted out, “Thank you for getting Bin Laden!’’
Obama said that was a “case in point’’ – a reason for voters to let him “finish what we started.’’
I predicted this very thing:
He could very easily visit any two on any one day. Had he returned to the Pentagon once again during this victory dance it would be consistent, but we all know that the images of Obama visiting GZ are going to reappear as campaign fodder in the guise of Obama reuniting the country or as
“The man who shot Liberty Bin Laden.”
It must be obvious. Even the Speaker of the House noticed:
President Obama is taking “somewhat of a victory lap” following the killing of Osama bin Laden, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Monday.
Boehner largely praised Obama’s decision to execute the raid on the al Qaeda leader’s Pakistani compound and the president’s decision not to release photos of bin Laden’s body. But he said that Obama has gone to lengths to take credit for bin Laden’s slaying.
“There’s no question that there is somewhat of a victory lap going on,” Boehner said on conservative talker Sean Hannity’s radio show.
Some of Obama’s critics questioned his conduct following the bin Laden mission in lieu of his decision not to release the reportedly “gruesome” photos of bin Laden’s body.
Critics say there is disparity between the president’s schedule last week, when he held several events with military members and retired veterans, and his comments on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” when he justified the decision to withhold the photos, saying “we don’t spike the football” and it “is not who we are.”
But it is who Obama is.
Two and a half months passed before the decision was made to kill Bin Laden. There are several potential explanations for the delay but a cynical person might think it was timed to occur after the launch of the re-election campaign.
Obama is going to need the help, because it’s the economy, stupid.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 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 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into 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.
Unfortunately for Obama the Seals don’t do economics … they could and they would train hard and become experts post haste if they needed to … but for now they can’t fast rope into the economy and take out the problems …
Of course if they did they would be fast roping into the White House and taking out most of Obama’s senior advisors …
Lucianne has a political cartoon up today of Obama as an archer.
The target is labeled, “FOREIGN POLICY.”*
The media sees the one bull’seye of Osama and says, “Wow! Mr. President! You’re a dead shot!”
One problem:
Neither of them are noting all the target-missing dud arrows labeled “Syria,” “Russia,” Israel,” “Egypt,” and “Iran.”
Obviously Obama needs the media’s complicity to ignore all of his failures and keep the focus on his one somewhat success.
Now, Obama is supposedly going to re-jump start his relationship with the Muslim world in anothert speech.
I understand he is probably going to throw Israel under the bus in favoring an Hamas terror state partly in its place.
This should be interesting.
*Nate Beeler.
Scan down to see it here.
It is called “The Sharpshooter.”
http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/nate-beelers-toons
Ann Althouse makes a good point
And has a great picture there as well.
Next he’ll endlessly regale us with his glorious high school football accomplishments.
BRENNAN must think that OBAMA has reach the lowest public attention, the way he kept praising him
as he mentionned FOR EXEMPLE the best achievement of all THE PRESIDENTS,
I WOULD HAVE PREFER THAT BRENNAN SAID THAT TALKING ABOUT THE SEALS WHO WENT ON A SUICIDAL MISSION TO RESPOND TO THE WISH OF THE PRESIDENT, THAT WAS A GREAT ACHIEVMENT.