According to another one of those White House briefings of reporters designed to suck up all available credit for good news, President Obama’s homeland security advisor reveals that it was a really tense time in the air-conditioned White House as unidentified U.S. Navy SEALs closed in on the world’s most wanted man after midnight a half a wohomeland security advisor john Brennan 5-2-11rld away.
“Minutes passed like days,” says John Brennan, who bravely stood with press secretary Jay Carney before reporters and TV cameras today chronicling his boss’ weekend heroics.
The heavily-armed commandos flying in a quartet of darkened Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters more than 100 miles into Pakistan were probably listening to their iPods and discussing the NFL draft.
“The concern was that bin Laden would oppose any type of capture operation,” said Obama’s Sherlock Holmes. So U.S. troops were prepared “for all contingencies.”
In fact, this weekend was such a tense time in the White House that Obama only got in nine holes of golf. But he still managed to deliver his joke script to the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner Saturday evening.
Sunday was, Brennan revealed to his eager audience, “probably one of the most anxiety-filled periods of times in the lives of the people assembled here.” Poor poor bureaucrats. Extra Tums all around. Did someone order dinner?
There may have been a little anxiety aboard those combat choppers. Who knows? We can’t hear from them. And, as every day, anxiety in the kitchens, hearts and mind of thousands of military families who put up with the terrifying uncertainty of the dangerous deeds their loved ones have volunteered to secretly do for their country.Obama Button On GuantanamoB 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.
I’m going to make a prediction that the liberals in congress are going to nominate Obama for some kind of award for his BRAVERY in letting the SEALS go after Osama. After all, he got the Nobel Peace Prize after being in office for only 11-12 days. Shouldn’t he get an equal or higher award than the ones who actually went in. They didn’t have the stress of worrying about things going wrong and then having to figure out who to blame. Who knows how many contingency plans the king and his court had come up with, or how many people had been picked for possible blame. How do they stand the pressure!?
Golf,cocktails and revelry,direct the kill of world’s #1 bad guy.Hell of a weekend.
@rich wheeler:
Obama was stupid not to borrow GWB’s figher pilot uniform to wear around the White House yesterday. That always makes one look more bad ass, even when only Decidering.
Tom The flight suit would have been a great look.Hard to replicate that Texas swagger.
You know why Osama’s compound wasn’t simply bombed?
Obama was worried about two things.
(Neither of them involved the LIVES of our military men!)
1. ”Innocent civilians” might get killed.
2. Lack of definitive proof we killed Osama.
No concern about the lives of our military men.
It would have been many times safer for them had we just bombed the place.
Nan G, I don’t know where you have that impression INRE bombing vs spec ops on the ground. By all the intel accounts I heard, despite satellite monitoring of the facility for months, they had never verified that UBL was in the compound. In fact, even the Seals operatives said they weren’t sure until they were face to face with him.
I have no qualms with the choice of operations which was, no doubt, designed by military savvy personnel and not a community organizer. We have the best of the best, and it’s what they were trained for. Bombing the facility would never yield any information that UBL was present. It would also destroy hard drives and any potential evidence or intel that could be retrieved in the mission.
@Nan G, #5:
And the world might never have known for certain. I think most Americans can understand why that simply wouldn’t do.
I also believe that there’s not a single soldier or civilian who took part in yesterday’s mission who would have wanted it done in any other way, nor a single one who would not have been there to see it done, regardless of the risk involved.
I doubt if any of them hold their Commander in Chief in contempt. I’m not sure what their feelings would be about those who do. It might surprise you.
Are you practicing tarot card reading again, Greg? Now how would you know what feelings any of those Seals hold personally? Or how they feel about others who hold this POTUS in contempt? What a bunch of bull…
@Greg:
Explain the difference between taking Obama’s word for it after a bombing vs taking Obama’s word for it after a shooting.
Other than putting OUR military men’s lives at great risk, I mean.
Thanks in advance.
@Nan G, #7:
That’s why DNA evidence was taken and why there will probably be photographic evidence made available.
At some point, we almost always have to rely on someone else’s word about much of what goes on in the world. We seldom witness much personally.
@MataHarley:
I must have missed that.
Link, probably somewhere here.
LOL!
I was – for some reason – under the impression they knew very positively Osama was in the compound.
(Sorry, Greg.)
Nan G, information and intel said he should be. But no one ever saw him. No satellite images could ID him. It’s entirely possible he knew when the satellites flew over. Don’t forget, as Rummy mentioned on Greta this eve, they once thought they had OBL because the guy looked like him. Intel saying he is there isn’t enough. It’s an eyes on/identify for certainty when it comes to claiming you’ve killed the #1 terrorist. You can’t do that from a cockpit, thousands of feet in the air.
But you still miss the most important part of the mission… nabbing any intel and evidence. Even tho they were has beens in the terrorist world, any intel we could obtain would be a benefit. Bombing it to smithereens defeats that purpose. Our military doesn’t look for the easy way out. They look for the smartest strategy to obtain more info about other related associates in terror.
Obama watched live video of bin Laden raid, U.S. official says.
Andrew Malcolm’s appallingly cynical comments notwitstanding, I imagine this was a painfully anxious period for everyone in the room. The mission was extraordinarily dangerous and the final outcome anything but certain. I can believe that some of those minutes really did seem interminable. Imagine, for example, the moment one of the helicopters was under fire and going down. People were probably praying while their hearts were skipping beats. After all, our nation’s leaders are only human beings, just like the rest of us.
@MataHarley, #13:
How would any of us know? But I’ll match guesses.
My guess is that the Seals strongly respect the rank, if nothing else, and certainly respect the mission. One doesn’t do what they do while entertaining much in the way of mixed feelings. It impairs focus. Politics is someone else’s luxury. You do the job that’s put in front of you.
Greg, only you would make up some emotional feel good BS, then try to pass it off as fact. As I’ve often said, take the neon hand and tarot card reading sign out of your window, and keep your day job. And stop bothering us with such imaginative nonsense.
Our troops, for the most part, have their own political leanings. And they also have the discipline to set those aside and do their duty to Constitution and country. For you to assign any feelings or opinions on their behalf is simply unconcionable and offensive. Not to mention, not germane to any subject of value.
@Tom:
Let’s not forget the difference:
1)Bush was a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard
2)How unusual is it for civilians to be required to wear a flight suit aboard certain military vehicles for reasons of safety?
Is there a Nobel Kill Squad prize?
One more example of “me- me- me- I- I- I”
And yeah, those military guys did ok too.
@Wordsmith: 2)
Especially for a carrier landing.
Vengeance. Cowboy diplomacy. The Lone Ranger rides again.
Where is the Justice? Where is the Fairness? Where is the trial?
America should be terrified. BHO is, without doubt, entirely unpredictable. His words, his promises, his pledges, his public utterances: all content-free.
The Progressives who elected BHO because he was the anti-cowboy have what they wanted. A man not limited by the need for consultation, not restricted by U S law, not cumbered about with any ethics or morals, entirely devoted only to himself.
What, pray tell, will happen if Al Khaida decides to retaliate? Will AK obtain a nuclear weapon from North Korea and set it off in the presence of the Maximum Leader? What then?
What a mess!
Mathman, the Liberals and Progressives merely pretend to be peace lovers and compassionate for their fellow man, but that is all a ruse to be used a tool to gain power and control. Beware the man who takes too much joy in death.
No dickie, he didn’t direct any operations. He authorized it. Big difference between the two, but I know you aren’t smart enough to know the difference.
SO operation esp HP ops. are the most dangerous assignment for any military agent . Seals went in with the Army helicopter assist..where was opie..sitting on his ass. Who would have taken the blame if this mission went south? Traps and trip wires are common during an entry. HP assinations are timed..this assination is more media hype than the true meaning of the operation. Oh! who is going to get the reward for killing him? Wiskey for the Seals, and beer for the Army. In five days..this will be old news. Tree huger dem’s in CA. want to erect a statue to opie..like the one in Bagdad for Hussain..only a matter of time when history will pull it down..
@MataHarley, #23:
I’ve noticed that many self-described conservatives seem have no problem whatsoever assigning feelings and opinions to others. Doing so seems to be pretty much routine. The truth of what other people are about is lost beneath an encasement of projections.
What I find odd is the expressions on the faces of the people who are in the photograph that has been released by the White House that shows a number of notables watching, live time, the raid on the ObL compound. Take a look at that photo, that’s been called the “Situation” room, and tell me you don’t see the same thing I do:
a table with four laptops opened on it, Hillary Clinton, Bob Gates and Joe Biden, all positioned around the table with a high rank (sorry, didn’t pay attention to his rank but noted all the fruit salad on his jacket) sitting in a leather chair at the head of the table, clearly doing something on the computer. Off to the side (right hand side of the high rank) Obama sits on a normal metal chair. Look at the faces. Hillary has her hand over her mouth as if she is worried something is going wrong, Bob Gates looks pensive, a look you would expect on someone who was leading the mission at mission control would have. Joe Biden, standard “Where am I look?” Now look at the expression on Obama’s face. Do you see anxiety? Concern? Worry? No, he looks angry. And notice he is still in his golf clothes. Would you have not thought that the President would have been sitting at the table in a comfortable chair instead of the standard metal chair?
Who are the people that are standing behind those seated? And why, if they were there to watch the mission, that lasted abour 45 minutes, were there no chairs for them? The mission had originally been scheduled for Saturday but was put off until 3:30 p.m. EST Sunday due to weather.
I understand where Malcolm is coming from in racking the left for touting Obama’s “bravery” over the mission. Personally, while there are those who consider Obama “cool”, a man who knows that he is getting ready to send 40 Navy SEALs into the belly of the beast, but can get in 9 holes anyway, is not “cool”, he is emotionally cold. Why does he look so angry in that photo? Did he not want to be there? He looks like a bit player, sitting off to the side, while Gates, Clinton and even Biden have a computer in front of them.
And did anyone notice Obama’s body language during his speech Sunday night? It was definately not the typical body language for Obama.
Rumors are flying that Obama tried to quelch this mission because he was worried it would wind up like Carter’s fiasco and reflect badly on him (which it would have) but that the decision was overridden by Clinton, Gates, Larry Paneta and Daley. It that is true, and I’m not saying it is, it would explain why Obama has such an angry look on his face in the released “Situation” room photo. It is also being rumored that Valerie Jarrett tried to talk Obama out of the mission, but basically Daley (who she is at war-like odds with) told her to shut up and sit down. Notice, Jarrett is not in the photo, although she is considered the top advisor to the President.
Thoughts?
#25:
I rest my case.
The “spin” from the W.H. and the MSM on the momentous operation the Navy carried out brilliantly, gives one the feeling of “slimy.”
These courageous Seals, who were once the target of despicable accusations from the Democratic party when their CiC was Bush, are now “used” for political campaigning purposes.
The truth on this operation from the W.H. perspective will never be told, but let’s hope that from the Military, we eventually get some a good dose of that truth, and those who deserve full credit, . . . get all of it.
Greg #26 Exactly
“Rumours BHO tried to quelch (sic) the operation” The smell of desperation rises from #25
@Greg: You “rest your case”???
Let me see…. retire05 gives his body language analysis, based on a photo and expressions. Correct? Who knows. But at least he has a photo which, to me, looks quite staged. You make some wild off the mark comment, assigning feelings to troops you don’t see, don’t know, and will likely never meet. Why? It suits what you want to believe.
Yeah… real parallel there, Greg. Perhaps only in your imagination.
Obama.. the community sheeeet stirrer…. isn’t qualified to borrow Dubya’s used toilet paper.
@retire05:
If what you think you see is correct, we should be able to make a timeline of intel people leaving over recent months because of this obvious putting of politics over national security.
An insider in the White House who blogs added this:
I have for a long time wondered if there might be a coup within the White House.
Will there be bloodletting now that it is over?
NAN says “a coup” You wish.
Greg #32 Thanks for the I.D.’S Any thoughts on their facial expressions or manner of dress? Any of them armed?
re: Comment #25:
If anyone is curious about the identities of the people in the situation room photograph, they’re all listed here.
@Nan G, #30:
The “insider in the White House” may need to have his or her medication levels adjusted.
There will always be disputes as to what exactly happened behind closed doors. The main thing is that the trigger was pulled, no pun intended.
Agree that the “situation room” was more staged than real..closer look shows an empty room with props..opie is not bright enough to conceive of such an OP..careful Seal team..facial recognition is every where..collateral damage is going to be high. European press is having a field day..America is being trashed in Europe..the gutless media will never report European and Asian disguest…4 days and it will not even be news…
MOS says “America is being trashed in Europe and Asia” Why is that? Do you have a problem with this mission? What is it?
I question the motivations of AMERICANS who have a problem with this mission.I say great job!
The MAD COLONEL G. killer of American civilians MUST GO NEXT..
There is more coming out about Obama’s decision-making prowess.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383010/Osama-Bin-Laden-dead-Obama-took-16-hours-make-mind.html#ixzz1LKKbN0Q7
Good thing no nukes were in the air…..
My opinions of the expressions on the faces of those in the photo are mine. Make what you want of that, Greg. I really couldn’t give a rat’s ass. “Situation” room? Looks more like an oversized closet. And are you going to tell me that the White House doesn’t have enough chairs so that people like Admiral Mullen, Bill Daley, John Brennan and James Clapper have to stand during a mission that no one knows how long it will take?
Oh, and the Daily Mail failed to report that Obama also got in 9 holes of golf.
So he can play golf, and Michelle Antoinette can go shopping in two states (travel, complements of the U.S. taxpayer) while 40 U.S. Navy SEALS are putting their lives on the line and no one thinks that The Won is one cold fish? For a guy who fancies himself the reincarnation of FDR, I doubt that FDR would have been having toddies with his drinking buddies while American soldiers were hitting the beaches of Normandy.
And what are we learning? That Obama vacillated for 16 hours before making a decision about trying to get ObL. That’s not presidential. That’s practicing CYA and trying to estimate the polical damage if things go wrong.
@Nan G: #37
Obama doesn’t make any major decisions. He has to consult with his supervisors first. The supervisors have to figure out what action will be best for them. Remember how it took him three months to decide that more troops were needed in Afghanistan?
Do your duty… Hug a seal or at least buy them lunch if you can get the tab…
W