We ascertained UBL’s whereabouts by patiently studying the ways of Al Qaida, watching their movements and methods. The enemy learns about us the same way, only instead of spying, they simply read newspapers and watch TV. Our government needs to curb its urge to brag about every accomplishment. Much of it serves no purpose besides feeding our entertainment culture's prurient interests anyway.
President Obama is Right on the Bin Laden Death Pictures
It’s the right decision to not publish the pictures. It would have become a holy icon to the macabre jihadi death worshipers, a gruesome propaganda poster to the sweaty hordes, and it would not have convinced the skeptics. And to those Taliban idiots and other terrorists who taunt us to produce the picture as proof we capped him, the burden is on them. Produce the picture? You produce Bin Laden!
Unfortunately, there is little else about this operation we are unwilling to release.
“There I was…”
Everybody likes to tell stories, especially if they’ve played even a marginal role in it. Whether it’s a forklift accident at work or a world-famous terrorist takedown, everybody wants to be first to spread the news, and we just can’t help regaling others with the juicy tidbits. It is understandable coming from ordinary folk, but it is irresponsible when the United States government does it. In the past, congressmen have inadvertently released damaging classified information in their rush to look important, and VP Joe Biden does it practically every time he opens his mouth.
Multifarious government officials rushing to the microphones has produced an incoherent message that leads a slavering press and fever swamp conspiracy theorists to put hammer and chisel to the exposed fissures, eventuating more official explanations and further fractured incoherence.
Are they lying, or are they simply stupid?
As time goes on, more details emerge. We know how many troops were involved, how many helicopters, how long it took. We even know which eye the skilled marksman shot out. All of this information, that none of us needs to know, fills in the blanks for bad guys hoping to dodge Osama’s fate.
Less serious but still troubling, as the “facts” change and the different government agencies struggle to amend earlier comments and keep their stories straight, the US government loses credibility and risks tarnishing the brave deeds of patriotic Americans.
Disinformation?
This is all too much information. "TMI!" as my sassy daughter would say. Unless it’s disinformation, in which case our government could do a much better job.
Here's how you do disinformation...
I want the bad guys and the superstitious hordes who cheer and shelter them to think our soldiers are hiding underground right now spying on them, ready to come up through the soil and strangle them at any moment. I want these 7th century obscurantists to believe we can read their thoughts, see through the walls of their grimy cinderblock huts, and swoop down and grab them at any time with trained invisible eagles. I want them to think every crawling bug and slithering reptile is a trained US spy.
It's not so far-fetched. They blamed the shark attacks off an Egyptian coastal resort on Mossad-trained predators. If the gullible dingbats actually believe Israel made a pact with King Poseidon to produce a flotilla of submersed Muslim eaters just to wreck Egypt's tourist industry, they'll believe anything
This should have been the only official statement:
“Through diligent intelligence work, we discovered Bin Laden. We dropped into his walled hovel and shot him and his son dead."
Let the speculation, conjecture and fearmongering run rampant. It would all work to our favor by leaving the press, the European pacifists, and the pompous UN global citizen crowd sputtering with outrage. Best of all, it would strike fear of the unknown into evildoing America-haters everywhere, leaving them glancing nervously over their shoulders, knowing no haven is truly safe.
19 comments:
Well I think we may have achieved that. No one thought that we'd ever find him. Everyone thought that he was a needle in a hay stack. Actually, he was a needle in a haystack, but fortunately we've got the best metal detectors money can buy.
The information they released is not damaging, I don't think, and the message we've sent to Al Qaeda is clear: it may take us 10 years, but we'll find you, wherever you're hiding, and we'll kill you.
As for details getting mixed up, I don't blame them. In a high intensity moment like that, often it takes some time for those involved to piece things back together. Suffice to say, the man is dead.
About the OBL death photos: I think that the 9/11 families should have the OPTIOn to see those photos. Were I a member of a 9/11 family, I'd want that kind of closure. But, hey, that's me. I need viewings at funerals to put my soul at rest -- probably because of the way I grew up.
BTW, I do think that Obama might release a photo or two in October 2012 -- "to put the conspiracies to rest." But really so as to increase his chances of re-election. We'll find out in 2012 if I'm correct.
BTW, I agree with your statements about TMI and disinformation.
Obama will be on 60 Minutes this coming Sunday. The pr is already ramped up for this show.
I truly believe Bin Laden has been dead for a while. Nonetheless, the dramatic "firefight" that never really happened should tell you all you need to know about the "truth".
I want to see the body.
Seriously? He was klled on May Day? I'm not buying it.
Jack: My simple statement would have served the same purpose.
AOW: I like your idea, and I would be all for that. I also think you are right on in anticipating some future release as a PR boost if the president's reelection prospects are in serious danger.
Divine: In the age of photoshop, would a picture really convince you?
No, Silver, a photo would not convince me. Heck, the man was diabetic and on dialysis. After his severe injuries incurred at the beginning of this century I highly doubt he lived.
My concern centers around the "why now"?
Another interesting post from my friends at "opinion Maker"...http://www.opinion-maker.org/2011/05/osama-bin-laden-look-who-is-talking/
Interesting...
He ignores, Adolph Hitler, Ghengis Khan, the Soviet Union, Krakatoa (name your own factors), and says this of the CIA:
"One who is the most decisive de stabilizing factor in the world’s known history"
That's a categorical statement, and if he believes it, he is either insane or willfully ignorant.
His logic is flawed. For example, incompetence or duplicity in one entity does not prevent that entity from spotting it in other.
And I don't even know what this incoherent babble means:
"One who has been thoughtfully making fool of their own innocent Americans through phantom zing and de phantom zing own created ghosts from time to time."
Everybody is entitled to their opinions, and this man certainly has some interesting ones. Like all of us, they spring from his biases, hatreds and regional rivalries (Waziris vs. Punjabis).
There are dark and shadowy things going on in our government (as in all governments), but I doubt an America-hater living in Pakistan has the answers.
Mind you, I didn't claim to agree with all he said but it is an interesting take.
It is sometimes difficult to understand colloquialisms from other countries! I have an email in, asking for translation!
I'll weigh in on this. Show the picture. Terrorist know Obama has no stomach for being a bada$$.
Me, I'd release it and caption it, as Jack said 'it may take us 10 years, but we'll find you' and when we do, this WILL be the results.
Are they lying, or are they simply stupid?
Both!
This was a dark ops from the get-go. Let it stay that way.
Actually, the CIA has been a huge internation kingmaker - and breaker - fot a long time. It's at least, historically, significant. If you don't "believe" that, read about it. The CIA has played a role in hundreds of important political events over the years.
Destabilization was always a staple of CIA operations.
As for this critique of Obama, I think it's silly. Pointless. Whiny. The whole thing seems pretty well done to me. Besides, it's not Obama creating these stupid "issues" in the first place. He doesn't owe any moron a moronic answer.
JMJ
Alive, previously dead, I don't by the conspiracy theory asking "why now".
Why now indeed?
It is way too early to affect the election, the numbers will peak and drop back down.
Now if it was in September or October, maybe.
We are not keeping our eye on the ball. Al Qaeda and the Taliban are dangerous, but our greatest danger comes from the Moslem Brotherhood. We are being sold a bill of goods. I’m personally glad we shot that bin Laden son-of-a-bitch, but our ultimate defeat will come from the tentacles of the Brotherhood, who every single day challenges our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We ignore their shenanigans at our own peril, or the peril of our children, grand-children, or great-grand-children.
Mustang's point are well taken.
All this OBL stuff now is nothing more than a distraction. For example, see Creeping Sharia. A lot is going on under the radar, folks. I guarantee that this item about Gitmo will light up your board!
Whiny Jersey? Which part exactly?
Back it up or pack it up.
The operation was flawless, but the Obama stumblebums have blown the aftermath. They are definitely stupid, and may be lying. Only a pack of liberals could take a glorious US victory and destroy it by telling 100 conflicting stories and then changing them every five minutes.
Could you imagine the shitstorm if this were the Bush administration?
Moron? You're the moron Jersey. This blog is filled with people proving you wrong and you then wilting away, waiting for a new post to sling more crap.
Give it a rest, Silver. We don't even know the story yet. And I'm not the one questioning the operation.
JMJ
I am not questioning the operation either. Unlike you, I have been to the places I comment about.
I am saying that the Obama administration has completely botched the messaging, from staged photos to Uncle Joe waking up and outing the SEALs.
We don't know the story because it keeps changing every five minutes. It's amateur hour at the white house, but true believers like Jersey keep smokin' that hopium!
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The problem with talking about all of this now is it gives Obama time to plan his counters for the 2012 debate.
They should save it all and hit him with it then like saying things like "Mr President didn't all the programs that were in place help with locating Osama?"
The drones,the wiretapping.
And why did we just go in and kill Osama instead of mirandizing him like you advocated for.
Unfortunately you can be a good debater and still not have the necessary skills.
Plus the way the media is reporting it that we would never have found him if Obama weren't the president. Eight pages in our Newspaper today like 9/11 just happened.
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