White House Insider: Obama Hesitated – Panetta Issued Order to Kill Osama Bin Laden

[Turtle]

Re: White House Insider: Obama Hesitated – Panetta Issued Order to Kill Osama Bin Lad

It dosnt matter whether I believe it or not. I have no way to know for sure. The only people who know for sure is Obama and Leon Pannetta.

As with most things, all you have to do is ask yourself if it makes sense. Does it make sense that Pannetta would overstep his bounds, all the way to a coup d'état, and issue that order, and that it was followed? IMHO, it's ridiculous to think that something like that could happen and the only place you hear about it is on wacko blogs. If it actually happened, there would be a firestorm out of the White House that no one could suppress. All you have to do is ask yourself what makes the most sense. Not what makes the guy you don't like look the worst, but what actually makes the most sense. Then, look at the facts (not the rumor, but the facts), and make the determination.

Having said that the Internet rumor is consistant with Obamas past activities or lack thereof. Like taking 6 mos to decide on a aganny policy in the first place.

Again, people apparently wanted him to storm the compound without knowing for sure that bin Laden was there. Can you imagine the Bogosphere if that little scenario had played out? Yes, the Internet rumors are consistent with his past activities, but only if you look at them within the context of the rumors. Once you step outside of that box, things look differently. That's usually the way it is with rumors.

 

[EASYTRADER]

BTW - Prior to the Bin Ladin hit the US has done over 100 drone strikes in Pakistan. Which translates to assinations via missile. There would have been NO fallout if Bin Ladin wasn't there. These missions happen all the time. That's why we have Delta and Seals to begin with.

The only reason this one particular mission made the news is because of the target.

I don't know if the story is true but having worked in Government both military and civilian I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were. The story fits the characters involved.

If Hillary challeges Barack you can bet we'll hear more about it.

 

[EASYTRADER]

I also think many of you misread the implications of the story.

I understood that Paneatta and Gates wanted O to give the order. O hemmned and hawed because Valerie Jarrett advised him not to.

Panneatta after 30 days finally said "Look O you have to kill this guy before it leaks to the press that you gave him a pass"

O still wouldn't give explicit approval but said You guys make the call. So Pannetta and Gates consulted with Hillary who said smoke him and then they put the opperation together and smoked him.

They then pulled O off the golf course and said its done. O then run around talking about what a hero he is. If the mission had failed everyone would have shrugged.

Apparently you guys don't read to many political memoirs because things like this happen all the time.

If you guys haven't read "Known and Unknown" by Rumsfeld you should cause he gives details of these kinds of intrigues that date back to the Johnson Pres.

"Nixon" by Ambrose details similiar intrigues. I'm actually shocked to think that so many people think it is an UN-plausible story, whether it is true or not That story Is not too far off the mark from "how the sausage is made"

As far as it becoming a political blow-out, there is no reason. O can't be mad about it because it gave him a pole boost. Hillary, Panneta and Gates got what they wanted which was a dead bin ladin. Everybody got what they wanted.

If the opperation went wrong, remember we ARE at war. So no justification is really neccesary past the explanation we went after a high value target who moved before we got him.


So there you go!

 

[Pilgrim]

Re: White House Insider: Obama Hesitated – Panetta Issued Order to Kill Osama Bin Lad

If the SEALS had gone into that compound and found it empty, we would have never heard about it. In fact, I'll bet that has happened quite a few times, especially if the decision makers took 16 hours to make a decision and let the situation change or go cold. Just guessing, but our military and intel guys happened to hit the bullseye on this one and did a good job of convincing the people in DC that this was the real deal for a high value target. It's also reasonable to speculate that there was a lot more to this story than will ever be made public - and hopefully will be kept under wraps. At any rate, hats off to all those involved - especially those intel and military operatives who really made this mission successful and whose names we'll never know.

 

[Turtle]

Re: White House Insider: Obama Hesitated – Panetta Issued Order to Kill Osama Bin Lad

As far as it becoming a political blow-out, there is no reason. O can't be mad about it because it gave him a pole boost.

You're talking about a man who has the biggest ego since.... since ever. (I was going to say God, but then that would be redundant, since he thinks he's God.)

Now, about giving him a boost with a pole.... How do you get tickets for that? I wanna do that.

 

[greg334]

Re: White House Insider: Obama Hesitated – Panetta Issued Order to Kill Osama Bin Lad

I don't know if the story is true but having worked in Government both military and civilian I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were. The story fits the characters involved.

I would think the opposite would be true, he gave the order and without hesitation. I see a man who has a huge ego but also has a callous attitude about things he feels are right to do. HE doesn't seem to be phased by using smart bombs and drones to bomb villages nor as a problem with the actions of the military in killing people in Libya or even arrogantly justifying Libya. On the political front, his condescending attitude towards congress and the people are evident with many of his comments about what he is going to do and how it will be done his way on both trivial and important issues while he at the same time defends his failures with the same audacity that he used to get people on board with the ideas. He seems to pick his fights pretty good to come out with a spin on it to make his devoted followers defend him even more.

Yep I would say he gave the order and without any hesitation - the only way we would tell is if it was recorded and published or we were there.