President Obama has continued the Bush policies of keeping a military presence in the Middle East. He did not scrub the mission to get Bin Laden. In fact, it may be that President Obama single-handedly came up with the technique in order to pull this off. You see, the military wanted to go in there and bomb as they always do. They wanted to drop missiles and drop bombs and a number of totally destructive techniques here. But President Obama, perhaps the only qualified member in the room to deal with this, insisted on the Special Forces. No one else thought of that. President Obama. Not a single intelligence adviser, not a single national security adviser, not a single military adviser came up with the idea of using SEAL Team 6 or any Special Forces.Rush Limbaugh • Revealing that Hell has, in fact, frozen over. (via The Dish, technipol, apsies)
We remain at a heightened state of vigilance, but the Department of Homeland Security does not intend to issue an NTAS alert at this time.Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano • Revealing that despite the death of Osama Bin Laden, Homeland Security’s new National Terrorism Advisory System (the one that doesn’t use the much-maligned color codes but instead provides specific information) won’t get its premiere thanks to the obviously front-of-mind news. At the moment, the system lists “no current alerts.” This is separate, by the way, from the State Department’s travel advisory last night, which affects U.S. nationals abroad. source (via • follow)
The link goes to the first result that came up for “Osama bin Laden birthday cake.” — Ernie @ ShortFormBlog
That’s the spin on this story: Not that Obama’s intelligence staffers managed to warm up a lead that had completely gone cold (despite the fact that the storyline points to this), but that it was Bush policies that did it eventually. Here’s what Rumsfeld said:
“All of this was made possible by the relentless, sustained pressure on al Qaeda that the Bush administration initiated after 9/11 and that the Obama administration has wisely chosen to continue.”
Look, this whole thing cost a lot of money on all sides. Perhaps instead of crediting the national security monster that Bush constructed and Obama continued, we should look back and consider how lucky we were that we found that fresh lead last August. Sure, Rummy and Cheney helped construct the apparatus, but it was an apparatus that took a decade to crack the main nut. (inspired by a link from Soup)
Donald Trump calls for truce: “We should spend the next several days not debating party politics, but in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those currently fighting for our freedom. God Bless America!” Today in how a single act pretty much took all the thunder out of Trump’s sideshow. Wondrous.
Promise kept.
It’s an impressive feat that he could 1) promise such a thing and 2) actually pull it off.
transient-dreamer asks: On Osama Bin Laden's death coverage: Have seven years of war really been for this moment? A limp reminiscence of self-sympathy of9/11, then a goddamn high five with some other guy who doesn't know why or what he's celebrating for?
Why must we kill somebody to love each other? Why must we kill somebody to create a purpose to unite under?
» We say: This is a common sentiment that we’ve heard a lot since we found out last night. I think it’s less about killing someone to love each other, and more about having a key catalyst of our fears, a global boogeyman who we’ve been taught hates everything about us … gone. And you know, this is something that we should have mixed feelings about. That we reacted like this when we caught him says a lot about how scared we were as a society — one burnt out on the constant reminders of the freedoms we lost a decade ago. We’re not celebrating his death, but a turning point from a dark day for our culture. It’s symbolic, but important. And we can’t forget that since it’s purely symbolic that we still have a long ways to go. It’s also a symbol that we never expected to see. That’s why we react like this.
The Secret Team That Killed Osama Bin Laden:
Were it not for this high-value target, it might have been a routine mission for the specially trained and highly mythologized SEAL Team Six, officially called the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, but known even to the locals at their home base Dam Neck in Virginia as just DevGru.
This HVT was special, and the raids required practice, so they replicated the one-acre compound at Camp Alpha, a segregated section of Bagram Air Base. Trial runs were held in early April.
Read the rest at The Atlantic.
idroolinmysleep said: Already? I thought they were doing DNA tests to make sure they got the right guy. guardian.co.uk/world/2…
» We say: I think The Guardian’s info is wrong then, because they already confirmed that it was him using his sister’s DNA before they made the announcement. And I have the AP, NYT and CNN reporting that he was buried at sea.
I can’t add much to what’s already been (and will be) ...
One of the perks of being an early employee...
Over the last 90 days, the Digg...
#FMMDI (at 30 Rockefeller Plaza)
Thanks. I guess my thoughts are as follows:
1. I think...
Two Months Ago I set out to interview the principal cast...
Al-Qaeda leaders are currently in possession of a pre-recorded videotaped message from Osama bin Laden meant for release following his capture, death or murder.
A government official tells ProducerMatthew.com the tape may be released over the next few days.
The source did not have information…
Osama bin Laden buried at sea: CNN’s Victor Hernandez reports that the al-Qaeda figure was buried according to Islamic tradition. We mentioned this earlier, by the way. (via producermatthew)
U.S. citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.A statement from the U.S. State Department • Offering a travel advisory to people in countries which may have “enhanced potential” for a strong anti-American sentiment in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death. The travel warning lasts until August 1st. source (via • follow)
Interesting read.
The plot of land was roughly eight times larger than the other homes in the area. It was built in 2005 on the outskirts of town, but now some other homes are nearby.
“Physical security is extraordinary: 12 to 18 foot walls, walled areas, restricted access by two security gates.” The residents burn their trash, unlike their neighbors. There are no windows facing the road. One part of the compound has its own seven-foot privacy wall.
And unusual for a multi-million-dollar home: It has no telephone or Internet service.
This home, U.S. intelligence analysts concluded, was “custom built to hide someone of significance.”
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
