An interesting read about the decision to take Bin Laden....

[CosmicCowboy]

Write it off as a "right wing blog" if you want to, but it certainly seems credible...

http://patdollard.com/2011/05/obama-...ama-bin-laden/

[LnGrrrR]

I'd take any comments by unnamed "insiders" with a factory full of salt.

[clambake]

"insider"

thats conclusive

[boutons_deux]

"longtime Washington D.C. Insider"

who?

[clambake]

damn you lgnrrr

[LnGrrrR]

Especially when said insider says things like:

President Obama was, in this case, as in all others, working as an absentee president.

Plus, the details don't quite make sense.

What Valerie Jarrett, and the president, did not know is that Leon Panetta had already initiated a program that reported to him –and only him, involving a covert on the ground attack against the compound. Basically, the whole damn operation was already ready to go – including the specific team support Intel necessary to engage the enemy within hours of being given notice.

So Panetta had somehow masterminded the people, the training, the materials, etc etc months in advance?

[CosmicCowboy]

I'd take any comments by unnamed "insiders" with a factory full of salt.

If you think about it, the shuffle of people last week with Gates officially calling it quits (after Bin Laden was taken) and Obama moving Panetta out of the CIA makes sense in this context.

[CosmicCowboy]

Look guys, I know it's ambiguous and I hate un-named sources as much as y'all do. Don't kill the messenger. I just posted it.

[CosmicCowboy]

So Panetta had somehow masterminded the people, the training, the materials, etc etc months in advance?

Whats hard to believe about that? That the CIA working with special forces had already started working on a hypothetical direct assault contingency plan? Seems pretty credible.

[clambake]

Look guys, I know it's ambiguous and I hate un-named sources as much as y'all do. Don't kill the messenger. I just posted it.

don't sweat it. you get props for that "2 shots and a splash of water"

[LnGrrrR]

Whats hard to believe about that? That the CIA working with special forces had already started working on a hypothetical direct assault contingency plan? Seems pretty credible.

Not to me. That kind of training requires months, and they've already said that there was even a dupe compound built to practice with. All this occurs a) without Obama knowing it and b) Obama authorizing this op without knowing the SEAL team is trained?

Oh, also, the special forces stopped responding to their military chain and responded directly to Panetta. So a whole team of Special Forces can start doing unauthorized functions for months without someone in the chain raising a red flag?

[Spurminator]

Right now just seems like a blogger catering to the demand for anti-Obama accounts of the capture. I'm sure he'll get a ton of visits and I'll probably have this forwarded to me in an email.

[CosmicCowboy]

Not to me. That kind of training requires months, and they've already said that there was even a dupe compound built to practice with. All this occurs a) without Obama knowing it and b) Obama authorizing this op without knowing the SEAL team is trained?

Oh, also, the special forces stopped responding to their military chain and responded directly to Panetta. So a whole team of Special Forces can start doing unauthorized functions for months without someone in the chain raising a red flag?

You don't think that Gates and Panetta could have decided that "just in case" they should have a viable ground attack option ready to go? Under the cir stances it would almost seem like a dereliction of duty if they didn't. Just because Obama is commander in chief that doesn't mean he has to make all the operational decisions...

[RandomGuy]

I'd take any comments by unnamed "insiders" with a factory full of salt.

Inside Sources: Bin Laden’s Corpse Has Been On Ice For Nearly a Decade (surprise! it's prison planet)

Mmmmm "inside sources".

[CosmicCowboy]

Inside Sources: Bin Laden’s Corpse Has Been On Ice For Nearly a Decade (surprise! it's prison planet)

Mmmmm "inside sources".

Mmmmmmm "straw man"

[vy65]

Oh, also, the special forces stopped responding to their military chain and responded directly to Panetta. So a whole team of Special Forces can start doing unauthorized functions for months without someone in the chain raising a red flag?

Isn't that essentially what the A-Team is?

[RandomGuy]

Write it off as a "right wing blog" if you want to, but it certainly seems credible...

http://patdollard.com/2011/05/obama-...ama-bin-laden/

No, no one saw the Republican/conservative attempts to spin this to mimize any credit that might be given to a Democratic president. (edit) ...and by no one, I mean everyone.

Fox "news" being the propaganda wing of the Republican party, whose job it will be to regurgitate the RNC's talking points on this, whatever they turn out to be.

I see. So they haven't yet, but they will, right?

Daily affirmation much?

I have zero doubt that will happen. Personally I give it within a week.

Do you doubt at all that such minimizing will take place during the coming election?

This is too big to simply cede to a Democrat.

Some blogger will take it up within the next few days along those lines, then this will be incessantly emailed to the faithful, only to be taken up by ever more prominent talking heads in the conservative movement, until it is GOP canon by the time the election rolls around.

Looks like I had to wait exactly 2 days for this to start happening, in exactly the manner I predicted, a right wing blogger minimizing Obama's role in the process. Astonishly enough the poster, Cosmic Cowboy finds the unnamed insider's implications of Obama "phoning it in and generally being absent" as being "credible", no offense intended, CC.

[LnGrrrR]

You don't think that Gates and Panetta could have decided that "just in case" they should have a viable ground attack option ready to go? Under the cir stances it would almost seem like a dereliction of duty if they didn't. Just because Obama is commander in chief that doesn't mean he has to make all the operational decisions...

There's a chance, sure, but I highly doubt that Gates would authorize monthslong training for a covert mission without mentioning it to Obama.

[CosmicCowboy]

Looks like I had to wait exactly 2 days for this to start happening, in exactly the manner I predicted, a right wing blogger minimizing Obama's role in the process. Astonishly enough the poster, Cosmic Cowboy finds the unnamed insider's implications of Obama "phoning it in and generally being absent" as being "credible", no offense intended, CC.

Guilty as charged. I am pre-disposed to believe it and you are pre-disposed to deny it. It's all good. This almost feels like a Clinton ambush. If THATS true we will certainly be hearing more about it...

[LnGrrrR]

CC, it's just hard to believe an unnamed source when they are as obviously biased as this guy is.

[EVAY]

If you think about it, the shuffle of people last week with Gates officially calling it quits (after Bin Laden was taken) and Obama moving Panetta out of the CIA makes sense in this context.

Your facts are incorrect, CC, at least with regards to the timing of Gates, and Panetta.

Gates had been saying for months that he was leaving soon, and so Obama has known for a long time that he had to replace him. The announcements regarding Panetta going to replace Gates and Petraeus going to replace Panetta were made well before the taking of Bin Laden.

Had this not gone down when it did, your right-wwing bloggers would be fussing about Obama putting Panetta in charge of the Pentagon.

Moreover, since Petraeus was, according to your article, on the same side of this issue as was Panetta and Clinton (how come your author refers only to her by her first name and none of the others?), your 'surmise' regarding the shake up making sense fails on a logical basis.

[EVAY]

Write it off as a "right wing blog" if you want to, but it certainly seems credible...

http://patdollard.com/2011/05/obama-...ama-bin-laden/

Okay, I'm writing it off as the right wing blog that it is.

[CosmicCowboy]

CC, it's just hard to believe an unnamed source when they are as obviously biased as this guy is.

I prefaced the whole thing that it was an "un-named source" but they aren't ALWAYS wrong...remember "Deepthroat"? It brought down a Presidency and the source wasn't named for 31 years..

[CosmicCowboy]

Your facts are incorrect, CC, at least with regards to the timing of Gates, and Panetta.

Gates had been saying for months that he was leaving soon, and so Obama has known for a long time that he had to replace him. The announcements regarding Panetta going to replace Gates and Petraeus going to replace Panetta were made well before the taking of Bin Laden.

Had this not gone down when it did, your right-wwing bloggers would be fussing about Obama putting Panetta in charge of the Pentagon.

Moreover, since Petraeus was, according to your article, on the same side of this issue as was Panetta and Clinton (how come your author refers only to her by her first name and none of the others?), your 'surmise' regarding the shake up making sense fails on a logical basis.

you are right that Gates notified Obama months ago he was leaving in 2011.

[EVAY]

you are right that Gates notified Obama months ago he was leaving in 2011 but the official shuffle announcement was on April 27, after Bin Laden was killed.

No. Check your facts again. Bin Laden was killed on April 29th.