The tidbits emerging from the headline story of the day are ranging from amazing to ridiculous. The political posturing has just begun and there should be little doubt that it will get much worse before it subsides or gets a little bit sane.
It was a Special Operations mission. The operators were Seal Team Six. But they require insertion by aviation elements and those rotary wing warriors are supported by fixed wing assets, so you've got special operations types from all services involved. The targeting gathered data from a wide range of intel sources and it may just be a coincidence that the mission comes just two days after announcement of the Pentagon/Langley seat shuffle. But wait a second, I'm on record here several times as stating that there are no coincidences at that level.
We were politically correct, of course. We dropped in on the compound and asked him to surrender. Of course we did! Then were forced to administer a double-tap to the face.
One headline says Bin Laden was identified by people on the scene, another that one of his wives called him by name, and others that he identified himself. A report says the other occupants of the compound were moved out of the area because the team was going to blow the damaged Blackhawk on the scene; another report says twenty-two aides and associates were killed in the firefight. I'd prefer the latter to be true.
The occupants evacuated were to be rounded up by Pakistani forces. Sure they were.
We didn't wish to offend the Muslims of the world, so all proper religious protocols for a proper Islamic preparation of the body were provided. But the mullahs and imams who supposedly know all about that stuff say that a Muslim is never to be buried at sea and all efforts must be made to recover the body and inter it in the ground. I've got some serious doubts about all of that.
Bottom line that I'm gleaning from all the reports is that, in the words of Desi to Lucy, Pakistan's "got a lot of 'splainin' to do." Failure to notice a huge compound with 12 to 18 foot fences in a suburb of the capitol where three Pakistan army brigades are stationed seems a bit clumsy of them.
What ever happened to mounting the head of your enemy on a spike to remind all who see it that you can be a very serious adversary?
3 comments:
The Pakistani leadership knew he was there all along. We knew he was there all along, but were afraid of stepping on muslim toes by going after him. The Bamster has an election coming up, and could have hinted that he would be a lot more friendly to the pakistani leadership than anyone who opposed him. They did the math, and threw osama under the bus.... That's just my theory anyways... Still doesn't mean it isn't a good thing he's dead.
Head on a spike, Cromwell would approve. Nothing drives the point hom that your boss is dead like that. Unless you want to let them shuffle pass the open coffin.
Things are popping over this. IF we believe what Ace of Spades is reporting Osama's digs used to be an ISI safehouse. Big can of worms in the offering it seems.
As for this helping with re-election, 18 months is forever in politics. Ask George HW Bush.
My hat is off to all the military elements involved. I'm a leg but I have always been thankful for the winged and rotary warriors who make an operation like this not only possible but successful.
Alemaster and Ed, your brothers did good.
The whole group, from the ground to the air, make clinking noises when they walk.
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