Thoughts on the death of Osama bin Laden Update: Photos inside compound added
America was greeted with great news last night at the death of the most wanted man on earth. However it took only took a few more minutes after that for partisan divide to seep through and people began bickering over who gets credit. President Obama presented the news in an impromptu televised message and claimed credit by stating that he was approached and gave not only the go ahead to conduct further intelligence, but also the go ahead for the final operation.
Obama's words were carefully chosen last night and it would seem pretty clear that the Pakistani government was not made aware that American special forces were landing deep inside their country to perform an assassination attempt, this makes the decision a difficult one. Had anything gone wrong and I mean *anything* it could have created a nasty international incident with a country that is already seething with anti-American sentiment for the years of drone attacks, CIA operatives and other perceived American aggression. One can easily imagine that someone like Al Gore or even Bill Clinton would have not have pulled the trigger on this particular operation citing the risk hazards.
What is equally fascinating is just how and where Osama was residing for the past six years. We were all under the impression that the man traveled and lived in caves somewhere in the mountains of the tribal regions, yet Washington Examiner states otherwise:
A satellite picture of the compound that was stormed by American special forces:
ABC has a photo gallery of inside the compound. Amazing how fast information travels these days.
In order to track Osama to this particular location it took America years and years of intelligence to piece the puzzle together. The Examiner article explains that shortly after 9/11 detainees mentioned Osama's most trusted personal friend, a courier that worked for him. It was the tracking of this man that finally led our special forces to the wealthy compound in a place in Pakistan that virtually no American has ever heard of before.
President Bush's invasion of Afghanistan and Obama's decision to perform an international assassination combined for the death of of America's most hated villain. We should all be thankful and grateful that the mastermind and financier of 9/11 is now dead. Did you hear that sound? A Truther just exploded.
Unfortunately the war is not over and the death of OBL is far more symbolic than it is practical. Many will feel relief and many will feel nothing, after ten years one could argue an injustice has been committed with the realization that the scumbag enjoyed life when so many did not. Most likely the hunt will continue for other operatives of AQ including the infamous #2 man and so this story will keep on going. Unlike any traditional war in history this war is being fought at sea, land and cyberspace in many countries both hostile and friendly and therefore the death of OBL serves much more as a reminder of America's commitment to the ongoing war on terror and our pursuit of justice.
Obama's words were carefully chosen last night and it would seem pretty clear that the Pakistani government was not made aware that American special forces were landing deep inside their country to perform an assassination attempt, this makes the decision a difficult one. Had anything gone wrong and I mean *anything* it could have created a nasty international incident with a country that is already seething with anti-American sentiment for the years of drone attacks, CIA operatives and other perceived American aggression. One can easily imagine that someone like Al Gore or even Bill Clinton would have not have pulled the trigger on this particular operation citing the risk hazards.
What is equally fascinating is just how and where Osama was residing for the past six years. We were all under the impression that the man traveled and lived in caves somewhere in the mountains of the tribal regions, yet Washington Examiner states otherwise:
The compound was eight times larger than any other home in the area. It was surrounded by walls measuring 12 feet to 18 feet that were topped with barbed wire. There were additional inner walls that sectioned off parts of the compound and entry was restricted by two security gates. And the residents burned their trash instead of leaving it outside for pickup. There was a three-story house on the site, with a 7-foot privacy wall on the top floor.
While the two brothers, the couriers, had no known source of income, the compound was built in 2005 and valued at $1 million. That led intelligence officials to conclude that it must have been built to hold a high-value member of Al Qaeda.The compound was built in Abbottabad, Pakistan a relatively affluent town where many retired military personnel live and is home to several army installations. Whether someone in Pakistan knew and protected Osama is to be debated, but it is certainly possibly, especially considering that the town lies just 35 miles north of Islamabad! What this may do to the relationship between our countries is unknown, but it is unnerving to see that people like Osama can build homes in these countries and live there for years.
A satellite picture of the compound that was stormed by American special forces:
ABC has a photo gallery of inside the compound. Amazing how fast information travels these days.
In order to track Osama to this particular location it took America years and years of intelligence to piece the puzzle together. The Examiner article explains that shortly after 9/11 detainees mentioned Osama's most trusted personal friend, a courier that worked for him. It was the tracking of this man that finally led our special forces to the wealthy compound in a place in Pakistan that virtually no American has ever heard of before.
President Bush's invasion of Afghanistan and Obama's decision to perform an international assassination combined for the death of of America's most hated villain. We should all be thankful and grateful that the mastermind and financier of 9/11 is now dead. Did you hear that sound? A Truther just exploded.
Unfortunately the war is not over and the death of OBL is far more symbolic than it is practical. Many will feel relief and many will feel nothing, after ten years one could argue an injustice has been committed with the realization that the scumbag enjoyed life when so many did not. Most likely the hunt will continue for other operatives of AQ including the infamous #2 man and so this story will keep on going. Unlike any traditional war in history this war is being fought at sea, land and cyberspace in many countries both hostile and friendly and therefore the death of OBL serves much more as a reminder of America's commitment to the ongoing war on terror and our pursuit of justice.
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