Team Obama Got Osama / Obama 2012 jumps the shark with their latest attempt to impress upon us that Obama is tougher (and gutsier!) than Chuck Norris:
U.S. Was Braced for Fight With Pakistanis in Bin Laden Raid
By ERIC SCHMITT, THOM SHANKER and DAVID E. SANGER
WASHINGTON — President Obama insisted that the assault force hunting down Osama bin Laden last week be large enough to fight its way out of Pakistan if confronted by hostile local police officers and troops, senior administration and military officials said Monday.
...
Mr. Obama’s decision to increase the size of the force sent into Pakistan shows that he was willing to risk a military confrontation with a close ally in order to capture or kill the leader of Al Qaeda.
...One senior Obama administration official, pressed on the rules of engagement for one of the riskiest clandestine operations attempted by the C.I.A. and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command in many years, said: “Their instructions were to avoid any confrontation if at all possible. But if they had to return fire to get out, they were authorized to do it.”
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Under the original plan, two assault helicopters were going to stay on the Afghanistan side of the border waiting for a call if they were needed. But the aircraft would have been about 90 minutes away from the Bin Laden compound.
About 10 days before the raid, Mr. Obama reviewed the plans and pressed his commanders as to whether they were taking along enough forces to fight their way out if the Pakistanis arrived on the scene and tried to interfere with the operation.
That resulted in the decision to send two more helicopters carrying additional troops. These followed the two lead Black Hawk helicopters that carried the actual assault team. While there was no confrontation with the Pakistanis, one of those backup helicopters was ultimately brought in to the scene of the raid when a Black Hawk was damaged while making a hard landing.
“Some people may have assumed we could talk our way out of a jam, but given our difficult relationship with Pakistan right now, the president did not want to leave anything to chance,” said one senior administration official, who like others would not be quoted by name describing details of the secret mission. “He wanted extra forces if they were necessary.”
Fortunately these leaks are not about that crazy cowboy Bush or the sidewalks would not be safe, littered as they would be with leaping libs. As it is, we can find some headshaking and skepticism at lefty redoubts such as Firedoglake and from Josh Marshall.
I don't suppose anyone expected a unit from Seal Team Six to surrender to a passing patrol car and languish in a Pakistani prison. On the other hand, if Pakistan managed to mobiize jets, tanks and armored vehicles, well, it's a long way from Abbotabad to Afghanistan.
I have no doubt we were intensely monitoring Pakistan military communications and activity with the intention of sidestepping a major clash, but fighting our way out of Pakistan? Please.
have TOP MEN on the case
That is going to crack me up every time.
Posted by: MayBee | May 11, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Rolandbin Laden the headless Thompson gunner...His comrades fought beside him -
Van Owenthe CIA and the restBut of all the Thompson gunners
Rolandbin Laden was the bestSo the CIA decided they wanted
Rolandbin Laden deadThat son-of-a-bitch
Van OwenObama blew offRoland'sbin Laden's headTime, time, time, for another peaceful war
But time stands still for
Rolandbin Laden 'til he evens up the scoreThey can still see his headless body stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of
Roland'sbin Laden's Thompson gunapologies to Warren Zevon (who is also dead)
Posted by: Neo | May 11, 2011 at 05:41 PM
As Tec, the gang leader, says in the 2003 movie “Malibu’s Most Wanted” …
Tec: [high-pitched scream] STOP IT! You say one more line and I’mma have to smoke myself!
Obama has made himself into a “one trick pony” that has run it’s course.
Posted by: Neo | May 12, 2011 at 12:29 AM
I'm sure our community organizer in chief will be remembered forever for his military genius! Wasn't he commander of the 3rd Red Brigade in Chicago and the special anarchists regiment at Harvard?
But jumped the shark, he did that in Boston when he told us all policemen are racists.
Posted by: Molon Lobe | May 12, 2011 at 03:59 AM