Tuesday, May 03, 2011

bin Laden Death- Victory and Irony

You'll excuse me if I don't go all swoony over the "courage" of Barack Obama to execute the mission in Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden. He wants to boast that it was his pledge all along - since 2007 speeches - that if there was actionable intelligence that he would allow execution of a mission to take out bin Laden. And, frankly, as Commander-in-Chief, it is his job.

Courage was shown by George W. Bush after the attacks of 9/11/01. He laid all the groundwork for Obama's bask in the glow of victory today.

There was an almost romanticized notion that Osama bin Laden was living in a cave somewhere in the treacherous terrain along the Pakistan and Afghanistan border. Turns out, bin Laden was living quite comfortably in a million dollar mansion in Pakistani suburbia. He was surrounded by family members and those loyal to protecting him.

Candidate Obama campaigned on changing course in the war on terror. He decried the use of alleged torture on detainees, especially those done through rendition. He pledged to close GITMO and end that alleged abuse of prisoners. As President, signing the Executive Order to close GITMO was the first order of business. And, of course, we know that the far left desperately hoped a far left administration would pursue war crimes against the Bush administration.

It is a good thing that bin Laden is dead, that is true. Families of those who died on that tragic day can feel a bit of justice with his death. There is a little less evil in the world today. America can rejoice in a victory in the war on terror. War on Terror? Oh, yeah. That was changed by Obama, too - it's an 'Overseas Contingency Operation.'

It was information gleaned from interrogation that brought about the ability to launch this mission. The same interrogation methods that Obama belittled and scolded about, in the end, allowed him a national security victory.

Former President Bush posted on Laura's Facebook page. Obama had called former president George W. Bush before making his address, according to a posting attributed to Bush on Laura Bush’s Facebook page.

“Tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done,’’ said the former president, whose presidency was defined by the events of Sept. 11 and America’s response, including the long frustrating hunt for bin Laden.


It is the courage of the Navy Seals and the CIA that won this victory. God bless them all. It is an emotional victory wraught with irony.

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