Osama bin Laden Dead

Breaking news just coming out that bin Laden is dead!!

SC,

Are you getting the President's address now? He hasn't come on yet. I know the news is about OBL. Where is the report of his death?????


TIS

*Applause*

TIS, it appears that the president will make the announcement to the nation within a few minutes.

I can only hope that the death of this scumbag, muthafuckin', sheep raper is true.

Finally!!!!! I can't wait to hear the specifics.





TIS

SC,

David Gregory is reporting that OBL has been killed by the U.S. AND that WE have his body. Wow, big big news.

TIS

It's being reported by "sources" that the U.S. has bin Laden's body (and he is dead).

One can hope that they'll use his body as a Brillo pad to clean up some streets near Ground Zero.

YESSSSSSSS!!! may he rest in hell that son of a bitch

May he BURN in hell forever.

SC,

I know how all Americans will feel but only can imagine how those of you so close and families (friends) related to the victims involved in 911 must feel. I just want to hear it confirmed by the President but this is GREAT!!! Hope he's in the deepest darkest corner of hell.

TIS

WOW!

Sure would like to get some details on this. No one seems to know yet??

Firecrackers are going off in my town....

Suddenly I'm in the mood for a BBQ tomorrow.

So much for sleep. I'll be watching CNN all night.

BBQ at SC's tomorrow.


TIS

The president timed this "leak" to knock "Celebrity Apprentice" off the air. Two nights in a row he trumps Trump.

wow...on espn during the baseball game everybody was chanting USA USA

Bring a flag to wave.

Should be a national holiday, burn in hell you scumbag.

Honey, I'll have a flag in each hand and one on my toes. Definitely a celebration. Damn, I just want it confirmed. I feel like were jumping the gun until we get it from the top.


TIS

That's how I found out about it

Still wanna hear/see it officially, tho. But familial DNA seems to be confirming it (according to Geraldo)...

Plus if the U.S. has the body they won't have any problems confirming.


TIS

since when are you watching a mets game?

You mean a PHILLIES game

Worse than that, Geoff is watching Fox News.

lol i wish the cubs had that pitching staff

anyways though reports are saying that bin laden was found in the middle of pakistan...i hope its not true because everybody knows what will happen next

ABC News is reporting that U.S. Ground Forces got bin Laden in Pakistan.

The first website I went to said we got him in Afghanistan, then the next said Pakistan. One even spells his name Usama.

Ding Dong! Osama’s dead. Which Big O? Bin Ladin O!
Ding Dong! Bin Ladin O is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, Osama Bin is dead. He's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
Osama Bin is dead!

i just checked, and sadly nobody had osama down on their dead pool list

I heard Pakistan too. The main thing is we got him. Can you imagine how the troops must feel? After all these years?

Btw, they announced this is too the 8 year anniversary of W's famous "Mission Accomplished" speech.



TIS

Seems "The President's Speech" is taking so long cuz they're trying to fix his teleprompter

Speaking of anniversaries, I thought I heard today was the one year anniversary of the attempted Times Square car bombing.

I am relieved and sad at the same time. I keep thinking about the victims of this maniac and all the terrible things he's done. That makes me sad. I am happy he can't hurt any more people anymore.

yup it is...

Obama begins...

I read he was killed a week ago by a bomb.

Or he was playing this over and over on his iPod?

Just heard the news! It's fitting that it was AMERICAN troops that got him! They should let everyone take off tomorrow and celebrate!

Could be ... even wikipedia said he died "April 2011" before it was just minutes ago changed to May 1

he should be 110% more pumped up now

Obama clearly said, "today".

Oh no, not another conspiracy theory.

I am so glad they got him. Tomorrow should be a holiday. If not, I'll make it a holiday.

TIS

Ding Dong the [BadWord] is dead
Which old [BadWord]?
The smelly [BadWord].
Ding Dong the smelly [BadWord] is dead......

Party at the White House!

if only i could crash the party...

"DNA TESTS CONFIRM HE WAS KILLED IN A FIREFIGHT LAST WEEK" according to FNC. I can't see a DNA test being done in hours, so... it may not have been today anyway.

does anybody know if trump needs a death certificate to confirm it?

Dead last week, dead today, doesn't fucking matter. He's dead Jim. Dead as fried chicken.

~Certain ideologues better not spin this into another political pissing war tonight. Do that tomorrow, Tuesday preferably. Party tonight bitches.

It's certainly good news and a job well done.

I just wish the reporting hadn't begun during th last 20 minutes of Celebrity Apprentice.

damn right! i wonder if i should take tomorrow off...

BTW - Mets/Phillies, still tied, going into 12th inning...

Obama has definitely scored some major points now. I wish I could vote for him.

Hey... pass me a beer and a hot dog!

Hmmm...So I guess everyone in this country and around the world who have stood vehemently opposed to the U.S. led War On Terror, and often referred to the Bush/Cheney-Rumsfeld led aggression as 'war mongering', have now changed their minds?

Saddam Hussein AND Osama Bin Laden are now dead thanks to the war effort set forth by the Bush administration, and the world owes the George Bush administration an APOLOGY!!!...Thank God, President Obama didn't listen to the detractors and kept the course.

Yeah what a shame.

~It's silly, but the idea of Obama purposely sabotaging Trump is amusing. I want to believe it.

too bad the yanks are not playing right now...if they were i bet they would have won the game once the news came out.

Breaking News: Donald Trump demands to see a death certificate.

Your earlier post is funnier.

TIS

Andrew Sullivan:

Someone should tell the jackasses celebrating outside the White House that they're probably inciting another attack.

You mind holding back the piss till tomorrow at least?

Seriously let's not fuck up this feel good moment right now. OK?

Maybe you should head out there with a megaphone.

Thanks RR

I wasn't going to phrase it quite like that but hell yea.......this IS something to celebrate.



TIS

Like the celebrations going on back on 9/11... burning American flags and dancing in the streets when news of the terrorist attacks reached them??

I think this is a wonderful sight to see, but if you feel that strongly, why don't YOU go to Washington and tell the crowds to quiet down?

It's a great day. Not just for Americans, but for every man and woman who believes in freedom, love and peace.

Exactly!

Did anyone see the news coverage of the crowd gathered at Ground Zero? There are a few hundred people there and they just sang the national anthem.

I couldn't agree more. We should all stop celebrating, EVERYONE go back into your houses and Pray for the Soul of Osama Bin Laden. We should all write letters to Al Qaeda members expressing our deepest sympathies and BEG them not to do anything. I have 3 letters written already, we should all learn, as Americans, to just let the world do what they want to us and we shouldn't try to anger them in any way, shape or form.

I say we do what the good ole Beastie Boys would recommend: Make Some Noise!

Guess SC is watching CNN

Yeah, I switched channels (FNC has a canned Obama biopic going a little while back so I switched)

That's good.... a real don doesn't watch Fox.

Hey Geoff,

Make sure you save this thread with the other 911 thread. We don't want to lose the "as it happened" feeling. Not that I'm telling you what to do.
But, seriously!!




TIS

I don't know about that, but let's keep it bipartisan

Ahh, the Boss speaks!!

So far I haven't had to delete anything for disk space reasons -- for years! So we should be good.

BTW,

Talk about having the last laugh on OBL. Can you imagine OBL reaction if he was told not only that the U.S. would kill him, BUT that he'd be carried away by U.S. forces.


TIS

I wonder how this all went down. I can picture Osama shaking like a bitch when they broke into that house .

Mets won

It seemed to me like, after a little over nine years, the biggest anticlimax in my lifetime. I really thought people didn't care anymore.

I find it inexplicably comforting to see I was wrong.

This is a real headline over at AICN.com:



what the fuck?

US tracked couriers to an elaborate bin Laden compound
He died in firefight along with his son, two couriers, US officials say; Pakistan was not told in advance
By Bill Dedman
May 2, 2011


It started with a courier's name.

Senior White House officials said early Monday that the trail that led to Osama bin Laden began before 9/11, before the terror attacks that brought bin Laden to prominence. The trail warmed up last fall, when it discovered an elaborate compound in Pakistan.

"From the time that we first recognized bin Laden as a threat, the U.S. gathered information on people in bin Laden's circle, including his personal couriers," a senior official in the Obama administration said in a background briefing from the White House.

After the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, "detainees gave us information on couriers. One courier in particular had our constant attention. Detainees gave us his nom de guerre, his pseudonym, and also identified this man as one of the few couriers trusted by bin Laden."

In 2007, the U.S. learned the man's name.

In 2009, "we identified areas in Pakistan where the courier and his brother operated. They were very careful, reinforcing belief we were on the right track."

In August 2010, "we found their home in Abbatabad," in an isolated area.

"When we saw the compound, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound."

The plot of land was roughly eight times larger than the other homes in the area. It was built in 2005 on the outskirts of town, but now some other homes are nearby.

"Physical security is extraordinary: 12 to 16 foot walls, walled areas, restricted access by two security gates." The residents burn their trash, unlike their neighbors. There are windows facing the road. One part of the compound has its own seven-foot privacy wall.

And unusual for a multi-million-dollar home: It has no telephone or Internet service.

This home, U.S. intelligence analysts concluded, was "custom built to hide someone of significance."

Besides the two brothers, the U.S. "soon learned that a third family lived there, whose size and makeup of family we believed to match those we believed would be with bin Laden. Our best information was that bin Laden was there with his youngest wife."

There was no proof, but everything seemed to fit: the security, the background of the couriers, the design of the compound.

"Our analysts looked at this from every angle. No other candidate fit the bill as well as bin Laden did," an official said.

"The bottom line of our collection and analysis was that we had high confidnece that the compound held a high-value terrorist target. There was a strong probability that it was bin Laden."

This information was shared "with no other country," an official said. "Only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance."

The raid

The operation went smoothly except for a mechanical problem with a U.S. helicopter, which was lost, the senior officials said. No U.S. personnel died. All were able to leave on other helicopters. the officials would not name the type of helicopter or say how many U.S. personnel were involved.

"Ths operation was a surgical raid by a small team designed to minimize collateral damage. Our team was on the compound for under 40 minutes and did not encounter any local authorities."

Bin Laden himself participated in the firefight, the officials suggested.

"Bin laden was killed in a firefight as our operators came onto the compound," an official said.

Did he fire, a reporter asked.

"He did resist the assault force, and he was killed in a firefight," an official said.

Four adult males were killed: bin Laden, his son, and the two couriers.

"One woman killed when used as a shield," and other women were injured, the officials said. The women's names were not given; it's not clear whether bin Laden's wife was among them.

Handling bin Laden's body

Officials said they will take care with bin Laden's body.

"We are assuring it is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition," an official said. "We take this very seriously. This is being handled in an appropriate manner."

The officials also said they expect attacks from bin Laden's loyalists who may step up the timing of attacks.

"In the wake of this operation, there may be a heightened threat to the U.S. homeland. The U.S. is taking every possible precaution." The State Department has sent advisories to embassies worldwide and has issued a travel ban for Pakistan.

"Although al-Qaeda will not fragment immediately," an official said, "the death of bin Laden puts al-Qaeda on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42853221/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

"[I]f we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act, and we will take them out. We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority," - Barack Obama, 2008.

What scumbag cowards.

Nicely said.

Using a woman as a shield tells you everything you need to know about these animals. Their lives aren't worth a dime.

I almost assumed those typos were yours, sorry -- even more sadly, they're from MSNBC

I don't care for MSNBC myself but it was the latest I could find on exactly what happened.

I don't know what you guys are talking about....George Bush is a Warmonger and baby killer. Bush lied...people died. Remember??? Now the same folks who've been sporting 'Bush not my President' shirts are ready to chant 'U.S.A' and pound their collective chests over the death of one man. I guess since there aren't any football games in season to get excited about they need something to fill their lives with.

But Americans have become so pseudo gladiatorial in nature. To the point where they've no qualms about provoking an almost inevitable terrorist attack that's sure to follow in the coming weeks.

Any excuse for a barbecue and keg party I guess.

You've gotta be kidding.

Cost of a helicopter gunship raid - millions of dollars

Cost to train Navy Seal personnel that participated - billions of dollars

Cost of the 7.62 round of ammunition that killed Osama bin Laden - PRICELESS

I hope this is some bizarre attempt to be tongue-in-cheek. Otherwise, get your head checked.

Epic Fail.

http://yfrog.com/h7k5pctj

Funny!

But hell, I gotta double-check myself to be sure. Guess they didn't.

That's hilarious RR!

"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain

This is a politcs-free zone, so...

This is a politcs-free zone, so...

This is a politcs-free zone, so...

2 that I noticed did, and it's been updated.

Osama Bin Laden Body Headed for Burial at Sea, Officials Say

This is great news. Is there any photographic evidence of the body haven't saw any yet on the news reports...

Here's a great photo from last night. Some of NYC's firemen lined up in front of a Times Square marquee showing the news about bin Laden's death:

Awesome. Words can't describe it.

Haha, first time I saw this. Brilliant. I want to make it my screen saver.

Osama is sleeping with the fishes. I hope his cellmate in hell is Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer is wearing sneakers and bin Laden is wearing lead shoes ....

The night in pictures.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Americans-...5b98783eb973901

I hope a great white shark eats him. God bless our Navy Seals job well done guys.

USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

Buried at sea...really? I call bullshit. I want to see a picture of this guy we spent thousands of American lives and trillions of dollars of dollars to catch. A DNA sample sounds like a black-op to me Mr. X.

Yea, I wouldn't mind saving that myself. It's great!




TIS

Ha ha ha ha!!!



TIS

I guess they should have let him go so we wouldn't provoke an attack? I thought some of your previous posts were pretty bizarre, but this one goes to the top of the list for foolishness.

Hey Frank... you're beginning to sound like Donald Trump.

I was always a bit queasy about playing in the annual death pool, but am pleased I had Bin Laden on my list for 2011.

BTW can we change Nitti's screen name to "Nutti?"

Great vibe in the city this morning. I thought that after so many years people would be looking at this as sort of anti-climactic, but I was wrong. New Yorkers (and all Americans, I want to believe) seem to be very proud this morning, without getting too jingoistic about the whole thing. It's a nice balance.

PB,

That "vibe" is echoing here in California as well (and everywhere in the U.S.). Our local radio station is taking calls on the best celebratory song to play. Everyone is upbeat.

I know info is still coming out and I don't know where they got this particular tidbit but the radio announcer said the OBL was given an opportunity to surrender but didn't. Does that mean, I wonder, he pulled a gun and they shot or what? Just wondering how it went down.

I guess "legally" under normal circumstances, you'd get an chance to surrender but for some reason I just picture them going into it with guns blazing.

TIS

I want to celebrate, but his death doesn't heal any wounds. The wounds are too deep. There is no justice for what he did, but this is what we have. It's the closest thing there is.

I pray that this may bring some comfort to the families of those lost that wretched day. God bless their souls, and let's not forget the courage of the first responders, especially those that are suffering the ill effects to this day.

Nice to hear, Tis.

I'm glad he's dead, but part of me wanted to see the rat bastard taken alive and jailed for life on American soil, where he would be forced to watch our news media every day, depicting a way of life that he loathed and envied so much he killed over three thousand people for.

Let's just hope and pray that we don't get complacent enough to believe that no one's waiting in the wings to take his place, because someone most certainly is.

While that's true, PB, that someone is waiting in the wings, didn't bin Laden have the money?? Has his death choked that supply off??

Yeah, that's a good point, Babe. The "next guy" won't have his resources, but I'm sure there's someone who can match his hate for our way of life .

IF we can get Gaddaffi and Hugo Chavez it will be a trifecta.

Gaddaffi is one thing, but to get to Chavez we'll have to get past Sean Penn and all his fans. No easy task .

The only reason Sean Penn is such a Chavez fan is that Chavez is the only person on earth uglier than Penn.

BTW CNN just announced the U.S. released a DNA match of Bin Laden and that corpse they dropped into the ocean.

Was his son also buried at sea?

LOL!

Not likely. The U.S. was worried about being labeled as ocean polluters so they probably buried the kid on land.

This son of a bitch had it comming...

And btw, this will bring Obama his second term after he already owned Donald Trump yesterday.

Obviously Pakistan is up their necks in complicity with this.
No way their military didn't know he was living in a one million dollar house right under their noses. In the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo, the Pakistani government's got some splainin' to do.

Just a tad off topic....do you think with us getting OBL, it'll have any affect on Khaddafi??? Meaning, perhaps he'll conclude what???? A surrender???? Might this make him think about his own future? I mean it shows that it CAN be done.


TIS

Two funny tweets:

@serafinowicz: Thank you, Obama. The world is a safer place now that Donald Trump has been killed.

@me_irl: Beloved character actor Osama bin Laden, star of TV's "Fox News", dies age 54

A friend of mine lost his son in Iraq. The following is from an email he sent me this morning:

"It is with difficulty that I express my emotions upon the death of Bin Laden. I can say without regret, I have more disdain and hatred for Bin Laden’s existence, than exhilaration over his death.

Although our national unity appears once again to be reignited, let us be cognizant that there are many Sunshine Patriots who will present themselves in force.

Flags will appear for a few weeks, battle cries for peace will once again surface, and patriotic songs will fill the air, but it all falls deaf on the ears and blind on the eyes of those who truly can say they know and understand the sacrifice of war and the cost of Freedom.

May the souls of those who have given all in defense of Freedom and the just causes of the United States, and those who have perished as innocent victims of false and empty ideologies rest in eternal peace, and that they know in their peace they will never be forgotten.

The struggle for peace will continue, and victory will be ours only when all men can live in peace with freedom."

He then added this quote:

"Freedom!
No word was ever spoken that held out greater hope, demanded greater sacrifice, needed more to be nurtured, blessed more the giver, cursed more its destroyer, or came closer to being God's will on earth. And, I think that's worth fighting for." General Omar Nelson Bradley

Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!'
Ezekiel 33:11

If you truly this find this bizarre then I'm sorry for you. I'm grateful for justice, yet saddened at it's price. God bless the world, and the USA.

About an hour ago I was listening to Glen Beck on the radio (yes, a lapse in judgement on my part). He commented on his viewing of videos of of young people around the country celebrating Bin Ladin's death. He characterized them as college students who were just using the occasion to be typical reveling college students who use any excuse to act that way. He is truly a sad case.

@osamabinladen: 70 virgins left. I need a cigarette and a nap.

"We've hit Bruno Tattagl.. Osama Bin Laden four o'clock this morning"

"Now, my sources tell me that -- you plan to make a move against the rest of al-Qaida."

I stand by my assessment.

Deuteronomy 19:21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
Exodus 21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured.

Unfortunately, he can only die once, not 3,000 times.

But we've got to verify it legally, to see
To see?
If he
If he?
Is morally, ethic'lly,
Spiritually, physically,
Positively, absolutely, Undeniably and reliably Dead

I love how contradicting the bible is. I'm no fan of revenge though, but I am a fan of ways to make the world a little safer and surely, the world is safer without him.

On a related note to virgins, these two are not bad as well:

(Side note: tweets from the dead princess Diana in heaven, so when someone dies he/she usually tweets that's seen them. )

@DianaInHeaven: No sign of him.

@DianaInHeaven: Now I come to think of it, we don't have all that many virgins around here either...

Yet another by Conan!

@ConanOBrien: Yesterday, we took care of one maniac with a beard. Today, Will Ferrell will take care of another.

Well Jesus didn't teach 'eye for an eye' and that's the difference between the old and new testaments.

And Vinnie, do we really know that we're safer now? The Taliban has already vowed to avenge Bin Laden's death and there's little evidence that he's been much more than a figurehead of late, who's had his finger off the button for quite some time.

I just find it ironic that the same folks who were most opposed to the War on Terror are now the most jubilant when we finally get this creep, despite the consequences which are almost sure to follow.

And speaking of Twitter, has anyone seen the tweets that came from the guy living next door to Bin Laden during the raid???

CNN this morning quoted Hamas denouncing the Bin Laden mission as "an assassination." Those are the people that Egypt and the Palestinian Authority are sucking up to...

The so called "War on Terror" has nothing to do with what Bin Laden did on 9/11. The "war" was manufactured by Bush to go into Iraq. It is well known tht one cannot have a "war" against a tactic. Accordingly oppsition ot the so called "war on terror," which also gave us the Patriot Act and other goodies has nothing to do with wanting to avenge what bin laden did.

Another tidbit...the code for "mission accomplished" was "Geronimo KIA (killed in action).



TIS

72 Virgins by Steve Martin. http://tiny.cc/2b1m5

I was never opposed to having this motherfucker whacked out and I was never opposed to Saddam's execution either. However, I can not in good conscience back a war that was fought on false pretense. You can't compare that war to the death of Bin Laden. Well, not unless you're stupid and I know you're not. I've read your posts and they inspire me.

Ivy League,

I like the videos. I got tears in my eyes watching the one from ground zero when the people started singing the National Anthem. Very nice


TIS

Hamas is the most hateful and dangerous political movement since the Third Reich.

So, in short: Who gives a shit what they think?

It's possible that there is another recording made by Bin Laden before his death:


WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence officials believe Osama bin Laden made a propaganda recording shortly before his death and expect that tape to surface soon.

It's unclear whether the tape is audio or video, but a U.S. official says that intelligence indicates it's already working its way through al-Qaida's media pipeline. The official said the timing was coincidental and there's no indication he knew U.S. forces were bearing down on him.

A new recording from bin Laden would provide a final word from the beyond grave for a terrorist who taunted the U.S. with recorded propaganda for years. It could also provide fodder to those who insist he is still alive.





http://www.startribune.com/nation/121109604.html



TIS

I was very close to hopping the ferry to lower Manhattan last night, but I was too glued to the TV.

Picture taken in the Whitehouse during the operation.

JL,

I just saw this picture on the news. It's my understanding that the President and his team could actually watch this go down in real time. Except for the guy in uniform, who looks like he's on the computer, EVERYBODY'S face is glued to what is happening. Can you imagine the tension in that room?


TIS

Clinton's reaction is the best.

Yes, she looks really tense. I wonder what that picture is of in front of her?



TIS

I would really love to see the video of the operation they are watching on the picture.

They will probably release it after 30 years or so...

I love Obama's expression..He's got the look of an MMA fighter who hits with bad intention.

Oh dear, the political backwardness in this thread is a travesty.

Will the US, UK, and whoever else rule global capitalism stop illegal imperialist wars? Will they stop murdering people including children?

No.

And no.

Obama's a fraud. When he was inaugurated I got told off of SC for linking, tongue-in-cheek, his name via rhyme to "Osama". Well...

Oh, you're just pissed because this is a bigger story than William and Kate's wedding.

LMFAO! Nothing could be more abstract or more removed from what MMA involves.

Death to capitalism.

LMAO! I was gonna say something like "the USA can only trump the UK's 'love' by their own tragedies or murder", but as it happens, I can't stand anything to do with that wedding, and think its supporters are jerks.

You'll note my same post included my own country - or "the UK", of which I'm a part.

(And it is bigger news, granted. Or at least more important.)

Oh, different posts.

Wouldn't it be great if, when the photos are released, bin Laden's wound is identical to Moe Greene?

It'd be better if bin Laden's wound was identical to Khartoum's.

More so than Al Qaeda?

Or Soviet/Maoist Communism?

Hamas are dicks, but come on.

Speaking of which, Kathryn Bigelow (Oscar-winning director of THE HURT LOCKER) was working on a project about the hunt for Osama and now she's got a new ending.

From the director of POINT BREAK, I'm damn certain the climatic compound raid will be pretty potent.

Larry O'Donnell just played a video of President Bush back in 2002 saying among other things about Bin Ladin:

"He's been marginalized."

"I'm really not that concerned about him."

For all my dislike of Obama's philosophies, policies, and even demeanor, I must tip my hat to him on this whole OBL thing. Granted, I DO think he's trying to take way too much credit, when, in fact, the foundation was laid and walls built long before he took the Presidency. That's the politician in him, I know. But he handled what he was handed quite professionally. Most importantly, he kept it hush-hush so that the mission wasn't jeopardized, lives weren't put in unnecessary danger, and the target wasn't tipped off. That's quite a commentary on the man (especially considering he's a Democrat! Hahaha! Sorry! Couldn't resist! ;-)). Seriously, though, he handled it exactly as it should've been handled, and I do respect him for that (if little else). I know the days are coming (and soon) when all of this will be politicized and used for reelection campaigns, etc., and Obama will gladly grab all the credit when, in fact, he merely stood on the shoulders of those who came before him and he just happened to be the one in office when the wheel came 'round. BUT he did what he did in an admirable way, and I do now have at least some respect for the man (where none existed before now) . I wouldn't reelect him on that basis alone, but I do appreciate and respect what he did. So much could've gone wrong had it been handled differently. Thanks, Mr. Obama (never thought I'd say THAT and mean it!).

Somewhere an Obama campaign ad manager is cutting a commercial for 2012. "it might not have been 3:00 a.m., but here's how Barack Obama decided to handle the world's #1 terrorist."

Capo, I don't understand. You stood at Ground Zero. How could you have stood where so many innocents were senselessly slaughtered and not feel the teeniest, tiniest bit of satisfaction that the man who engineered their deaths has finally been brought down??

As I said earlier, there is no justice. His death can't bring back the dead, or heal the injured. The first responders who now suffer numerous health problems won't begin to breathe with ease. The wounds inflicted on that horrible day can never be healed, but the death of this hate-monger is all there is, it's all we have.

And if it brings any sense of comfort to the families of his victims, then so be it.

Double-Tap to the eye- YES!

Bugsy, Moe Green, Now OSAMA!

TIME has details on the behind-the-scenes of the risky decision:

I want to believe Obama's last words to his senior aides were "Now go and kill this motherfucker".

Have any Board members heard what Limbaugh had to say today about all this?

What he say?

I did. But I'm still trying to figure out if he was actually serious or sarcastic.

(freudian-slipping "Osama" for "Obama" doesn't help him.)

I like those NeoCons claiming this was all Dubya's doing, that he deserves all the credit. Clearly Obama stood on his shoulders.

Flashback, here's a 2006 Washington Post article on the failure of Dubya's Administration in hunting down Osama.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/09/AR2006090901105_pf.html

He said: "Thank God for President Obama". Like RRA, I don't know in what context it was said in, and whether it was sarcastic.

I don't know. Rush sounded genuine, even though he had to give Bush a little pat on the back too. :

"We need to open the program today by congratulating President Obama," Limbaugh said. "President Obama has done something extremely effective, and when he does, this needs to be pointed out."

"President Obama has continued the Bush policies of keeping a military presence in the Middle East," he continued. "He did not scrub the mission to get bin Laden. In fact, it may be that President Obama single-handedly came up with the technique in order to pull this off. You see, the military wanted to go in there and bomb like they always do. They wanted to drop missiles and drop bombs and a number of totally destructive techniques here. But President Obama, perhaps the only qualified member in the room to deal with this, insisted on the Special Forces."

Wow..never ever thought I'd hear this from Rush Limbaugh. I am glad. I hope Rush wakes the fuck up and starts saying more positive things like that.

I found a little more on CNN. It does turn out Rush does get very sarcastic, and give more of the credit to Bush policies.


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/02/limbaugh-thank-god-for-president-obama/?hpt=T2

Okay I definitely respect Rush a little more now. No he's not being sarcastic.

Yea but then listen to the second recording (under the original). He's cracking up about it. I think he's being sarcastic. It is hard to tell what he means.

TIS

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/limbaugh-thank-god-obama-bin-laden_n_856425.html

Remember, this is the same Rush that made fun of Michael J. Fox's Parkinsons.

Rush Limbaugh is an asshole without compare. Who gives a damn about what he says/thinks?

Okay after listening to that I'm just extremely confused .

Who was it that asked what Rush had to say about it? Oli?? Anyway, not a clear answer but like SC says, Rush is an asshole and who cares.





TIS

I agree.

Maybe he's laughing at The Hill and The Huffington Post. They know (as we do as well) that Limbaugh has been one of Obama's biggest critics and maybe Rush is laughing at them for having a hard time digesting what he said.

Thing is, Osama Bin Laden is actually the most successful terrorist in the history of the world. We all like to think that the goals of the Bush/Obama War on Terror were to establish democracy in the Middle East, but actually since Bin Laden began attacking the West 20 years ago, we've done nothing but withdraw our attempts to establish Western Democracy via Free Market capitalism and in the process have allowed the Islamic Revolution and it's counterparts to thrive. That's probably the only reason we haven't been attacked more frequently, and possibly why we won't be attacked again in the near future.

Bush didn't really declare war on terrorism as much as he gave into Bin Laden's demands and ceased U.S. efforts to democratize the Middle East. He allowed "free" elections in the Gaza Strip which of course to no one's surprise led to HAMAS taking power; and now in Egypt we see the U.S. backed Mubarak administration (which was a quasi Western democratic-free market capitalist entity) fall to the Islamic brotherhood.

Consider the facts and ask yourself who's really been winning the battle in the Middle East since Bin Laden began attacking the West 20 years ago; the forces of Western capitalism or Middle Eastern Islamism?

Iraq – When the US withdraws at the end of this year, the real battle for Iraq will begin. Pro-Iranian Islamist forces are likely to try to seize power from what they consider an illegitimate secular regime imposed by the US occupation.

Lebanon – Hezbollah recently withdrew from the government, has its own army, and is backed by Syria and Iran. A Hezbollah takeover of Lebanon is now more or less final.

Afghanistan – As the US withdraws this year, reconstituted Taliban forces will seek to expel Karzai’s government which has no popular support.

Pakistan – The nuclear-armed US ally has an unstable government which does not control parts of the country. Pakistan’s security services are linked to the Islamist Taliban movement entrenched in the North along with their Al Qaeda allies.

Jordan – King Abdullah’s tenuous monarchy rules over a population of 70% Palestinian Arabs, in two-thirds of the original Palestine mandate. Islamists view King Abdullah as an illegitimate Western puppet.

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States – The Saudi and other royal families are totally unacceptable to Islamists who see them as rich elites ruling poor masses.

Yemen – is home to a new Islamist insurgency led by Al Qaeda elements.

Tunisia – is already in flux, its leaders have fled.

West Bank – The PLO has no popular support. An Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank could be met with an overthrow by HAMAS, just as they did in Gaza.

BING BING BING..we have a winner!

Love the Navy Seals sign, Mig.

It's being reported that they got computers/hard drives and a "motherload" of info from OBL mansion.

Is anyone else as fascinated with the mission itself and how it was accomplished? Every detail had to have been considered, right down to, as I understand, a "back-up" helicopter. Good thing since one of the copters went out. It appears it was very well thought out.



TIS

Oh, I forgot to add and you all may have already heard, that there ARE photos and a video of OBL burial at sea. I guess the administration is deciding if and what to show, as the pics are quite graphic.

What is troubling is I actually had a dream about Rush Limbaugh last night. We were partying and he was giving alcohol to a minor. Kept laughing the entire time. That's all I remember.

What do you think it means?

You have the hots for Rush???


Actually, I'd call any dream of him a nightmare.



TIS

The minor is his audience and the alcohol is the words he speaks.

Which part of the international law was the legal basis for this operation?

The barrel of a gun.

~Mao had some great quotes.

All right I'm gonna have to set the record straight. No, I DO NOT have the hots for Rush. Geeeez...I'm into JWoww, Angelina Jolie, Drita D'Avanzo..you know, beauties. Rush is not a beauty.

That's a good one.


It's possible. Or maybe I'm supposed to try out a career in radio and talk about the pros and cons of alcohol abuse.

Did the Saudis "give up" Osama?

http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/ME03Df02.html

That's entirely plausible. The more I read about this, the more I'm convinced that the Pakistani government knew exactly where he was. They have a lot of explaining to do.

Since he was living for better part of 6 years 4000 feet from the Military Training station I'd say they knew he was there. Or else they make Barnie Fife look like a Rhodes Scholar.

I heard some NeoCon on FNC last night argue that since the Pakistanis have proven themselves to be either untrustworthy or incompetent, this is a reason NOT to withdraw from Afghanistan and basically we have to do their job.

~I would think that would be the reverse? If your "allies" are backstabbing fuckers (which Wikileaks earlier claimed, same with the Saudis), then why stick with them?

I didn't realize or know that Pakistan might not be trustworthy. I thought they were our allies, but yea, they do have explaining to do.

That also begs the question, why couldn't the last administration find him??? He was hiding "in plain sight." I mean could have we gotten him years ago?


TIS

The Pakistanis knew it the entire time. They could give a fuck about Osama, as long as they get to tax him a little bit.

Dear Westboro Baptist Church,
We have a funeral you can protest. It's in Pakistan, we'll help you pack.
Sincerely,
America

Not to discredit Wikileaks, but the whole world has known for quite some time just how dangerous and untrustworthy the Saudis have proven themselves to be.

As far as the NeoCons not wanting to withdraw from Afghanistan: They're NeoCons. They love war. Would you expect anything less from them?

from the Post...

CIA boss Leon Panetta said he feared that Pakistan could have undermined the operation involving Osama bin Laden by leaking word to the terror lord, according to a bombshell interview.

Months before Panetta ordered General William McRaven, the head of the Joint Special Forces Command, to undertake the mission last Friday, the CIA director had decided to leave Pakistani authorities out of it.

Panetta told Time.com in an interview posted today that the US had "decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardize the mission."

"They might alert the targets," he added

The US had at one point also looked at utilizing a bombing raid over the compound or launching a “direct shot” with cruise missiles, but ruled those options out because of the possibility of “too much collateral,” Panetta said in his first interview since bin Laden was killed on Sunday.

The al Qaeda leader lived and died in a massive, fortified compound built in 2005 and located on the outskirts of Abbottabad, some 60 miles from the capital of Islamabad. It stood just a half-mile from the Kakul Military Academy, Pakistan's equivalent of West Point, and close to various army regiments.

Amid the high praise for the successful US operation, congressional Republicans and Democrats questioned whether bin Laden was hiding in plain sight, with Pakistani military and intelligence operatives either totally unaware of his location or willfully ignoring his presence to protect him.

After months of intelligence work, Panetta said they had enough “circumstantial evidence” that bin Laden was living in the compound.

Early last month, Panetta met with Pakistan's intelligence chief, Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, a meeting Washington officials saw as make or break.

The Obama administration said it was negotiating a possible reduction in US intelligence operatives and special operations officers in Pakistan as they sought to ease Pakistani concerns about spy activity.

Unaware and unnerved Pakistanis scrambled their aircraft in the wake of the U.S. military intervention.

Publicly, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked Pakistan for its cooperation and said the country "has contributed greatly to our efforts to dismantle al Qaeda."

She said that "in fact, cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound in which he was hiding."

John Brennan, White House counterterrorism adviser, said the administration was looking at whether bin Laden had a support system in Pakistan that allowed him to remain in the country.

"We know that the people at the compound there were working on his behalf, and that's how we ultimately found our way to that compound," Brennan told reporters at the White House on Monday.

"We are talking with the Pakistanis on a regular basis now, and we're going to pursue all leads to find out exactly what type of support system and benefactors that bin Laden might have had."

Prior to the mission, Panetta said there were fears. In a meeting with advisors last week, Panetta said he wanted to get their opinions on the potential mission to capture the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

“What if you go down and you’re in a fire fight and the Pakistanis show up and start firing?” Panetta said some feared. “How do you fight your way out?”

But Panetta concluded the evidence was strong enough to risk the raid and decided to make his case to President Obama.

“We have the best evidence since [the 2001 battle of] Tora Bora [where bin Laden was last seen], and that then makes it clear that we have an obligation to act," Panetta said he told the president, according to Time.com.

Panetta and his team watched the raid in a conference room in Langley, Va., at the same time as President Obama and his advisors followed along in a separate room at the White House.

The CIA chief said that after the mission was successfully completed, US commandos were able to collect an “impressive amount” of material from the compound. The materials are now being reviewed by his staff and intelligence officials.

With AP

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...O#ixzz1LIuhD6IY

Sauid Arabia...reminds me of an episode of "West Wing":

C.J. Cregg:

"This is a country where women aren't allowed to drive a car. They're not allowed to be in the company of any man other than a close relative. They're required to adhere to a dress code that would make a Maryknoll nun look like Malibu Barbie. They beheaded 121 people last year for robbery, rape, and drug trafficking. They have no free press, no elected government, no political parties. And the Royal Family allows the Religious Police to travel in groups of six carrying nightsticks and they freely and publicly beat women. But 'Brutus is an honorable man.' 17 schoolgirls were forced to burn alive because they weren't wearing the proper clothing. Am I outraged? No. . . . That is Saudi Arabia, our partners in peace."

This is Jon Stewart's take on the killing of OBL. It's very funny, but the ending is a crack-up.

Sorry I couldn't direct link it cause I didn't know what "choice" to use for the media tag.

Anyway, check it out!



http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-may-2-2011/to-kill-a-mockingturd

Haha. He lives in a pineapple under the sea. I'll never let my niece watch Spongebob Squarepants again.

By Wynne Parry LiveScience updated 5/2/2011 4:39:45 PM ET 2011-05-02T20:39:45

It’s not hard to imagine why the announcement sounds suspicious: A decade-long search for an international terrorist ends with his body dumped at sea, with no photos, film or other documentation provided.

In fact, the conspiracy theorists are already out. Politico reporting that radio host Alex Jones, who thinks the U.S. government was behind the Sept. 11 attacks, said that he believes that the government had bin Laden frozen for years. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan has also called the announcement a fake as did an arm of a Pakistani Taliban group, according to the website. A Facebook group Osama bin Laden NOT DEAD has begun collecting attracting like minded people, and apparently fake photos of bin Laden's battered face have added fuel to the fire.

Not a surprise Oli. They are reporting that the administration is contemplating whether to, OR what to release. Some are very graphic and bloody, and there also is a video of his burial at sea.

I saw a wife (or mother can't remember) of a 911 victim who was very glad (naturally) with OBL death/capture, but said she felt she needed to see him or needed more. She wanted them to show a picture of him, his face, his body...something. I kind of understand her thinking, but don't know if that would be the general consensus with family members of victims. In the end, I feel pretty confident they will release something. Don't you?

TIS

The drudge report is saying the White House will release the photo. It's too graphic for the media, so don't know when or how it will be done. I personally dont' want to see a picture of someone with half their head blown off. You all look at it and report back to me.

If it's too graphic to be posted on these boards (and it well may be), then I hope a link to the photo will be posted. I usually avoid scenes of real-life gore and carnage, but I want to see this bastard's corpse.

Signor V.

When I first heard he was buried at sea I couldn't help but start singing a song from The Little Mermaid.

"Under the sea, under the sea
Darling it's better down where it's wetter
Take it from me"

Thinking along the lines of less gory/bloody, perhaps they have a picture of him wrapped in a sheet (or whatever they put him in), showing his face before he went to sleep with the fish.

I don't know what the people in general would "want" but I'm sure not everyone will be happy no matter what they do.



TIS

Well, since his face is half off I guess they'll only be able to show one side of his face. Or maybe they had Bonasera work his magic on him.

I'm not one to get physically queasy with these things and I likely will look at what they release. Then again, it did feel really eerie when then released that cell phone video of Sadam getting killed. As despicable as he was I could have done without seeing that. It was creepy.


TIS

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH -- Rashard Mendenhall has created a stir with comments made on his official Twitter page regarding Osama bin Laden's death.

The Pittsburgh Steelers running back on Monday tweeted: "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..."

Mendenhall didn't hold back, even making a reference to the Sept. 11 attacks.

"We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."

The Steelers felt compelled to act. On Tuesday, team president Art Rooney II released a statement.

"I have not spoken with Rashard, so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments. The entire Steelers organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done and we can only hope this leads to our troops coming home soon."

There's gonna be a WH briefing shortly. There's supposed to confirm 2 sets of photos.

Beth,

What source are you reading/watching???


TIS

I'm just on the internet. Google any one of the 3 network stations and you'll find it. Fox was the one that has the link to the WH briefing.

Pakistan has Bin Laden's wife, children.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news...-CHILDREN-IN-C/

I guess he and fellow Truther Charlie Sheen now have something to talk about in Vegas sometime.

The man doing the WH briefing looks like a scared moron. I expect the reporters to storm the platform any minute. He looks like he'd rather be having a root canal.

Behind the Hunt for Bin Laden

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html?src=tptw

Beth,

I forgot that press secretary's name but he's new. Robert Gibbs was the former Press Secretary. I think they all are pretty much the same. All of them get grilled by these reporters. Sometimes I feel sorry for them.

RR,

Great link with a little more detail. Did you get the impression from the press conference that some reporters were pressing the "was Bin Laden armed" issue???? The secretary repeated "he resisted but wasn't armed." However, there were others with weapons. I don't know, it just sounded like they were defended OBL.

TIS

This wasn't the press secretary I saw. The guy before him. He's on now. When I first went on the link I didn't catch the guy's name.

There is a fake Osama death picture making its way around the web. It is not real, even though it's a pretty good fake.

Here's the fake pic:

Good grief! See how easy it is to get "something" started??? I mean, I wouldn't have known if it was real or not.



TIS

Beth, and you can add to CJ's comments "And use their wives as a human shield...", disgusting fuckers.

True. Here's the original photo. It appears to be a frame from a movie or video.

Ok CNN said they are announcing that a photo of OBL WILL be released. Don't have further info.



TIS

There is another fake bin Laden photo floating around the internet, too. I'll post it as a spoiler, as it is pretty gruesome, fake or not.



Someone with too much time on their hands found a photo of a real corpse, and superimposed bin Laden's face over the real face. Wow...

A guy walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “Gimme a bin Laden”
Bartender asks, “what’s that?”
Guy says, “two shots and a splash of water”

That's a good one.

Jay Carney is the President's Press Secretary. John Brennon is the President's a security advisor. Tom Donilon is the President's National Security Advisor.

who makes the presidential bets?

Not very convincing. And not even consistent with the wounds described by the news media.

It looks like the Internet will shortly be pretty much flooded with Bin Laden "death" photos purporting to be the real deal. All it takes is (1) a basic Photo Shop program, (2) someone with, as you said, too much time on their hands, (3) gullible people.

Signor V.

You may find this funny. But if the killing of Osama bin Laden was illegal according to international law, the U.S. will lose a lot of their moral authority.
We hear that he was unarmed. International law demands that if he's a combattant, he must be captured as POW. If he's a civilian, there's no legal basis for killing him either.
If there's no legal basis for this, then the message is: "There are no rules. Do what you want. The strongest will survive."

That WAS the message back in the 1930s when Germany tried to take over the world. Today the message sent was that if you attack the U.S. you cannot hide behind a foreign government (with or without their help).

Except Pakistan won't get punished, not one bit, or more accurately not one cent less in $$$ aid.

~Those goofy kids didn't mean to help harbor the 9/11 mastermind. *slaps knee*

Hmmm, none of these guys appear to be the person I was watching online. Maybe Jim Carney is like Superman. He takes his glasses off and looks completely different.

I'm gonna have to echo SC's words here. We are not dealing with a normal criminal here. This man told everybody what he was, told us what he wanted to do and what he had done in the past. However, I don't think he was just a threat to the U.S. I think he was a threat to the entire world as well. While I agree with the rules of international law, I don't think they hold water (pardon the pun) in the case of Osama Bin Laden. To me, Barack Obama and the people responsible for getting this absolute horror of a human being assassinated are heroes.

I agree with Danito in that winning hearts and minds is very important for future operations. I've heard it stated this week that perhaps one of the reasons Bin Laden was given safe haven as long as he was by the Pakistani gov't is in part due to the sheer disapproval of folks in the region at the way the operations have been conducted thus far by the U.S.

If the majority of people over there aren't happy with the way we carried out the abduction of Bin Laden, it may very well hamper our efforts in the future.

And no offense to the Obama fanatics, but let's be clear on This:OBAMA did NOT kill Bin Laden. An American soldier, who Obama just a few weeks ago was debating on whether or not to PAY, did. Obama just happened to be in office when one of our soldiers finally found O.B.L and took him out.

Obama did oversee this operation. He made the important decisions to get things done. It was him who decided to send a hit team down there, it was him who decided to keep this away from the Pakistani government, it was him who ultimately gave the order! You can try as much as you want to take credit away from Obama, but you can NOT deny the facts.

Oh please!!! That seems to be the rightwing bloggers talking point too. Sure the men/women on the mission are the real heroes. However, if the mission flopped the public would be all over Obama's ass. Have an honest disagreement about health care, or the economy or any one of the other "real" issues BUT like it or not, even though he didn't pull the trigger, President Obama was the top man in charge of this very risky mission which turned out to be successful.

TIS

I've seen that statement posted on Facebook for the past few days. It is, without a doubt, the stupidest thing I've ever read online.

If anything, it was the tea-baggers threatening a shut down if the President didn't cave in to their demands, not the other way around.

This is the Gangster BB version of "Dumb and Dumber", only in this case it is each post by Nitti is dumber than the last.

Oh, well now we've just been officially reduced to name calling and slandering people's reputations. That's very mature. No one actually posts any real insight on the issues here but instead just offers their own 2 cents like a MOnday morning quarterback.

9 out of Don Marco's last 10 posts have been nothing but replies to my own quotes, only not offering any opposing facts, just to say I'm dumb and then dumber. Geez, I must have something to say or you wouldn't waste your time trying to slander me on a message board that has about 5 active members.

Before some of you roll your eyes and make angry faces you should realize not everyone looks at the world through politcal colored glasses, but instead want an honest and open discussion of the issues.

Who needs this? Why waste my time arguing with 5 people who regurgitate the same tired mantra time and again while cheering on 'thur team'.

Go AMurica!! We gots BinLadin! Woes!

Provocative stuff, really.

Yeah, case in point: Carter vs Iran. Enough said.

Frank Nitti is right about the name calling; something of which I am guilty here. I do not agree with his views, but I should not be making fun of them. For that I apologize.

I ask others here to stand down from any personal attacks against anyone who has differing views from them. That includes you, Frank.

Thank you.

Every man is entitled to his opinion. Even if that opinion is...special.

Did it ever occur to you that some of us Americans are quite happy that our forces got bin Laden? I, for one, am ecstatic that this son of a bitch is dead. DEAD!!! He ordered the death of my fellow countrymen. I was frustrated that it took us almost ten years to get this goat-fucker, but I'm celebrating his death now.

I just wonder how much you'd be enjoying this if W. was in office during bin Laden's demise. It's quite obvious that you're politically guided here.

I don't think a botch of this mission would have had an effect on the entire nation of Pakistan like Carter's mistake did in Iran, but that's a good point.

I like Obama. He's a tough minded individual who's not afraid to make the tough decisions and put his foot to someone's throat when necessary. That's one of the reasons he'll easily win reelection.

We really don't know that for sure though. That was just a rumor.

I see where you're coming from, SC. I know this is an especially personal subject for so many of you New Yorkers. I wasn't really referring to any of you with that quote.

And NO, I'm not a Bush guy either and thought it was rather ridiculous when he flew in on the carrier and declared 'mission accomplished' after seizing a tenuous hold on Iraq.

amazing!

That and the fact that the GOP hasn't ONE SINGLE CANDIDATE who isn't suffering from at least mild retardation.

I normally enjoy your posts, Frank. I really do, and I've let you know in the past when I've been in agreement with you. But as a political Independent myself, and a lifelong New York City liberal, I have to wonder if your position would have been the same had Team Bush, no, make that Team McCain, been in office when this mission was finally accomplished.

It really doesn't matter, pb. As I alluded to in a post back, the forces of Islamism are still winning and have been winning since Bin Laden began attacking the West 20 years ago. The revolution in Egypt is actually a step back from free market capitalism; Lebanon is back under Iran's thumb; Pakistan’s security services are linked to the Islamist Taliban movement entrenched in the North along with their Al Qaeda allies; Islamists view King Abdullah in Jordan as an illegitimate Western puppet; The Saudi and other royal families are totally unacceptable to Islamists who see them as rich elites ruling poor masses; and when we leave Afghanistan and Iraq (as the liberals wish us to do) Pro-Iranian Islamist forces are likely to take hold.

and you know what, they will be welcome to that shit hole of a place. Sooner or later people are going to finally understand that you can't change things over there. It is their way of life, and it has been for so long, nothing can change them.
It like the common cockroach, they will always be there. The only thing to stop them is to nuke them off the face of the earth, and even then others will take their place.

BING BING BING... Holy shit Batman another WINNER!

It's hard to change some people, but people definitely do change and I think ultimately the people in these countries will change for the better. The young people, the people that are coming up now are generally way more liberal and more open to new ideas than their parents and grandparents ever were. I think these countries are about to be broken up from within and it's because of technology. It's because of Hollywood, Mark Zuckerberg, the western culture and everything that goes with it.

I promise not to refer to Frank's current posts as dumber than his last ones ever again. Please note that I am replying to you because I didn't want my record to reflect 10 of the last 11 posts as replies to Frank, 9 of 10 is enough.

To me, Frank's posts are just special. He is also a special kind of man..but then again, we're all special.

Wow! You guys are seriously jocking me now. But get off my nuts, huh? You can't have me.

And I'm glad we think we're special considering how many collective hours at our respective employers are probably wasted on this website.

But we are special Frank. Our employers may give us the evil eye from time to time and threaten to fire us if we don't post less on the gangsterbb, but that doesn't mean we're not special. We are. I am not singling you out and mocking you for having special opinions. Many of my opinions are as special as yours. There is a great scene from the Wedding Crashers where one of the lead characters (played by Vince Vaughn) goes deeper into it and raises an important awareness.

"If you can't stand the heat ...." How does the rest of it go?

Is Fist-Pumping the Right Reaction to bin Laden's death?
on.wsj.com

As I watched the crowds gathering outside the White House on TV Sunday night in the wake of the news that Osama bin Laden had been killed, I spotted a young woman standing atop another's shoulders to get a better view of the festivities, and then a second, and a third. When they dismounted they all did so in the same way—with a sprightly, confident controlled fall, vanishing back into the arms of the crowd.

They were obviously cheerleaders, probably from one of the several colleges within a few miles of the White House. They appeared the same age as one of my daughters—in their early 20s. The sight of them made me wonder what, if any, lasting effect the events of 9/11 had on them, and on my children, what scars it left. The frat-house atmosphere suggested not much.

"The response was much more patriotism than reverence or fear," my daughter said over the phone from college. Like most of her peers she got the news not from television but from Facebook. "I was on Facebook and a friend's status was, 'We killed Osama bin Laden. America #1."'

President Obama and the operatives who finally brought bin Laden to justice deserve great credit—Mr. Obama particularly for his sang-froid. Obviously, he knew what was about to break while attending the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night. Nonetheless, he delivered his Donald Trump zingers with impeccable timing.

And the kids' euphoria was understandable. The 9/11 terrorist attacks were arguably their generation's defining and darkest moment. But the fist-pumping after the news of the terrorist's death, treating geopolitics like the Final Four, left me concerned. Although, I'm certainly in no position to throw stones. My astonishment the morning of 9/11 as I watched those planes plow into the World Trade Center, and then the skyscrapers crumble as if made of salt an hour or so later, was matched only by my amazement at the news that some of the hijackers had spent months beforehand in the U.S., even visiting a shopping mall in the days before the attack.

It showed the extent of my residual Cold War naïveté—raised on the gospel of American exceptionalism and the belief that the reason the Soviets had to turn their state into a gulag was because all their citizens would move here given half the chance—that I found it unfathomable that anybody who'd visited an American shopping mall, let alone spent months here, couldn't fall in love with this country.

Obviously, there's a big difference between the average person who dreams of living in freedom and religious fanatics whose idea of a better life is flying a plane into a building and taking thousands of innocents with them. But one thing 9/ll taught me to a far greater extent than I knew or was willing to admit is that we're not universally loved, and that the U.S.'s responsibility toward the rest of the world extends beyond selling them Sly Stallone films.

I think another reason my euphoria at bin Laden's death was tempered is because I'm a New Yorker. The Cold War threat of mutually assured destruction may be gone, but that doesn't mean that Al Qaeda, with or without Osama bin Laden, or some other group isn't capable of ruining your day.

Apart from thwarting another terrorist attack, the NYPD has done an impressive job over the last couple of decades reducing crime. Do I feel safer walking the streets at night? Yes. Do I feel safe? Not really. I prefer to think of myself as less paranoid than a hard-boiled realist, and looking over your shoulder as mere common sense. My hunch is that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly feels the same way—that Sunday night he was watching the celebrations at Ground Zero with one eye, watching the security cameras at the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square with the other.

My hope is that dispatching bin Laden makes the world a safer place. But the New Yorker in me refuses to let me celebrate as guilelessly as those cheerleaders in front of the White House. There are bridges to the rest of the world yet to be built, work to be done. One of the effects of 9/11 should be to offer our children's generation a more sophisticated and nuanced world view than the one with which I grew up. Watching the celebrations Sunday night I'm not sure we're there yet.

i just realized something that pissed me off about this operation. why did they have to give bin laden the nickname of 'Geronimo' who was a native american chief. if anything thats a big mistake.

Of course we're not there yet. We're still nine kinds of testosterone wrapped in a Davy Crockett coonskin cap.

However, that doesn't mean that he didn't need killing. And if it brings some teensy, tiny measure of comfort to any of those who lost their loved ones in the towers, in the Pentagon or in Shanksville, PA, then let the celebration begin.

too f en bad on the name that is...

Apparently the photo of what went on in the "situation room" was fake, and here's the real one.

Good one, Lou, unfortunately some will take it seriously.

You think?

It's a whole new world that's for sure.

I just watched Carney's Press conference. Of course NOT releasing the OBL photo was a constant subject. One reporter asked how come a few senators saw the pictures? Carney replied, "no senator has seen the pictures."

Well a Sentor Ayotte (R NY) claims she saw the pictures. I wonder if she saw the fakes? Like I said, a whole new cyber world.

TIS

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/newsstatenewengland/918113-227/ayotte-i-saw-photo-of-dead-bin.html

You can claim anything on Fox News, because most watching it will believe anything.

Evidently Scott Brown (along with a few others) also saw the pictures. HOWEVER, Brown admits here he was duped. We simply can't believe anything. Until when/if the President says "here they are", we must consider ALL fake.

TIS


http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1335533&position=2

Well looks like they won't release the photos.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_leaning_towards_not_releasing_mNsTCBrT5Vx75hLtaik4DP

I...agree with the decision?

Remember Abu Gharib?

This is not a universal but a unilateral rule. If the U.S. was a small country they could hardly apply this rule. International rules have to be universal. Otherwise, it's always the strongest who dictates the rules.

A bit late to this thread i am but a hearty good riddance to the fucker i say!

spin spin spin spin spin!!!!

BBC:

Some of those on the Boards might remember Woody Guthrie, the American folksinger/songwriter, probably best remembered for writing This Land Is Your Land. (Some may have heard of him as Arlo Guthrie's father.) Over 70 years ago, he wrote a song called So Long, It's Been Good To Know You, perhaps the most famous in his series of songs called the "Dust Bowl Ballads."

Anyway, if you don't know the original song, there are two Guthrie versions to be found on YouTube: click here for a recording he made for the Library of Congress around 1940, and click here for a version he rewrote a couple of years later with patriotic, World War II-themed lyrics.

Since Woody Guthrie was known for rewriting his songs when the occasion seemed appropriate, I felt the time was right to bring this song up to date, combining my "channelling Woody" with my own observations at the end. Performed this last night at a folksinging get-together in Brooklyn, and I will admit that it was well-received.

Signor V.

*****************************

So Long, Osama (Ain't Been Good To Know You)

We’ve sung this song, but we’ll sing it again,
How we’d catch him or kill him, though we didn’t know when.
Two thousand-eleven, the first day of May,
And the world heard America singing that day. (Singing:)

So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
From the Home Of The Brave and the Land Of The Free,
Now Bin Laden is buried at sea.

On September eleven, two thousand-and-one,
We bled as a nation, the fight had begun,
A war against terror, our leaders they said,
We’d cut out the heart when we cut off the head. (Well, it’s:)

So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
From the Home Of The Brave and the Land Of The Free,
Now Bin Laden is buried at sea.

They found him in Pakistan, now we can tell,
How our brave Navy SEALS sent Osama to Hell,
They planned it, they landed, two bullets and then,
Bin Laden was dead and we sang once again. (Singing:)

So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
From the Home Of The Brave and the Land Of The Free,
Now Bin Laden is buried at sea.

So let us remember those patriots, all,
The men and the women who’ve answered the call,
We’ll fight overseas, we’re protecting our shore,
And we’ll pray in our hearts for an end to all war. (But it’s:)

So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
So long, ain’t been good to know you,
From the Home Of The Brave and the Land Of The Free,
Now Bin Laden is buried at sea.

VERY nicely done, Signor Vitelli.

Nice work SV!! You hit the nail on the head.




TIS

Fantastic. Thanks SV.

Let's see. Do they deliver e-mail to Hell?


TIS

I was just watching some clips from the ceremony today at Ground Zero. It had some very somber moments of course, and I'm rather ashamed of those like Glen Beck who accused the President as being 'slimy', or Sean Hannity who said he was 'spiking the football' by going there today.

Photos from the bin-Laden compound. They're real and very graphic.

http://www.reuters.com/subjects/bin-laden-compound

Not to be political, but Hannity/Beck are just pissed their boy George didn't get the job done. I'm sorry, "they" their ideological side didn't get it done.

I got teary eyed watching families of the victims. I can only imagine how the pain will never go away but hopefully this gave them some sense of relief. It was low-key, somber and touching.

As far as Hannity & Beck, f**k them.

TIS


JL,

How do we really know those pics are authentic???

I was watching the news, and they reported that Reuters had graphic photos from the compund. I just went to their site, and they were there.

I don't think the people in the Middle East were ever going to let Bush and company revel in the joy of their little crusade. Bush simply appeared too arrogant with his own personal role in the whole thing and just rubbed people everywhere the wrong way. It's no small wonder the revolutions in Iran and elsewhere occurred after Bush's departure.

Not so much that I think people over there view Obama as 'one of their own', but I'm not sure even a strong war hero type like McCain (whose strong personality and history go over well in places like that) would have received the assistance that the Obama administration did.

In addition to the troops of course, AND the foundations set by the Bush administration in the war on terror, I think it's to the credit of the Obama administration for always trying to forge ties and offer a practical and pragmatic approach to foreign affairs.

I think Beck's 'slime on his hands' comment and Hannity's 'spiking the football' were in response to the President's 'that's not who we are' regarding the release of the pictures. But yeah, Hannity I kinda like and Beck I think is sometimes interesting but they're both jaded as all hell.

Why would you "kinda like" Hannity? He's a mindless hack.

~I would say the same for Olbermann, but oh wait. He's unemployed.

What about this idiot liberal host Mike Malloy who came out today and said Seal Unit 6 should drop in on George Bush and take out the man more responsible for deaths than Bin Laden.

As if the world and middle east are not better off without Saddam Hussein, and is if Iraq hasn't been a hotbed and supporter of everything anti-American and Western that crystallized into 911.

And like the supposed "torture" that every lefty stood against didn't help help accumulate the intelligence that led to the capture of Bin Laden.

The whole "torture" thing is getting blown out of proportion, IMO. They're saying that perhaps President Obama should bring it back. However, strapping electrodes to someone's genitalia would also elicit answers. Should we make that legal???

I found a picture from bin Laden's funeral!!!!

So, that's the "shrine," eh?

Signor V.

I'm just going to leave this here. Although none of you will even consider it or probably even read past the first paragraph.

http://www.xxlmag.com/features/2011/05/the-legacy-of-bin-laden-by-immortal-technique/

It was an interesting read before he started to ramble. That needed editing. The author is obviously intelligent and well read. His points about blowback are well taken. That said though I feel he is making an equivalency between OBL and US foreign policy or more to the point, US citizenry that does not exist. And I say that as someone who generally does support a more isolationist, less hawkish foreign policy. I understand OBL was not the only evil in the world.

OBL ordered the deaths of 3000 Americans, not to mention attacks in Kenya and elsewhere primarily because he was upset about American troops in Saudi Arabia. So killing innocent people is the way to register discontent? I don't see it.

Of course I am biased b/c my brother works in the financial services industry in NYC. He was in and out of the WTC all the time. If the attacks had been a week earlier or later I would not have a brother today.

I generally won't mock anyone's death but in THIS case I don't have a big problem with it. There are people I respect who do have a problem with the execution of OBL (a Nuremberg War Crimes prosecutor wrote in NYT that we should have had a trial) but then again if you murder that many people, brag about it and dare the US to come get you, you really don't have room to complain when they come get you.

Again, I can only be this detached b/c my loved one is still alive. Were that not the case I too well might be dancing in the streets. Is part of that ugly? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's human.

It's a good thing OBL is off the planet. To the extent that the author points out American hypocrisies, great. But is America any more hypocritical than any other country? I don't think so.

You're right. I couldn't make it past the first paragraph.

How about him? Easy: I don't watch him, I don't listen to him.

I like how we have this political tribalism where we denounce rightly fucking idiots, then we gather around our own fucking idiots.

Enough with the fucking idiots. They add nothing to the discussion, just bullshit.
[/quote]

Oh man..that made my fucking day. You just totally redeemed yourself SC.

Al-Qaida confirms Osama bin Laden's death
Associated Press
May 6, 2011


CAIRO – Al-Qaida on Friday confirmed the killing of Osama bin Laden and warned of retaliation, saying Americans' "happiness will turn to sadness."

The confirmation came in an Internet statement posted on militant websites, signed by "the general leadership" of al-Qaida. The announcement opens the way for the group to name a successor to bin Laden. His deputy Ayman al-Zawahri is now the most prominent figure in the group and is a very likely contender to take his place.

The statement, dated May 3, was the first by the terror network since bin Laden was killed Monday by U.S. commandos in a raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The statement's authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but it was posted on websites where the group traditionally puts out its messages.

"The blood of the holy warrior sheik, Osama bin Laden, God bless him, is too precious to us and to all Muslims to go in vain," the statement said. "We will remain, God willing, a curse chasing the Americans and their agents, following them outside and inside their countries."

"Soon, God willing, their happiness will turn to sadness," it said, "their blood will be mingled with their tears."

There was no indication how the group will retaliate. Rather than making vehement cries of vengeance, the statement — entitled "You lived as a good man, you died as a martyr" — struck a tone of calmness and continuation. Though it included praise of bin Laden, much of the 11-paragraph statement was dedicated to underlining that al-Qaida would live on, depicting him as just another in a line of "martyrs" from the group.

"It is impossible, impossible. Sheik Osama didn't build an organization to die when he dies," the statement read. "The university of faith, Quran and jihad from which bin Laden graduated will not close its doors," it added.

"The soldiers of Islam will continue in groups and united, plotting and planning without getting bored, tired, with determination, without giving up until striking a blow," the statement.

It said bin Laden was killed "along an established path followed by the best of those who came before him and those who will come after him."

In the statement, al-Qaida also called on Pakistanis to rise up in revolt against its leaders to "cleanse the shame." It also said that an audio message bin Laden recorded a week before his death would be issued soon.

The writers of the statement appeared unaware of the announcement by American officials that bin Laden's body had been buried at sea. The statement warned against mishandling or mistreating bin Laden's body and demanded that be handed over to his family, saying "any harm (to the body) will open more doors of evil, and there will be no one to blame but yourselves."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110506/ap_on_re_mi_ea/bin_laden_al_qaida

If you have been following the news, both administrations get credit. Though people on each side will try to make political hay by arguing who gets more.

Much of the necessary intelligence, which ultimately led us to Bin Laden, was gained under Bush. Then, under Obama, it was used effectively enough to track Bin Laden down.

Did someone mention blowback?

This one's for Lilo and Whisper.



Skin deep analysis fails to see the cancer,
Missile defence and Star Wars aint the answer

No doubt, 9/11 was a tragedy
But 9/10ths still aint ancient history

Malloy is an imbecile, Frank. But you can't condemn the entire liberal ideology because of a wingnut extremist like him, any more than you can condemn the entire conservative idelology because of a wingnut extremist like Beck. They're opposite sides of the same dangerous coin. Political extremes breed nothing but hate and, ultimately, violence. The best thing to do is not pay attention to them, and to stop giving them a soapbox to stand on.

Some quotes from the original 9/11 thread:



.



.

The people who are calling this an "execution" and crying that he had the right to be tried are forgetting one thing - he was a terrorist. He wasn't a criminal. He was a terrorist and a zealot. The only way to stop him from killing again was to make sure he was dead.

I maybe I suppose a "liberal," but I can't exactly shed a tear for his exit.

Besides this will be controversial, but imagine if he was captured. Blame it on the GOP or domestic politics broadly, but we can't even send henchmen terrorists to a civlian trial. Even Kansas pussied out with the mere presence of chained prisoners jailed there. Nevermind the evidence possibly gained by tor...I mean Enhanced Interrogation. Its the same reason why cops don't beat a confession out of a suspect: It taints the integrity of the evidence submitted to the court.

And the GOP/conservative Democrats will bitch that Osama is getting preferential treatment or whatever.

The other alternative is those military tribunals. Notice how they never really have went off quite frankly under Dubya or Obama, and you'll inevitably have people bitch that this amounts to a glorified kangaroo trial, Which it is. (So were the Nuremburg Trials, but nevermind.)

So yes, I'm giving the unliberal, fascist-friendly answer that'll blow Capo's head off and surely disapoint Lilo when I say that a bullet to the eye saved a government a whole lot of headache.

Worse than that, some called it an assassination.

On that note, I wouldn't have been shocked if Obama had given the executive order for assassination?

I wasn't there, obviously, but I'm hoping that while he was looking at the feed from his laptop, he just said, "there's the bastard, kill that mutherfucker!" ... but that's just my wishful thinking maybe

A lot of people are angry over the fact Obama pretty much ordered a hit. Well, the Israelis have been doing this for years and they've been taking out people who have no right to have a beating heart imho. Call me a bad guy, but I hope they kill all these extremists.

Okay, "Bad Guy" ... you wish

The CIA has (well, at least attempted to) do this for years (but they're utterly incompetent apparently). But I don't know who these "lot" of people are you're referring to... please enlighten us!

Enlighten you? You must've heard a few people talk about international laws and bad precedents?? Well, I've heard too many people complain. Maybe Obama should whack them too.

I don't pay that close attention -- who, exactly, is complaining?

(I'm not picking on you, I'm just curious)

Well, my mother has a problem with it. My teachers as well.

I'm sure they're very nice people and all, but it's up to you if you wanna leave that comment for the world to see

Well, none of these people have sympathy for that man. They're not exactly mourning him . They're all glad he's dead. It's just the rules and laws that they feel are important and should always be followed. My teachers are lawyers btw.

I'm pretty ignorant about international laws, so don't know as much as you do I guess. But one fewer evil bastard is alive now -- there's something wrong with that?

No I'm with you. I praise Obama for hitting that guy.

And FWIW, I felt a bit indifferent about it. Sure, he caused thousands of innocent people misery (if not death) -- no excuse!! -- but at the same time, I'd rather have him suffer in his thoughts for the next 50 years. His death was too easy for him.

Obama didn't "hit" the guy lol. He just oversaw the last operation that happened to be successful -- a lot of research, and luck, was involved in that.

I hear what you're saying, but I doubt this guy would ever suffer in his thoughts. Death was the only option here.

And the brass to not just approve that operation in Pakistani turf without their support or knowledge, but risking a possible firefight with the local Pakistani units.

That's really one of the worst cast scenarios that could have happened. Our "allies" blasting us after we "invade" their territory.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. And that (corrupt) government is doing everything it can find its scapegoat or two for its own humiliating failure. Or cover up their complicity.

Not really , RR.

There are some legitimate questions raised by people who are sticklers for law and process no matter what if the operation was legal and moral. Look at the letter here by Benjamin Ferencz, a former Nuremberg prosecutor.

The counterargument, which I would tend to agree with in this particular instance was that OBL was fair game due to an ongoing conflict and the 2001 Senate authorization.

Quote:

In 2001, congress passed a law giving the office of the President the “use all necessary and appropriate force” against nations, organizations, or individuals who played a role in the 9/11 attacks.

Harold Koh said, "Some have argued that our targeting practices violate domestic law, in particular, the long-standing domestic ban on assassinations. But under domestic law, the use of lawful weapons systems—consistent with the applicable laws of war—for precision targeting of specific high-level belligerent leaders when acting in self-defense or during an armed conflict is not unlawful, and hence does not constitute 'assassination.' ".

Defending the killing of what the White House has acknowledged was an unarmed bin Laden, Holder said he was a legitimate military target and had made no attempt to surrender to the American forces who stormed his fortified compound near Islamabad and shot him in the head.
"It was justified as an act of national self-defense," Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee, citing bin Laden's admission of being involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.

It was lawful to target bin Laden because he was the enemy commander in the field and the operation was conducted in a way that was consistent with U.S. laws and values, he said, adding that it was a "kill or capture mission."

"If he had surrendered, attempted to surrender, I think we should obviously have accepted that, but there was no indication that he wanted to do that and therefore his killing was appropriate," he said.

To put it bluntly, as I've written elsewhere you can't step on the football field and then get upset when the linebacker hits you. OBL knew the risks and accepted them. The larger policy of assassination overseas (ie. that American citizen in Yemen) I still disagree with. However OBL was a special case and I wouldn't use the term "assassination" any more than I would have described the killing of Yamamoto as such.

As far as entering Pakistan w/o permission that was illegal, no question about it. But Pakistan doesn't necessarily have the ability to DO anything about it.

Since this is a gangster board I wanted to point out the recent column by the otherwise execrable Maureen Dowd here.


No wonder the president’s top generals call him “a Cool Hand Luke.”

After giving the order for members of a Navy Seals team to execute a fantastically daring plan to, let’s be honest, execute Osama bin Laden, Barack Obama put on a tuxedo and gave a comedy speech Saturday night in a Washington ballroom of tippling journalists and Hollywood stars.

If we could have seen everything unfolding in real time, it would have had the same dramatic effect as the intercutting in the president’s favorite movie, “The Godfather,” when Michael Corleone calmly acts as godfather at his nephew’s baptism at church, even as his lieutenants carry out the gory hits he has ordered on rival mobsters.

Just substitute “Leave the copter, take the corpse” for “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

I thought this was funny. It's a really strange thing to say for publication.

"I don't think the kind of people you and the intelligence agencies are looking for are here or have ever lived here," said Mohammad Shazad Awan, a former army soldier who has driven a public minibus in the area for the last 12 years.
But residents of Abbottabad were also not aware that bin Laden had been living there for such a long time.
Awan, who said he works on the side as an informant for the government, said many Pakistani intelligence operatives were in Chak Shah Mohammad on Friday asking whether bin Laden had lived there.

Streets are watching in Pakistan

It's one thing to be relieved that that terrorist won't do no harm no more.
But those gestures of triumph over a dead I find disgusting.

F' him. Party on.

Whether the sentiments put forth in this thread are disgusting or not, they're certainly naive.

"An eye for an eye" has always been a narrative myth, designed to offer the notion of moral closure.

The celebratory tone of this thread is all fair and well, given the personal heartbreak outpoured almost ten years ago on this board... But the incessant extent of it here speaks to continued political confusion and personal anger.

I think the apparent fact that the death of Osama bin Laden was required to bring to people some satisfaction, however "teensy" or "tiny", is indicative of the ease with which ordinary Americans are deceived by their own government.

Blind worship of the state is killing us; as a people, a race, a planet.

Forgive the rhetoric.

Terrorism is a concept employed by the ruling governments the world over to justify further defence measures of capitalism.

There's no two ways about that.

LMAO, Lilo.

Not even the most ardent Liberal Democrats can take much of Dowd. Although I have to admit, she is a gifted writer .

Pakistan's Army is Worthless



http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-s...in-laden-shows/

Guys, whether you're Democrat or Republican, can we all agree that the President should tell this asshole to go fuck himself?

Pakistan Prime Minister to warn US over Osama bin Laden raid



I especially love this bit:



No, it didn't. It's the international impression (i.e. Joke) that your military/intelligence apparatus is either corrupt backdealing against us or fucking incompetent as hell this side of the Keystone Cops.

Go fuck yourself. Seriously.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...Laden-raid.html

Are we still giving billions of dollars of aid to Pakistan?

I know we still give them aid, but not sure of the amount. Didn't they ever hear that expression about biting the hand?? Apparently not...

Condescending, no?

PM: Failure to find bin Laden not Pakistan's alone



No it makes you look impotent.



Yes little doggy, growl! Everyone knows you won't do shit if we fire off some more drones or raids. You like our money too much. When you're sucking us off to get the dough, sometimes you have to swallow.



I think the ISI trained/funded Taliban can be more blamed for that but what do I know?

National impotency tends to feed on (stupid) speculations.

Fear that U.S. could grab nuclear arsenal heightens Pakistani anger



Has anyone ever noticed that everyone panics over Pakistan's nukes, but nobody does with India's nukes? JUST SAYING.

I think the local papers there will love this.

US, Pakistan struck secret deal in 2001 permitting US operation against bin Laden on Pakistani soil

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/09/osama-bin-laden-us-pakistan-deal

Well, I can see this scenario playing out right before my mind's eye:

1. We consult with Pakistani officials in Islamabad, share our intelligence and let them know our plans.

2. Informers alert bin Laden, US forces raid empty compound.

A real no-brainer, if you ask me.

Signor V.

A Navy Seal walks into a bar and Orders a "Bin Laden."

Brtender says, what's that?

Seal says: "Two shots and a splash."

We should send them a check for $1, and tell them "good luck with it".

Q How do you play Taliban bingo?
A: B-52...F-16...B-1...

Q: How is Bin Laden like Fred Flintstone?
A: Both may look out their windows and see Rubble.

Q: What is the Taliban's national bird?
A: Duck



TIS

Is this hilarious? Where do these type of people come from?

"The most notorious, and arguably most amateur Situation Room Photoshop however, came from Orthodox Hasidic Jewish newspaper, Der Tzitung, in which Hillary Clinton is completely removed from the photo. Unlike the memes making the rounds, this 'shop wasn't done for lulz. The newspaper wasn't looking to visually change history either — just maintain its own. The highly religious newspaper never publishes pictures of women on account of it could be "sexually suggestive."

The Secretary of State wasn't the only temptress taken out of the photo. Counterterrorism analyst Audrey Thomason, seen standing way way in the back, was also obliterated from the photo."

Oli,

I heard this story earlier. Unbelievable isn't it? I assume they weren't going for a professional looking photo, but talk about a photo shopped.


TIS

Well, in terms of what they're fighting for, that being sending women where they belong. i.e. kitchen, these religious nut-jobs regardless of their religion even might get along. Not sure why they are hating each other.

This is not the action of a friend. So it goes. Every country has different interests and will pursue them. The primary supply lines to Afghanistan go through Pakistan. So if they are upset enough they could slow or shut those down.

Pakistan is like the small barking dog, you just want to kick it and send it flying thru the air.
It reconfirms that you can't trust these type of two faced pieces of crap.
Just because they have nukes doesn't mean shit...

With Osama bin Laden now pushing up seaweed, the following story falls under the heading of "Now It Can Be Told."

The Dogs Cats of War

Click here.

Signor V.

From the mouths of babes:

VERY interesting video, pb. Thanks for posting it.

I'm glad that the kids are mostly confused about the events. It shows me they aren't just mimicking their parents' politics.

Occasionally I view this thread, so forgive me if this joke has been told:

A Navy Seal walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a Bin Laden. The bartender is stumped and asks, "What's in a Bin Laden"? The Seal proudly responds, "Two shots and a splash of water."

The third time, MC.

I heard (true) that his son was thinking of suing the U.S. in court because we "assassinated" his father.

and, his father assaassinated thousands of people...eye for an eye

I don't know all the specifics but it sounds like they got a whole load of stuff from OBL's compound. They said among the items was his journal. He was far from retired and was still thinking of ways to attack.



TIS

Obama SEAL doll marks bin Laden killing

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42996803/ns/business-small_business/?GT1=43001

That's hilarious RR. Rambama?

On a more serious note, sounds like his journals are quite revealing.

Here's a disturbing story showing just how determined OBL was to "get" American/s. He was obsessed with attacking us.

Until Navy SEALs killed him a week ago, bin Laden dispensed chilling advice to the leaders of al-Qaida groups from Yemen to London: Hit Los Angeles, not just New York, he wrote. Target trains as well as planes. If possible, strike on significant dates, such as the Fourth of July and the upcoming 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001......(see link for full story)




TIS

Story

msnbc.com staff and news service reports updated 2 hours 14 minutes ago 2011-05-12T18:31:51

WASHINGTON — Waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques were not a factor in tracking down Osama bin Laden, a leading Republican senator insisted Thursday.

Sen. John McCain, who spent 5½ years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, also rejected the argument that any form of torture is critical to U.S. success in the fight against terrorism.

I read McCain's remarks on torture. You didn't expect the Republicans to let this story pass by without a word did you???



It seems President Obama's Step-Grandmother has been threatened by Al Qaeda


"Security has been increased around the home of President Barack Obama's step-grandmother in Kenya after an African al Qaeda branch issued a personal threat against her, police said today.

Kenyan police told ABC News they are patrolling round the clock after Al Shabaab, the Somalia-based branch of al Qaeda, threatened the life of Sarah Obama." ...


TIS


http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/barack-obamas-grandmother-threatened-kenya-al-qaeda/story?id=13586549

I'm sorry, but this argument simply drives me up the wall. What exactly is wrong with being happy about a person's death? Would it be wrong for someone who lost their entire family in the Holocaust, or who saw their children starve to death during the German siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) to be happy about Hitler's death? When normal, decent people feel happy someone has died, there's a reason for it. It's not like the KKK being happy over Martin Luther King's assassination. I find the behavior of the crowds who celebrated bin Laden's death totally acceptable. They didn't beat up or kill Muslims or people that looked Middle Eastern. They didn't burn down mosques or other Muslim buildings. They just peacefully expressed their completely understandable emotions. I don't see what's wrong with that.


And for anyone that supports the death penalty, I find it extremely inconsistent to say the least that someone can be bad enough to deserve to die, but apparently have enough about their life that's redeeming that people shouldn't be happy when they die. Simply feeling happy about something doesn't produce consequences, unlike executing someone.

I heard the family of Bin Laden is getting ready to file a wrongful death claim against Obama.

Good.... I only hope they are filing that on two-ply paper. I am running out of toilet paper.

It was nice that McCain spoke out for what he believes, and not what his party believes.

Porn found inside bin Laden's compound

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/...dens-compound/1

From a New Yorker piece on Bin Laden:



That's screwy.

Two things.
1) I know some people like to keep things in the family but marrying your cousin??? Really? Cue all the Foxworthy " You might be a terrorist if your family tree doesn't fork" jokes. 3 BILLION WOMEN in the world and you're trying to pick up babes at family reunions? Talk about not having any game....

2) "when Osama suggested that he had his brothers consider taking up suicide bombing in the Taliban's cause. The boys demurred; Omar never got over the request."



"Son"
"Yes, father?"
"I've been thinking about your future and frankly as far as I'm concerned you don't really have one."
"Father?"
"Yeah, I've been checking with the brethren and they agree with me. You're worthless. But never fear, we DO need some more suicide bombers. You'd be making your old man proud, you would. What do you say?"

I've researched that some families like to keep their lineage "pure" by mating with family members who share the same blood line. As in not to disgrace their race by their daughters having kids by different races, who come from different religions.

thats what the royal families did...and, i have no clue why some in the south did?

Cousins marrying is still pretty common in the Hassidic Jewish community, especially between families of important rabbis.




"I don't want Osama comin' outta that toilet with just his dick in his hand..."

And now we know why. Must've got real lonely in that compound... herbal Viagra, a jar of Vaseline and porn. And all this with two wives on call...

Signor V.

Check out the link below:

CLICK HERE

Bin Laden: Don't bother with Biden

http://www.salon.com/news/osama_bin_lade...laden_joe_biden

Pakistan parliament demands end to U.S. drone strikes in country

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/wor...6-1226055838117

He reminds me of that preacher Swaggart. Talks about the evils of the flesh during mass and then spends all the church money on hookers.

I'm not a Christian, but I believe in these words:
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)

What is the logic behind loving people who don't like you and may even want you dead? Did you love Osama?

Then what really gets me is "do good to them that hate you?." Let's say you're Jewish and the year is 1937. Would you consider inviting Hitler over for some burgers? Perhaps even give him a bottle of champagne as he's about to leave?

No, I wouldn't. Besides, Hitler was a vegetarian.
I think most of the Catholics on this board can explain this part of Matthew better than me.

My point is: I even can acknowledge that most people don't feel bad about the killing of Osama. But why dancing and shouting triumphantly about it? That has no greatness.
Maybe he had to be killed. I'm not sure about it. Maybe it would have been better to interrogate him.
And still nobody has answered here on which legal grounds Osama has been killed.

By the way, I don't intend any provocation here. I do believe that Osama was one of the most dangerous men on earth.

I can understand why some people might find that a little disturbing. Rejoicing over somebody's death always seemed very primitive to me. I can see Hitler and Osama doing that when people died. I don't find anything great in their deaths. If you ask me, their lives and deaths are both sad and pathetic. Two assholes who will always be remembered as assholes. You can't do much, but shake your head in disgust when you think about people like this.

As far as Osama's death goes, I'm more relieved than happy. I get the same feeling whenever they prevent some new terrorist attack from taking place.

Our Pakistan Problem Manages to Get Worse



http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-15/bin-laden-raid-fallout-us-problem-with-pakistan-manages-to-get-worse?cid=csi:relatedstories2:0

no way in hell will america back pakistan if this is found to be true.

Ex-Afghan spy chief: I knew where bin Laden was

Is bin Laden still dead?

i heard he was at a gas station eating fried pb&j sandwich with elvis

He was so impressed with the Navy Seals that he disguised himself as a woman and is now with the Waves.

NATO helicopter attacks Pakistani army post

Absolutely not. In fact, he just inked a deal with CBS and is set to replace Ashton Kutcher on Two And A Half Men.

Pakistan's Latest Humiliating Defeat



http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-23/pakistani-taliban-attacks-mehran-naval-air-base/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsC3

To make Pakistan behave, all we need to do is tell them we are going to turn a blind eye when India annexes it .

good idea,hope you can write more article


________________

Man I totally forgot to post it, but how about Pakistan arresting all the CIA's informants that led to the Bin Laden elimination?

All the more reason not to believe a word the Pakistani government says. Fuck Pakistan. Nuke 'em. Their food gives me the shits anyway.

why are we allies with Pakistan in the first place? i rather be allies with india.

Makes me think of Seinfeld and the Pakistani restaurant owner Abu. Jerry Seinfeld - very bad man.