Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Bin Laden is Dead

Obama said in his campaigning that he will hunt down and kill Bin Laden.

The only elucidation on the circumstances of OBL's death I've heard is that he was unarmed, did not use his wife as a human shield, but apparently still resisted capture. I don't want to speculate on details, but I can tell you this: every minute of that 40-minute mission was planned out and practiced endlessly before Seal Team 6 arrived. They would not have killed OBL if that was not their plan from the get-go.

They would have taken him alive according to one gent, but going in they knew it would be a very small chance of that happening and they admitted so. If they were met with any type of resistance he was to be killed.

Any who, keeping him alive at this point would have created more problems, controversy and tension in the middle east IMO.

They did not want him alive. For security, they'd have had to take him to Gitmo. Now that Ukiah is there, their concern was that he might start talking to Osama. That would pose the grave risk that, before trial, Bin Laden would attempt suicide, repeatedly.

First, just some quick background stuff to help explain where I'm coming from.

I am a native born US citizen
I love my country
In my mind, "country" and "government" are NOT synonymous
I love the ideal on which my government is founded.
I have some serious problems with the reality my government has become

That being said, whether this was a targeted elimination or failed capture attempt, I do not care. Normally, I care very much what the rest of the world thinks of my country. In this particular case, I do not. This act, justifiably IMHO, was about doing what was in the best interest of the United States and I can only hope that the decision turns out to be the right choice. I am relieved it was a choice I did not have to make.

The thing about, its just not in the best interest of the united states, eliminating terrorists such as him is in the best interest of the world. Osama Bin Laden orchestrated the killing of people all over the world.

Commenting against my better judgement...

IF we had targeted that compound with predators, cruise missiles, or <insert big bomb type thing here> and then been able to verify OBL's death subsequently, I do not believe there would be as much controversy.

The decision to instead send a Seal team ensured that there would be no civilian casualties AND also incurred greater risk to American lives.

Having him alive would have been a huge liability.

We are at war. This was "the right thing".

Technically, I think that's the first thing they look for when diagnosing schizophrenia. ' least that's what Auggie says.

Yes, Tom and Blue Jay, (Jack and others) I agree. The world is certainly much better off without that Islamic Jihadist mass murderer.

My problem is that there is no restraint on a president's power to order the assassination of any person. There is no judicial review, no consultation with Congress ... Ours is supposed to be a government of laws not men.

Although I approve of Obama's target this time, I have no confidence that I will necessarily approve of his next.

Osama declared war on the united states. Its as simple as that. Instead of a country it was an individual and al-queda.