Gates praises Obama’s call on bin Laden raid
Where US SecDef Bob Gates says: “I’ve worked for a lot of these guys and this is one of the most courageous calls — decisions — that I think I’ve ever seen a president make.”
Really? REALLY???
Hmmm. Let’s see. If the CIA comes to the POTUS and says “we know where bin Laden is, we can either kill him or not,” is there *really* that much of a decision to make? Bush caught all kinds of hell for *not* killing OBL in the Tora Bora region. Obama not ordering a raid on Osama would have been political suicide, regardless of the facts on the ground.
The only real decision Obama had to make was “aerial bombardment or up close and personal.” Even here, though, there’s not much of a decision to make. Bombardment has two possible and important *negative* outcomes:
1: He gets away, and you don’t know it
2: He doesn’t get away, but his remains get obliterated, and you don’t know if you got him.
This was not a “courageous” decision, any more than a fighter pilot in an F-18 with both engines gone and the left wing blown off makes a “courageous” decision to eject. No more courageous than someone with cancer deciding to undergo radiation treatment rather than, say, relying upon a faith healer. Sure, there are risks involved… but there really isn’t much of an option.
“But what if it had failed?” Well, then it would have failed. Hardly the first time a military operation would have failed. I can’t imagine too many people getting too upset.
This nonstop bleating about the “courage” that Obama showed in making the only decision that a President could got old ten minutes after the news broke that Osama was dead.
Was it the right call? You bet. Was it courageous? No, not really. Especially when he then turned around and started using SEAL Team Six for his own self-promotion. By letting the news out that the US had done what it did, he essentially ruined many prospects for similar raids in the future. If Pakistan were to be taken over by the Jihadis, they have a number of nuclear weapons that the US would certainly like to “confiscate.” Before the OBL raid, SEALs and similar groups might have been able to do it. But now, the Pakistani goverment and people know to a dead certainty that the US is willing to send troops onto their turf, and have stealth helicopters with which to do it. This will *force* the Pakistani government and military to make changes that will onyl make future operations harder. Other high-value Al Queda targets in Pakistan and the rest of the region now have confirmation that the US can hunt down pretty much anybody… and that the US has a whole lot of intelligence that was captured. Rather than keeping a lid on the situation and allowing that intelligence data to be examined and perhaps used on other targets, the Obama administration instead had to “spike the football.”
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““But what if it had failed?” Well, then it would have failed. Hardly the first time a military operation would have failed. I can’t imagine too many people getting too upset”
Well, these guys seem to have remembered one that failed, and got a lot of people upset:
” Hundreds of Iranians on Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of a failed U.S. military operation to rescue American hostages in Tehran, with prayers and words of defiance for Washington.
The 1980 rescue attempt—called Operation Eagle Claw—turned into a major embarrassment for the U.S. when an American helicopter collided with a C-130 transport plane at a desert landing spot during a sandstorm. Eight U.S. servicemen were killed.”
And speaking from the point of view of an infantry platoon sergeant combat veteran of Vietnam (CIB, Bronze Star, Air Medal) it is never easy to ask people to put their lives at risk,for any reason. It WAS a courageous act on his part.
Any politician in the world would have made the same political hay out of the opportunity. It’s what they do. And at least he didn’t put on a flight suit, fly to a carrier on a cargo plane, and smirk his silly ass off under a “mission accomplished” banner.
Face it. Some of them would have hidden in a corner until it was over, and if it had failed denied being involved in any part of it, and if it succeeded kept OBL’s head in a jar on the desk in the Oval Office….
> it is never easy to ask people to put their lives at risk,for any reason. It WAS a courageous act on his part.
Then George W. Bush was Super Ultra Mega Courageous, yes?
> It’s what they do. And at least he didn’t put on a flight suit, fly to a carrier on a cargo plane, and smirk his silly ass off under a “mission accomplished” banner.
No, he just used the SEALs as a craven campaign ploy while making their jobs a *lot* harder.
> Some of them would have hidden in a corner until it was over, and if it had failed denied being involved in any part of it
Hell, that’s the *point* of special forces: they do their job, and the President should be able to say “huh? What? Nope, don’t know nuthin’ about that.”
How many times before have the SEALs or Delta Force or similar groups gone in on a secret raid, done their things, and then had the President of the US go on national TV to crow about it?
> Anyone else getting sick of this?
Oh hell yeah!!!
On the news this AM someone was praising how Obama is always decisive and makes quick decisions.
Like the 6 months it took him to respond to the request for more troups – by sending half of what was specified as the minimum amount needed?
The two years he’s been trying to cozy up to Iran and other middle east enemies regardless of their metaphorically spiting on him for the attempts?
Or how having pushed for Obama care as vital – hes giving all these supports exceptions so it doesn’t critically hurt their businesses.
Yeah, hes really great at making hard choices.
And yes grabbing or killing Bin Laden is not a hard choice. Frankly if he choose to pass the option by – mobs with flaming torches and pitchforks would storm the white house looking to put his head on a pole.
The only way you could see this as a hard choice is if he really can’t stand upseting arabs and terrorists, “just” to do what voters and justice demand.
Gates was over the top. Yeah, it took a little guts to say “go.” And Joe… don’t let your political bias get in the way of anything. At least Dubya served, which is a lot more than what Obama did.
I wonder what would have happened if the SEALs killed bin Laden and we didn’t announce it publicly.
Think of it… a couple choppers with commandoes assaulting a house is something most people can understand. Without details there is almost the image of SEALs ‘beaming down’, hitting the house, and ‘beaming up’ again. Mysterious. Powerful. Almost supernatural.
The news would have gotten out soon enough but the details would remain hidden… the idea that Americans could strike quickly and invisibly has got to get the top terrorists even more paranoid. The Pakistanis would have every reason to make sure the details stay hidden to avoid embarrassment. I mean, would YOU advertise that your allies could fly right next to your capital, kill an enemy who happened to be living just down the road, and leave, all with total impunity?
Okay, it wouldn’t stay under wraps forever, a White House staffer would no doubt blab all in time, but in the meanwhile the mystery would shroud the special operators.