Some Americans are opposed to releasing these photographs, since making these photos publicly available is what Sarah Palin wants, on Twitter, or something. There’s actually only one good reason to release a photograph of Osama’s mutilated corpse, but it’s reason enough. The people of Afghanistan need to see this photo. They need to see this photograph more than anyone — more than the families of 9/11 victims. Every mother in Afghanistan should be able to sit down with her children, and point at that photo.
“Do you see this photograph, children? This is the mangled corpse of Osama bin Laden. The Americans invaded our country ten years ago because they said we were protecting him, that he was hiding here. They found Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. They shot him in the head. He was unarmed. The Americans are still unsatisfied, though. They want more. And that is why they are still occupying our country.”
Every mother in Afghanistan should be able to point at that gruesome photograph, and say to her child, “The Americans still want more.”-- Riley Waggaman, Wonkette, 5/5/11
If a sign of genius is being able to hold two diametrically opposed ideas simultaneously, then the shooting of bin Laden is bringing out the genius in me. Seriously, I am not of two minds about this one -- I'm of about seven. And, here is why -- I know SEALS. I know Rangers. I know guys from Delta. I know guys from SF. I was a light infantryman. It's simple -- nobody was scared of bin Laden. They shot the bastard because they could, and it probably is understandable. It just doesn't make it right.
Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh."--Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural, 3/4/1865
Did he deserve to die? Yeah, no kidding. Some of my colleagues over at Veterans Today have chosen to go down the 9/11 Truther and the "Bin Laden has been dead for years, they had to thaw his body out" rabbit hole and are traversing the wilderness of mirrors that represents. Well, much as I respect them, their position is as illogical and misconceived as the Birthers...when confronted with conflicting theories, without absolute knowledge, use Occam's razor and DON"T MULTIPLY CONCEPTS. While the success of 9/11 required only fanaticism on the part of these guys as well as various levels of bureaucracy, incompetence and negligence to succeed, the success of the vast conspiracy to take down the towers either with shaped charges, explosives, nukes or Thor's fucking hammer requires all of the above plus a level of competence at levels where everybody has passed their Peter Principle point several promotions ago.
So, the bastard declared war on us and deserved to die. At some point we'll get a clean after action report that clarifies what happened and in what sequence. However, to have claimed that the firefight took 40 minutes indicates that all those clowns charging the cameras to explain what happened are REMF and idiots. This was a raid on a fixed location by world class fighters against clowns. Shit, hadn't these guys even watched the Delta Force movies? While the idea of Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin saving the world blessed by Fr Arthur Kennedy and cheered on by Joey Bishop and friends is silly, there were some pretty clear things. It took 2-3 minutes max from the time they entered the compound. The rest of the time was processing and deciding what they wanted to take besides one dead body.Getting it palletized and secured. Getting it done. Efficiently, quietly and as quickly as possible. Remember, these men had just pulled off a raid, with helicopters, in an area potentially as utterly unfriendly as the market in Mogadishu, but within shouting distance of organized and effective military, covert operations and security forces belonging to an Ally that they could hardly have expected to accept this fait accompli.
My problem is with the dead body. When Bush said "They hate our freedom" he was probably talking about our ability to have over 50% of children morbidly obese and leading the world in adolescent type II diabetes. However, what they hated was the system that let us get this crazy -- the consitution, the rule of law, the idea of justice. I'm not sure blowing the left side of the guy's head off really helps reinforce that vision either internally or externally. Rather, we are saying we can do what we want to do because we can do it.
Now, if the bastard drew a weapon or a knife or threw a fucking Koran at the SEALs, then all bets are off. But, they could have captured him. There is a geopolitical piece here, of course; it would have been interesting to get the names of the Pakistanis, Saudis, Omanis and Kuwaitis who financed him and supported him. Interesting, but kind of hard to ignore the consequences of learning that Prince Ali Raghead, 2500th in line for the Saudi Throne brought him a bag of gold coins with a personal note from the Grand Mullah of Mecca saying something to the effect of Sock IT To 'EM, BRO!
I have no issue with anyone on the mission. I have no issue with the decision to shoot -- I wasn't there. I'm not sure why they weren't throwing flash-bang grenandes everytime they turned a corner, but I wasn't there. I would have liked this to be as clean as possible, and killing this dogshit bastard sullies it.
I know that there would have been logistical problems with him and a trial and an interrogation. Well, our Saudi friends could probably have worked out a way to have him condemned for heresy against Islam and treason, and had him horrifically killed and then buried someplace in the trackless desert. Or, our Russian and Ukaranian friends could have buried him next to the mausoleum at Chernobyl -- really close to ground zero. He commited crimes against humanity, and caused an incredible amount of suffering.
Ultimately, the Serbian and Kosovar war criminals that SEAL Team Six lifted in the former Yugoslavia were far more deadly than bin Laden by himself surrounded by his crew.
It could have been done; it appears we chose to stack the deck against doing it. That blemishes an incredibly timed, executed and accomplished mission. But, to the extent that shooting the SOB in the head was the preferred solution, it blemishes the United States. We are the nation that says we believe in the rule of law. We ought to remember that...
Yes. I'm surprised that I agree with you. I'm as vengeful and primitive as they come. But old Osama wrapped in a blanket watching his best-of-me compilation on an ancient television in a room reminiscent of my more sqaulorous bachelor pads ... took the wind out of my sails. Not that I pity him. Just that the idea, already suspect, of his ever posing a threat even to one SEAL much less twenty--twenty strapping lads with night vision and M4 carbines--jumped out the window. Like following an elegant, muscular 100 yard kickoff return with a really egregious celebration. Your more thoughtful fan cringes but can't help, doesn't want to help, singing out with everyone else. & feels a foreboding, there's always a penalty for that sort of act.
Sports analogies are awesome!!
Posted by: Ed February | 07 May 2011 at 11:33 PM
Of course he could pose a threat to a Seal. They didn't know that the building wasn't rigged. All he had to do was make a move for something and that would've been enough reason to shoot. No reason to take chances when you're weighing your life, and the lives of your teammates, against that piece of shit's miserable existence.
Posted by: Mungen_Cakes | 10 May 2011 at 09:35 PM
Some words, too, some say, too hard to do.
Posted by: Ray Ban Sunglasses | 12 May 2011 at 03:02 AM