RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Politics and Current Events Osama Dead

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110502/ap_on_re_us/us_bin_laden



WTF?!?!?!

A congressional source familiar with the operation that killed Osama bin Laden confirmed that the terror mastermind was shot in the head during the U.S. raid, according to a briefing the source received, CNN's Dana Bash reports.

Can't we just be happy that Osama is dead and that we were the ones who did it?

Political correctness is officially shit when a guy kills thousands if Americans in the name of Islam and our government feels the need to respect his religious wishes.

Hours before President Obama’s announcement that Osama Bin Laden had been killed, Dwayne Johnson tweeted, “Just got word that will shock the world — Land of the free … home of the brave DAMN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!. Post announcement, he followed that up with “..couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present..”

A generation of young Americans slammed the door Monday on the great, big boogeyman of their childhoods with an epic woot-woot and rounds and rounds of "U.S.A.!"

At the news of Osama bin Laden’s death, thousands of people - most of them college-aged and in requisite flip-floppy collegiate gear — whipped up a raucous celebration right outside the White House gates that was one part Mardi Gras and two parts Bon Jovi concert.

There were cigars, a few beers, a lacrosse stick turned flagpole waved by a kid who just climbed a statue, joining others aloft in trees and atop lamp posts. Well past midnight, cars zipped up and down the streets of downtown Washington with women standing up through sunroofs waving ginormous American flags and guys blowing vuvuzelas, spring break style.

It felt a little crazy, a bit much. Almost vulgar.

When I saw that folks were celebrating in the streets at the news of bin Laden’s death, my first reaction was a cringe.

WASHINGTON — Officials say CIA interrogators in secret overseas prisons developed the first strands of information that ultimately led to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Current and former U.S. officials say that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, provided the nom de guerre of one of bin Laden’s most trusted aides. The CIA got similar information from Mohammed’s successor, Abu Faraj al-Libi. Both were subjected to harsh interrogation tactics inside CIA prisons in Poland and Romania.

The news is sure to reignite debate over whether the now-closed interrogation and detention program was successful. Former president George W. Bush authorized the CIA to use the harshest interrogation tactics in U.S. history. President Barack Obama closed the prison system.

According to another one of those White House briefings of reporters designed to suck up all available credit for good news, President Obama's homeland security advisor reveals that it was a really tense time in the air-conditioned White House as unidentified U.S. Navy SEALs closed in on the world's most wanted man after midnight a half a wohomeland security advisor john Brennan 5-2-11rld away.

"Minutes passed like days," says John Brennan, who bravely stood with press secretary Jay Carney before reporters and TV cameras today chronicling his boss' weekend heroics.

The heavily-armed commandos flying in a quartet of darkened Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters more than 100 miles into Pakistan were probably listening to their iPods and discussing the NFL draft.

"The concern was that bin Laden would oppose any type of capture operation," said Obama's Sherlock Holmes. So U.S. troops were prepared "for all contingencies."

In fact, this weekend was such a tense time in the White House that Obama only got in nine holes of golf. But he still managed to deliver his joke script to the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner Saturday evening.

Sunday was, Brennan revealed to his eager audience, "probably one of the most anxiety-filled periods of times in the lives of the people assembled here." Poor poor bureaucrats. Extra Tums all around. Did someone order dinner?

There may have been a little anxiety aboard those combat choppers. Who knows? We can't hear from them. And, as every day, anxiety in the kitchens, hearts and mind of thousands of military families who put up with the terrifying uncertainty of the dangerous deeds their loved ones have volunteered to secretly do for their country. During his 49 minute presentation Brennan did squeeze in one reference to the mission's "very brave personnel."

But the emphasis, with 2012 just around the calendrical corner, was on the boss' valor. "There was nothing that confirmed that bin Laden was at that compound," Brennan related as if such uncertainty is uncommon in war.

"And, therefore," Brennan continued, "when President Obama was faced with the opportunity to act upon this, the president had to evaluate the strength of that information and then made what I believe was one of the most gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory."

According to early reports of the incident, detailed here in The Ticket, 24 SEALs rappelled down ropes from hovering Chinooks in post-midnight darkness Monday Pakistan time with Osama security forces shooting at them. Brennan didn't have much time to go into all that today, the goal is to elevate the ex-state senator to at least a one-star commander-in-chief.

Here's something else that didn't get much recognition in all the street celebrations or all-hail-Obama briefings:

The trail to Monday morning's assault on Osama's Pakistan compound began during someone else's presidency. That previous president authorized enhanced interrogation techniques which convinced folks like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to give up, among many other things, the name of their top-secret courier, now deceased. His travels ultimately led the CIA back to Osama's six-year-old suburban home.

According to early reports of the incident, detailed here in The Ticket, 24 SEALs rappelled down ropes from hovering Chinooks in post-midnight darkness Monday Pakistan time with Osama security forces shooting at them. Brennan didn't have much time to go into all that today, the goal is to elevate the ex-state senator to at least a one-star commander-in-chief.

I wonder if the SEALs who shot bin Laden will get a piece of that reward money. Or at the very least a bucket of fish.

A member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee has told CNBC that the death of Osama Bin Laden was a direct result of enhanced interrogations.

“The information that eventually led us to this compound was the direct result of enhanced interrogations; one can conclude if we had not used enhanced interrogations, we would not have come to yesterday's action,” US Senator Richard Burr in a telephone interview with CNBC.

As a member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr was briefed on the attack on the compound that led to Bin Laden’s death and believes the failure of Pakistani security forces to find the al-Qaeda leader sooner will be a strain on US relations.

“It's common knowledge that the US-Pakistan relationship was strained prior to this action, there will be continual talks about what ISI (Pakistani security forces) did or didn't know,” he said.

The death of Bin Laden will, however, improve the US position in Afghanistan where the US and NATO forces are locked in a war of attrition with the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces.

“Yesterday's action sends a loud message, we can find you and we can kill you...even though we had a victory…, the war on terror continues,” Burr said.

“The United States Department of Defense did not do waterboarding for interrogation purposes to anyone. It is true that some information that came from normal interrogation approaches at Guantanamo did lead to information that was beneficial in this instance. But it was not harsh treatment and it was not waterboarding.”

Rumsfeld says harsh treatment didn't get them anything that helped with this.



newsmax.com

I just listened to Rumsfeld, interviewed on Hannity, saying:

"Anyone who does not acknowledge that an enormous amount of valuable intelligenge was gained through 'enhanced' interrogation techniques is simply denying the truth."