Sunday, May 01, 2011

Bin Laden - justice at last


As it should be.
Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans, was killed in an operation led by the United States, President Barack Obama said Sunday.

A small team of Americans carried out the attack and took custody of bin Laden's remains, the president said in a dramatic late-night statement at the White House.

A jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House as word spread of bin Laden's death after a global manhunt that lasted nearly a decade.

"Justice has been done," the president said.
Credit goes, at last, to the CIA and other intelligence/special services who have spent so long looking for him.

Well done. With all we we gathered including hopefully all the C4I equipment with him - we can start to roll up large parts of his organization.

Much more work to be done - but this is at last something the war needs.

Ignore the politicians, ignore the spin - but remember the conspiracies and smears. It took a decade +/- to do this right.

It has ended right. BZ; now back to work.
UPDATE: Like something from a Kipling novel - reports now say that he was killed near Abbotabad, Pakistan.

Global reach? Yea, we've got that.

Another note as I read more reports - just a little advice too. Can we give credit where it belongs? The politics is already unseemly. Credit the people who did this and who have been fighting this war for a decade. Geezzz people.
UPDATE II - Electric Boogaloo: OK, this may be the last update of the night until more details wash out. Daniel Foster over at NRO has summarized some of the details I am getting on my end to. Being the happy moment this is - I don't think he'll mind if I copy it all. Caution about first reports and all - but just to put you to bed with a smile.
Multiple outlets reporting some or all of these details (links when I get them, pulling together from TV reports):

U.S. Joint Special Operations Command Special Mission Unit (SMU) from the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU — formerly known as Seal Team Six) did the shooting. There were other JSOC spotters on the ground, as well as two special operations helicopters and an unmanned drone overhead.

One of the special-ops helicopters reportedly suffered mechanical difficulties and crash landed onsite. It was destroyed by U.S. forces.

Bin Laden was killed along with two al Qaeda couriers and one of Bin Laden’s adult sons. A woman who was used as a human shield by one of the couriers was also reportedly killed. Several other women were wounded and are reportedly receiving treatment.

The compound was located in an affluent suburb 35 kilometers north of Islamabad and is being described as huge, with a central building many times larger than other houses in the area and ringed by a 12-15-foot tall security wall. The compound reportedly had no incoming or outgoing electronic communications.

UPDATE: The compound has already been
mapped on Google. It’s just north of a children’s hospital and in spitting distance from the police station.
GO NAVY .... but let's wait for more details just in case .. but GO NAVY anyway.

A little note to all about that google link to his compound. That is just the center mass that google gives you when you enter Abbottabad, Pakistan. That is it - just google's default postition for the town ---- that is not where his compound is. Here - look yourself. .... and why has no one talked about what is really funny about this - St. Peters across the block!

So, executive summary - wait until more info comes out about where the compound was. That ain't it.
UPDATE III: People are setting off fireworks in my neighborhood. Snort.
UPDATE IV - Coffee needed more: The great thing about America - we all celebrate in our own way, and the best of us don't even let the serious be taken too seriously.

Zen.


UPDATE V - Osama Ain't Alive: Better locating data on what is suspected to be the compound I found while following the guy in Abbotabad who unknowingly live-blogg'd the event. Click here.

40 comments:

ewok40k said...

first reports indicate SEAL team was involved...
in the end it took few brave men with small arms...

The Usual Suspect said...

BZ.  Prepare for an uptick.

sid said...

Now we gotta deal with King O's all to quick to inflate to Hindenburg size Hubris....

Hopefully someway, somehow, somebody will be able to keep it in check.

Otherwise, we'll <span>ALL</span> be in trouble....

(you heard it here first)

sid said...

BZ to the crew that got that sumbitch.

This Bud's For You... Mr. Shoot The No Good Bastard In the Head Guy.....

DeltaBravo said...

Well, Prez O put it as a number one priority.  Gosh, I guess the last president wasn't trying????
(Gimme a break!)

One of my offspring asked the $64k question:  What are we going to do with the body?  That's a loaded one.  I guess throwing it over the fence at a pig farm isn't an option....

Wait for the backlash.

Meanwhile, BZ to them that got him.  I'm sure Zawahiri isn't sleeping well right now.

sid said...

<span>What are we going to do with the body?  That's a loaded one.</span>

Personally, I wish it was going to go on display something like this...

My guess though, is it will be turned over to the Saudi's in the next few days (if its not there already).

WCOG said...

Have it on good authority that the shooters were from DEVGRU. Go Navy!

Someone_Blogged said...

Imagine the man who was the trigger puller; he killed Bin Laden. I remember driving into Naval Station San Diego on 9-11 and immediately getting underway... 

Job Well Done!

leesea said...

talking about spin, did you here the number of time O-man said we?  Sounds like he was waffling on the op for a month?
AND he only mention out US servicemembers lost in one phrase.
What a piece of work .

CDR Salamander said...

Consult General Pershing's ghost.

sid said...

Yeah...

Battle Mindedness.

What it was... What it is... What it will... be about....

LT Rusty said...

I'd be proud as hell if the USN took him down ... but I gotta say I'd find it a lot more likely if Army of Northern Virginia or some other - similarly black - group did it.

LT Rusty said...

Hide and Seek Champion 2001-2011 has been dethroned ... who's next?

Grandpa Bluewater said...

Seals got him.  Sweet.  The strategic Corporal turned out to be a strategic PO.

Memo to the former pediatrician. You're next, it's just a matter of time.

It will be a while before the shooter gets to wear his medal. Hope it's a great hulking gong.

BZ all involved.

Party as able, Seals. You know who, and won't blab.  Buy him a steak and lobster dinner for all us. And a glass of the good stuff.  Any time he wants one from now on....

Whole lot of rat killin' left to do.  Back to work after the party.

sid said...

Living where I live now...

I've oft thought of that other long ago thug who got away with it for much too long.

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

YAY!  The latest rumor is that SEALs got him.  WARK! WARK! WARK!

DeltaBravo said...

Great hulking gongs for the whole team!  (Love that GBW!!)

I'm confused that he would hide among the Hazara.  They hate al-Qaeda.  How would he expect that even with 18 foot walls we wouldn't find him there.

LT Rusty said...

Supposedly this is the real picture ...

ewok40k said...

nice anlysis in STRATFOR, open to all...
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20110501-red-alert-osama-bin-laden-killed?destination=node%2F193187

and I think WE can forgive certain inhabitant of white house his spinning the doctors, after all he's only a politician iside of DC beltway...

BZ to whoever was in the team who did it, and to everyone that supported them... we all know such operations need support that doesnt get all the glory, yet is essential

WCOG said...

I don't grudge Obama crowing a little. I feelnine feet tall myself right now (though that might be the Bushmills...)

sid said...

Don't want to spoil the moment ewok...but this is a precise inverse of the situation as it was on that cold day 30 years ago...

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

Yep. HUZZAH for the helo drivers that brought them in, and all the support people who made it possible for them to do the job!

The Usual Suspect said...

Like times infinity.

ken said...

BZ to the team that got him.
The body?   Review the series "Deadwood"

CDR Salamander said...

Everyone should, I agree.  Obama as CINC made the call and should get credit for that. 

Fred Carroll said...

I don't know about the rest of him, but his head on a pike at Ground Zero would work.

WCOG said...

As cold-blooded as it would be I think we would just be inviting more trouble if we fed him to hogs. Weight the body down and dump it at sea somewhere. Undisclosed.

DeltaBravo said...

Amusement park?  Indeed.  Color me amused.

DeltaBravo said...

Yay!  Increased intel and defense dollars all around....!!!!!

Right???

Right?????!

ewok40k said...

Obama deserves his slice of pie. He went with the good advice given to him (probably by Petraeus himself) and sent in the specfor guys, resisted the lure of cruise missiles and laser guided karma, put the trust in a few good men with small arms... If action went desert one he would be blamed. Still, real work was done by the men on the ground, not generals or presidents. My hat is off for them, and the news that they went back without own losses is a great joy to me.

ewok40k said...

ah, one thing amused me to no ends, imagining the face of Quaddaffi after he got the news... pity the poor messenger who woke him up with such revelation :P

ewok40k said...

at the very least, increased specfor and humint bucks, please!

DeltaBravo said...

Someone else pointed out what a treasure trove that compound must be.  You know they seized computers and other stuff. 

ewok40k said...

I hope so, with quick action this can send AQ reeling...
Though, I must warn, dont expect wonders. Germans managed to arrest CINC of Polish resistance in 1943, yet in 1944 Warsaw was in uprising. Well decentralized and dispersed conspiration is EXTREMELY hard to root out even with such strikes.

WCOG said...

I wonder: do the personnel involved get to share the $25 million reward? How do they break down the shares?

DeltaBravo said...

How did you get that so quickly? 

ewok40k said...

thats a 25kk $ question :P though I guess some nameless Pakistani who pointed to the house was VERY QUIETLY extracted few days ago and will enjoy rest of his life in some sunny US state...

Anonymous said...

Al Jazzerra english live blog

DeltaBravo said...

Oops.. mansion is on fire.  Wonder who started THAT??  Gets rid of evidence nicely...

Anonymous said...

view website tramadol online no prescription mastercard - is buying tramadol online legal