OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD

[Havok]

I'm curious where this leaves Pakistan as an 'ally'. If they truly had zero knowledge and input into this operation, then this was severe breach of their country's borders and I would imagine be a major violation of their laws.

[Spoonist]

In purely operational terms this was one of the riskiest and most daring special forces operations in world history...

Nope. You should have put in a "in modern times" caveat. While this certainly ranks high and all respect to the men and women involved but history is a huge place, especially when it contains WWII.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

I'm curious where this leaves Pakistan as an 'ally'. If they truly had zero knowledge and input into this operation, then this was severe breach of their country's borders and I would imagine be a major violation of their laws.

It'll probably come out in some future Wikileaks release that the ISI has been keeping Bin-Laden on ice for years, and they decided that now would be a convenient time to let his location slip to the United States. In that case, I imagine Pakistan is going to get something in return for this. The fun will be in guessing just what that's going to be.

[Flagg]

I'm curious where this leaves Pakistan as an 'ally'. If they truly had zero knowledge and input into this operation, then this was severe breach of their country's borders and I would imagine be a major violation of their laws.

It'll probably come out in some future Wikileaks release that the ISI has been keeping Bin-Laden on ice for years, and they decided that now would be a convenient time to let his location slip to the United States. In that case, I imagine Pakistan is going to get something in return for this. The fun will be in guessing just what that's going to be.

Doubt it. About the only thing Pakistan did was keep out of it. According to MSNBC they had been tipping off Predator targets when we'd notify them of attacks, so I doubt Pakistan knew dick.

[Fire Fly]

Supposedly, this is the complex (green arrow). A different view. Can anyone confirm?

Other sources say it is this: link

[Knife]

I think it was TPM where I read that they've been casing the joint for almost a year. Pretty sure they've told Pakistan jack and shit or Osama just wouldn't be there. Anyway, ya-fucking-hoo.

[Edi]

The OBL body desecration bullshit has been flushed to where it properly belongs.

Any more that kind of remarks and there will be further punishment.

[Shroom Man 777]

Since the operation was weeks in planning, I bet Obama deliberately released his birth certificate so he could fuck with Trump and his opponents in the Correspondents Dinner and top it off with delivering OBL's head in a platter the day after, to culminate in a week of total awesome for him.

[MKSheppard]

Link

The operation, according to senior officials who briefed reporters early Monday morning, hinged almost entirely on the hunt for a single man: a courier operating out of Pakistan who had been trusted by bin Laden for years.

Using information from detainees in U.S. custody, U.S. analysts and operatives spent years figuring out the courier’s identity, concluding that he was a former protege of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-declared mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks who is being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The courier “in particular had our constant attention,” the official said.

Detainees “identified this man as one of the few al-Qaeda couriers trusted by bin Laden, indicated he might be living with or protecting bin Laden,” the official said. But for years, the United States was unable to track him down or uncover his real name, which did not happen until four years ago. Two years ago, U.S. officials narrowed down the region in Pakistan where the courier was working, senior administration officials said.

Then, in August, U.S. officials found the compound that turned out to be bin Laden’s hiding spot. It was described as an extraordinary place, custom-made for him, with 12- to 18-foot security walls, multiple interior walls dividing the property and massive privacy walls blocking even a third-story balcony. Despite being valued at $1 million, the property had no Internet or phone service, the official said.

“When we saw the compound . . . we were shocked by what we saw,” the official told reporters, describing it as “an extraordinarily unique compound,” built perhaps in 2005 and expressly for bin Laden. “Everything we saw . . . was perfectly consistent with what our experts expected bin Laden’s hideout to look like.”

[Havok]

Since the operation was weeks in planning, I bet Obama deliberately released his birth certificate so he could fuck with Trump and his opponents in the Correspondents Dinner and top it off with delivering OBL's head in a platter the day after, to culminate in a week of total awesome for him.

Speaking of politicizing this event... it's interesting, now that the security meeting timeline has been given, that President Obama chose to release his birth certificate just before this operation.

Kinda like, "Yes, I am an American, and this is how an American does things."

Maybe not the most blatant political move, but there had to be some forethought into the timing.

I sure hope so.

[Lonestar]

Since the operation was weeks in planning, I bet Obama deliberately released his birth certificate so he could fuck with Trump and his opponents in the Correspondents Dinner and top it off with delivering OBL's head in a platter the day after, to culminate in a week of total awesome for him.

No way to know for sure, of course...but I totally would have done that.

[nesaminos]

Since the operation was weeks in planning, I bet Obama deliberately released his birth certificate so he could fuck with Trump and his opponents in the Correspondents Dinner and top it off with delivering OBL's head in a platter the day after, to culminate in a week of total awesome for him.

Even better, the announcement interrupted Trump's show, Celebrity Apprentice, for the last 15 or so minutes. If that was deliberate, it was great timing on Obama's part.

[MKSheppard]

bin Laden died because he was too stupid to hide in a basement.

He wasn't willing to give up all creature comforts and he probably figured the ISI would offer protection or a simple tip off.

It would have taken FAR longer if he hadn't been so ostentatious.

I mean, how are you gonna track a single courier grot to a single random building in the place?

You have to operate under the assumption that the ISI is working cross-wise against you; so you can't use the ISI's small army of spies and informants to tail the courier to whatever small random building with a basement Osama is in.

Him choosing such a mansion made it FAR easier as we could just toss a predator or whatnot overhead and track people leaving the mansion and collate their names and faces against known Al-Q operatives to prove/disprove our theory, rather than trying to sort at random everyone in Abbottabad.

[wautd]

Impressive they were on his trace since August and were able to keep it quiet.

Anyway, good riddance. A part of me wanted to see him alive and put to justice, but then you had this may have ended with republicans bitching about him wanting to have him executed, while the democrats wanting to keep him imprisoned. At least the book is closed on him now.

[The Romulan Republic]

Impressive they were on his trace since August and were able to keep it quiet.

Anyway, good riddance. A part of me wanted to see him alive and put to justice, but then you had this may have ended with republicans bitching about him wanting to have him executed, while the democrats wanting to keep him imprisoned. At least the book is closed on him now.

I have absolutely no doubt Obama would have pushed to have him executed.

[SpacedTeddyBear]

Kudos all around to Obama for making such a gutsy call to send troops in there, but more so to the men and women who were dropped that deep into Pakistan to bag that son of a bitch. Whoever they are, they should never have to pay taxes ever again. I wonder though, if they're going to remain mum on the names of the individuals who went in, or if there's going to be a ticker tape parade in Washington.

[The Romulan Republic]

Kudos all around to Obama for making such a gutsy call to send troops in there, but more so to the men and women who were dropped that deep into Pakistan to bag that son of a bitch. Whoever they are, they should never have to pay taxes ever again. I wonder though, if they're going to remain mum on the names of the individuals who went in, or if there's going to be a ticker tape parade in Washington.

Releasing their names would almost be asking to have them and perhaps their families attacked.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Well, in the future I think it's suitable to remember this as the Glorious First of May, as far as the title used was as is always suitable for one-sided asswhippings.

[Havok]

It is also a job they volunteered for. I appreciate the job done, but they shouldn't get special treatment outside of the enormous gratitude and respect that will assuredly come with the particular mission.

I damn well would like to shake every one of their hands though, from CIA all the way to the helicopter pilots and everyone in between.

[FSTargetDrone]

Some information on what may be done with the corpse:

Osama Bin Laden Body Headed for Burial at Sea, Officials Say

May 02, 2011 1:59 AM

ABC News' Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) reports: Now that bin Laden has been killed and his body has been positively identified, what is to be done with his remains?

U.S. officials tell me the last thing they want is for his burial place to become a terrorist shrine.

To avoid that, an informed source tells me, the intention is the bury his body at sea -- leaving no definitive location for the final resting place of his body.

A senior administration official tells my colleague Jake Tapper this about the body: "We are ensuring it is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition. It's something we take seriously and therefore it's being handled in an appropriate manner.‬"

Under Islamic tradition, ABC's Zunaira Zaki reports, the body would be washed by Muslim men and buried as soon as possible, usually by the next prayer (Muslims pray five times a day), although there may be delays under certain circumstances (for autopsies, for example). The body is usually buried in a simple white sheet -- whether buried in the ground, or at sea.

[weemadando]

It is also a job they volunteered for. I appreciate the job done, but they shouldn't get special treatment outside of the enormous gratitude and respect that will assuredly come with the particular mission.

I damn well would like to shake every one of their hands though, from CIA all the way to the helicopter pilots and everyone in between.

Not to be a total dick, but would the handshakes also be for those who directly tortured in Gitmo/Iraq/A'Stan or directed torture in places like Egypt in the hope of getting a little tidbit of info?

[CaptainChewbacca]

Wasn't there a $25 million bounty for Osama, dead or alive? I remember the US soldiers who found JW Booth got to split the bounty, would this special forces team get the same?

[weemadando]

Some information on what may be done with the corpse:

Osama Bin Laden Body Headed for Burial at Sea, Officials Say

May 02, 2011 1:59 AM

ABC News' Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) reports: Now that bin Laden has been killed and his body has been positively identified, what is to be done with his remains?

U.S. officials tell me the last thing they want is for his burial place to become a terrorist shrine.

To avoid that, an informed source tells me, the intention is the bury his body at sea -- leaving no definitive location for the final resting place of his body.

A senior administration official tells my colleague Jake Tapper this about the body: "We are ensuring it is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition. It's something we take seriously and therefore it's being handled in an appropriate manner.‬"

Under Islamic tradition, ABC's Zunaira Zaki reports, the body would be washed by Muslim men and buried as soon as possible, usually by the next prayer (Muslims pray five times a day), although there may be delays under certain circumstances (for autopsies, for example). The body is usually buried in a simple white sheet -- whether buried in the ground, or at sea.

Thank shit for someone having some sanity. I doubt that the previous administration would have shown such restraint/concern.

[The Romulan Republic]

Burying him according to Islamic tradition? Oh boy the GOP will have fun with this.

[Maxentius]

Just a couple pictures I took while observing the celebration at Ground Zero tonight. I apologize if this post otherwise lacks substance.