Got Him

The most wanted man in the world was taken by the Obama Administration in a quick clean operation in an urban setting. The patience and discipline exercised by this Admin is exceptional, this location was heavily suspected since October, in the run up to a questionable mid-term election. No hints escaped, in point of fact the theme that Osama was holed up in a border cave was not hedged.

There is this element of staying on task, despite all distraction, and keeping the consideration on the end and not the political ends. You are free to contrast this with the GWB record and more so with the Republican Party record all the way back to the "wag the dog" days of Clinton. Afghanistan stayed the steaming pile of crap it is for years while GWB and the GOP chearleaded an Iraq invasion. GWB was attacked on the basis of facts during this period while this President has been under relentless lying ... stuff like birth certificates, religion, and death panels and yet this one managed to act like an adult.

There is little I can add to the paeans of bravery and competence for the units involved, I really don't have words. As for assertions that Osama should have been taken alive - I don't know anyone who has reasonably asserted that he would not resist (and I don't mean a wrestling match). In such a situation even city cops shoot, and these guys aren't city cop shooters, huge amounts of money and time go into ensuring that they are absolutely lethal in all conditions. The outcome is not going to be a guy with eight non-lethal wounds and bullet holes all over creation. Outside some ridiculously remote condition Osama was going to die even when capture was a part of the directives.

What this will mean to international and local terrorism is unclear to me. What it will mean to the war in Afghanistan and regarding Pakistan is unclear to me. I'm pretty sure that anyone who claims insight is engaging in guessing. In the world of politics a lot is going to depend on just how stupid the GOPpers get over this. President Obama presided over this and took some real political risks in the process. An awful lot of Americans are real happy to see Osama dealt with and aren't going to be pleased with political "buzz-kill."

This doesn't fix the recession, it doesn't fix the dislocation of wealth, it doesn't fix health care (especially with the GOP dedicated to screwing it worse), it doesn't fix much of anything. It sure does draw an underline under competence in descriptions of President Obama. That is a tough one for the GOP, minimize as they will. They will.