Osama Bin Laden is dead?

[poetsheart]

<p>It would indeed be a disaster for the identities of any of the soldiers who carried out this operation to be leaked. I sure hope you’re right, lje, that our military is going to extraordinary lengths to protect that information. </p>

<p>

There is no way on god’s green earth that any of those Seals would have seen Osama Bin Laden and not put a bullet in his head.

</p>

<p>Yep! I’d imagine it’s almost possible for a Special Ops troop to live off the hope they might be given that chance.</p>

[counsel]

<p>Sorry-hadn’t read post #34 and wasn’t aware of political forum closure. Mea culpa.</p>

[coolweather]

<p>Why would the Navy Seals want to endanger their life to keep OBL alive? Remember this was an extremly dangerous operation. One of the two helicopers already went down on the first minute. The team needed to carry out the operation quickly. Giving the murderer a shot in the head and in the heart was the quick way to complete the mission. They did not want to repeat the failed operation in Iran in 1980.</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>

I expect some large honor ceremonies.

</p>

<p>Don’t expect any ceremonies. The SEAL team that did this basically doesn’t exist. The only publicly available information is that there is a Special Forces team that develops procedures and tactics. But that is probably only a small percentage of what they do.</p>

<p>

The more CNN describes the operations to accomplish this mission, the more impressed I am by our Navy Seals. They are indeed elite fighting men, and extremely brave. I’m so proud of them!

</p>

<p>These members are chosen from the elite ranks of the special forces, like SEALs. Only people with special forces training are offered a chance to earn a spot. Roughly 50% pass rate (for members that have already gone through very rigorous special forces training), with the members that don’t make it returned to their previous teams.</p>

<p>Some reports say this team costs $1 billion a year, though their budget is classified.</p>

[smile12157]

<p>the difference between Bin Laden and the next potential leader is that Bin Laden had over a billion dollars in personal wealth. Without it, he would have been nothing. The next fellow may be much less effective. One can buy a lot of allegiance with a billion dollars.</p>

[BillyMc]

<p>And the CIA training, don’t forget that. The next guy won’t have the benefit of that, hopefully.</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>

I find it astounding that this was carried out by only two helicopters of SEALS, with no American casualties. And they all escaped in one helicopter, along with Osama’s body. I wonder how many there were?

</p>

<p>I’ve heard reports of 2 helicopters, but I’ve also heard reports of 4 helicopters used, which seems more likely.</p>

<p>

Does anyone remember the Carter administration’s attempt to rescue the hostages?

</p>

<p>SEAL team 6, now DevGru ([Naval Special Warfare] Devlopment Group), was established after the disastrously failed attempt in Iran.</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>

Does anyone know how long he had been living in that compound?

</p>

<p>compound was built in 2005. It cost over a million dollars. huge walls with barbed wire. Was not built to house a random family.</p>

<p>

I think the US should have taken him as a prisoner… They’ve triggered something bigger…

</p>

<p>how do you take someone prisoner who is shooting at you without shooting back?</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>the likely “next guy” is Zawahiri, for anyone who is keeping track.</p>

<p>however, there are other groups as well. AQAP. AQIM. Al Shabaab. Not to mention home grown people… and others that can travel freely with American passports (time square bomber (failed), Ft. Hood shooter, etc)</p>

[nysmile]

<p>[Manhunt</a> - An FP Slide Show | Foreign Policy](<a href=“http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/02/manhunt]Manhunt”>Manhunt – Foreign Policy)</p>

<p>Here’s a visual slideshow on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.</p>

[BillyMc]

<h1>2 most wanted just became #1…</h1>

[12rmh18]

<p>

@CNN.com

U.S. forces also recovered what a senior intelligence official is calling “quite a bit of material.”</p>

<p>"There’s a robust collection of materials we need to sift through, and we hope to find valuable intelligence that will lead us to other players in al Qaeda. A task force has been set up “because of the sheer volume of material collected. That material is currently being exploited and analyzed,” the official added.

Here’s hoping that ~40 minutes inside the compound yielded a lot of hard drives & other information about al Qaeda & its affiliates.</p>

[poetsheart]

<p>

Some reports say this team costs $1 billion a year, though their budget is classified.

</p>

<p>If the rumor is true, it’s worth every last penny!</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>there is a book on SEAL team 6 coming out in a few weeks for anyone interested. Looks like the author (I believe the first guy in charge in 1980) got some big time free media coverage.</p>

[poetsheart]

<p>Soccerguy, I’ll bet it debuts on the best seller list because of this operation. Heck, I may even read it, and I generally don’t go in for that kind of book. I mostly read novels.</p>

[performersmom]

<p>Some say that there were orders to kill him upon sight because taking UBL prisoner would have risked glorifying him, kindling hope for his escape, and inflaming the terrorists even more than a quick death and disposal.</p>

[cartera45]

<p>Colbert is getting some good mileage. He just said the Seth Meyers was great but that Obama really did kill.</p>

[BillyMc]

<p>Colbert is great tonight.</p>

[teriwtt]

<p>Watched both of them and had some good laughs!</p>

[BillyMc]

<p>Loved the clip of Obama laughing at the Bin Laden joke a couple days before.</p>