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Posted on 05/06/2011 11:17:07 AM PDT by kathsua
I grew up watching old Hollywood westerns in which the Indians always stopped fighting if their chief was killed, or at least they stopped until they selected a new chief. The killing of Osama bin Laden may provide a great deal of emotional satisfaction for Americans, but it won't necessarily improve the chances of defeating al Qaeda. The killing might even invigorate al Qaeda.
I was serving in Vietnam when North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh died. His death didn't change what was happening in the war.
Bin Laden's presence in an area far removed from the action indicates he might have become little more than a spiritual adviser to al Qaeda with operations controlled by others. If so his death at the hands of the Americans wouldn't affect operations, but his conversion to a martyr could provide a new rallying point.
(Incidentally, criticism of Pakistanis for not realizing he was at that compound ignores the fact that Pakistan has far more drug dealers / smugglers than terrorist leaders and drug dealers might also prefer to live in a fortress.)
Al Qaeda has been relatively ineffective for years, possibly because bin Laden has not provided effective leadership. Subordinates might have been afraid to challenge him because of his past role with the organization. His death could allow a more dynamic, imaginative, aggressive leader to take over. When a shrub stops growing, pruning off the old wood can give it new life.
Existing al Qaeda leaders might compete for the top position by conducting terrorist missions. Other organizations such as Hamas might seek a role in the new al Qaeda.
Perhaps members would be more willing to seek an alliance with an existing nation, particularly Libya which is fighting European "crusaders". An alliance wasn't practical before bin Laden's death because Qaddafi would both have wanted to be the leader. Qaddafi previously supported international terrorism.
The killing of Qaddafi's son and grandchildren shortly before the killing of bin Laden gives Libya and al Qaeda a common desire for revenge. Qaddafi can offer financing to al Qaeda in exchange for assistance fighting the NATO backed contras, or whatever the rebels are calling themselves.
Libyan rebel leader Abdul-Hakim al-Hasadi is an al Qaeda veteran and potentially take over if he came to power in Libya and was able to divert part of its oil revenue to al Qaeda.
Some in the Pakistan military may be so upset at the embarrassment caused by conduct of such an attack near their capital that they will give advanced weapons to al Qaeda and the Taliban. We can only hope that the Pakistan government adds extra security for its nuclear weapons.
Pakistan is not a tiny banana republic like Venezuela. It has half the population of the U.S. and the world's 7th largest military, including nuclear armed missiles.
Pakistan is a democracy which means the government must consider popular sentiment which could become more anti-U.S. as a result of the raid. If Obama's critics are correct about him visiting Pakistan in 1981 as a student using an Indonesian passport (possibly under the name of Barry Soetoro or Barry Durham) and Pakistan had a record of that visit, Pakistan could embarrass him by releasing the information. I don't know if embarrassing Obama after he embarrassed Pakistan by violating its sovereignty would be enough to quiet any public outcry against the U.S.
Obama's decision to secretly bury bin Laden at sea could be a blunder. The action sounds like a coverup because when criminals "bury" a body in the water it's to prevent discovery of the crime.
If al Qaeda could find someone who looks like bin Laden and could imitate his voice, it could make a video claiming the U.S. killed the wrong man.
It would have been better to have had someone other than bin Laden's wife and U.S. experts provide identification for the body. His wife might have identified the body as his so the U.S. would stop looking for him.
Burying him at sea won't prevent someone from establishing a shrine to him, but instead would allow a shrine to be build any place, including the place where he was killed, or in their view where he became a martyr..
The U.S. could have avoided the possibility of a shrine at his grave site by turning the body over to family members who had disowned him for burial at an secret site in Saudi Arabia which had revoked his citizenship.. Acceptance of the body by family members, who would not have been identified, would have provided more reliable identification of it.
Releasing of photos of the shooting won't provide proof he was killed. Hollywood routinely simulates the killing of actors in movies. Jay Leno has occasionally shown doctored videos showing bin Laden at various locations, including the White House. Release of the photos would be more likely to inflame his supporters than to prove he was killed.
Fortunately, Obama's release of his long form birth certificate prior to the death of bin Laden gives Obama more credibility than he would have had. Without that release, al Qaeda members might have compared the "missing" body to his missing birth certificate.
I think I read somewhere that Pakistan is considering demolishing the compound to keep it from becoming a shrine.
It's a huge event that really means nothing except for people's emotions.
The One is now using it to cover that he is working in the exact opposite direction in other places (destabilizing the middle east, abandoning Israel, actually prosecuting the CIA interrogators, wrecking our energy independence, etc - I can go on and on).
Years from now people will look back on the disaster that was Obama and wonder how we didn't see it. They won't realize the job the MSM has been doing to hide everything he does.
OBL’s demise is going to escalate the WOT.
One day we were told one thing about the banks, General Motors, healthcare and then the next day we were told a different story. After awhile, the rational, critical thinkers amongst us began to say, “What is going on here?”
In the technique called, “Brainwashing” the first step is called “alertness reduction” and at one point it becomes difficult to distinguish the truth from fantasy.
Now step two, is what I believe may be happening in this Osama Bin Laden situation. In this step you are bombarded with so much information that you lose your ability to think critically and this is accomplished with a deluge of new information, discussion, and we are bombarded with questions. During this phase reality and illusion are being blended.
Bad move. First, by dumping him in the sea, he deprived people in the funeral industry of work and income. Secondly, by dumping Osama into the sea, Obama engaged in intentional water pollution.
Why no outcry from the MSM on these two glaring negative actions???
And he’s not dead - Obama protects his Muslim brothers, he put him in the Octopus garden...
I’d like to be, under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade
He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been
in his octopus’ garden, in the shade.
I’d ask my friends to come and see
An octopus’ garden with me
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade.
We would be warm, below the storm
In our little hideaway beneath the waves
Resting our head, on the sea bed
In an octopus’ garden near a cave
We would sing and dance around
because we know we can’t be found
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade
We would shout (out) and swim about
The coral that lies beneath the waves
(Lies beneath the ocean waves)
Oh what joy for every girl and boy
Knowing they’re happy and they’re safe
(Happy and they’re safe)
We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden with you
In an octopus’ garden with you
In an octopus’ garden with you.
Some poor shark is trying to pass this big POS as we speak.
UBL’s death is a very good thing. Full stop.
Your right, it is a good thing. Americans are never happy with anything they have to pick it apart till they find a negative. We just killed another monster, Saddam was the first, are there more out there? Hell yes but a hell of a lot of them are not sleeping well at night.
“It’s a huge event that really means nothing except for people’s emotions.”
It’s more than that - it’s proof that America keeps its word.
We said we would get him, and we did. Ultimately he had no place left to hide.
If we do what is necessary to keep us safe and keep Muslims from forcing Islam on us, it is a given that we are going to pi$$ them off. Stated another way, if Muslims aren’t continuously PO’s at us,then we are not doing enough to stop them from destroying our form of government and way of life.
In spite of what our politically correct politicians are saying, you had better believe that we are at war with Islam simply because they have set their sights settling in our country and proselytizing our citizens. Having Islam in our midst is like being “a little bit pregnant”. It just does not work that way.
If we really kept our word, we wouldn’t have thrown over our allies in the ME such as Israel and Mubarek.
My son plays online video games, and spends half his time explaining to foreigners that most Americans disapprove of everything Obama does.
“If we really kept our word, we wouldn’t have thrown over our allies in the ME such as Israel and Mubarek.”
Yes, it’s disgusting. Let’s hope that White House Amateur Hour will be over in 2012 and that Americans will not fall for another stentorian, jackass empty suit.
Possibly, but we now have had our eyes on those folks for 10 years, and know who they are. This has been demonstrated by the fact that when a new leader emerges, he's usually dispatched within a year, or two, if not more quickly.
bin Laden was effective because he'd had over a decade to work in the dark, either unknown, or not considered that dangerous by our intelligence forces. Since 9/11, the CIA, and other nations' intelligence organizations have been watching anyone connected with bin Laden in any way, and have identified those most likely to step up to take his place. The fact that they haven't been off the radar screen, as bin Laden was for so long, will make it easier to keep track of their whereabouts and associates.
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