Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Michael Mukasey: Obama and the bin Laden Bragging Rights
WSJ ^ | April 30, 2012 | MICHAEL B. MUKASEY

Posted on 05/07/2012 9:21:15 AM PDT by nuconvert

The first anniversary of the SEAL Team 6 operation that killed Osama bin Laden brings the news that President Obama plans during the coming campaign to exploit the bragging rights to the achievement. That plan invites scrutiny that is unlikely to benefit him.

Consider the events surrounding the operation. A recently disclosed memorandum from then-CIA Director Leon Panetta shows that the president's celebrated derring-do in authorizing the operation included a responsibility-escape clause: "The timing, operational decision making and control are in Admiral McRaven's hands. The approval is provided on the risk profile presented to the President. Any additional risks are to be brought back to the President for his consideration. The direction is to go in and get bin Laden and if he is not there, to get out."

Which is to say, if the mission went wrong, the fault would be Adm. McRaven's, not the president's. Moreover, the president does not seem to have addressed at all the possibility of seizing material with intelligence value—which may explain his disclosure immediately following the event not only that bin Laden was killed, but also that a valuable trove of intelligence had been seized, including even the location of al Qaeda safe-houses. That disclosure infuriated the intelligence community because it squandered the opportunity to exploit the intelligence that was the subject of the boast.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: binladen; mukasey; obam
Didn't see this posted when I searched.
1 posted on 05/07/2012 9:21:26 AM PDT by nuconvert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

The people around Odumbass know what they have to do to get the job done

Present a scenario around which they can do what they need to do, while providing the big guy with only enough info to give him plausible deniability when the SHTF

Not a good way to run a country


2 posted on 05/07/2012 9:26:32 AM PDT by Mr. K (If Romney wins the primary, I am writing-in PALIN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

My thoughts, exactly, plausible deniability.


3 posted on 05/07/2012 10:49:35 AM PDT by TiaS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

Hello, House of Representin’? How many Watergates is it going to take?


4 posted on 05/07/2012 10:51:20 AM PDT by cld51860 (Oderint dum metuant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nuconvert

Mukasey must have been inspired by my Free Republic profile page.


5 posted on 05/07/2012 10:58:08 AM PDT by GSWarrior
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson