(starting at about 4:30)
I think what this operation demonstrates is that there are some very very good people who have been following bin Laden for many many years. They have been very persistent, they have pulled on every thread. And as a result of their diligence, and their analytic capabilities, they were able to track this, and continue to build a body of evidence that suggested, circumstantially, that bin Laden was at that compound. That’s what they did, it was much greater confidence that we had in this body of intelligence, in this body of information, than we’ve had since Tora Bora. Still, though, there was nothing to confirm that bin Laden was at that compound. And therefore, when President Obama was faced with the opportunity to act upon this, the president had to evaluate the strength of this information, and then made what I believe was one of the most gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory.
Exactly. Thank goodness we elected someone so methodical, so responsible, and so level-headed as Barack Obama. It’s definitely paying off, too, both in Obama’s response to the economic crisis we found ourselves in when he took office, and now in this signature accomplishment of the Obama presidency. Bottom line: great job by everyone involved in this operation – the superb SEAL Team 6 that carried out the operation, the intelligence community, the Obama foreign policy and counterterrorism team, etc. Truly superb.
P.S. It’s so funny to look back at some of the ridiculous statements made by both Democrats and Republicans back in the 2007/2008 campaign, criticizing Barack Obama for stating that if he had actionable intel on bin Laden, he’d order him taken out. What on earth where these people thinking? I mean, isn’t this about as common sensical as you can get?
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