for truth. silly to think otherwise.

I disagree with you both. I'm just a silly thinker, I guess.

what's the point of capturing him? put him in guantanamo and deal with that? increased terrorist activity until he's released? more daniel pearls?

if there was any reason to bring him alive, you can be sure SEAL 6 would have done it, especially since he was unarmed. obama watched the whole thing go down and at any point could have said "capture him." the order was to kill.

no one even wanted his body, apparently, so he was buried at sea within 24 hours (so he would be buried in accordance with muslim tradition). it also prevented a grave site for being used as a memorial.

I definitely think if he wasn't trying to resist as they claim he was and that he surrendered, they would have not killed him. To do so would be against international law, whether you like it or not. Were there orders given that he could be killed? Yes, if he resisted. And that's the story the US is sticking with. You can resist and be unarmed.

Silly me for thinking so.

no it's silly that you don't think the order was shoot to kill.

if you don't think they could have fabricated that he resisted, you're ignoring government. it's not like people follow the geneva convention anyways.

captain barbossa said it right... "it's not really rules, it's more of a guideline."

I'm not disputing that they didn't have orders to kill; they did, if he resisted. If he had surrendered, I don't think they still would have killed him.

well it seemed like you took offense to my "silly" comment, which was the same point that was in your last post.

There isn't a politician in this country that would have criticized Obama for a kill only order. Not a one.

What do you guys think of Mr. Bush declining the invitation to go to ground zero to lay a wreath down with President Obama? Here's some quotes from people regarding his decline to show:













http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/04/ ... tml?hpt=T1

I understand where Mr. Bush is coming from, and I also feel that he probably just wants to sink into a normal, somewhat private life after his presidency since it wasn't so well regarded. I do think that he should go, though, just because it culminates all his hard work he put in for a cause he believed him. I don't agree with Mr. Bush's policies and I didn't like him as president, but he does deserve some credit for bin Laden's capture. Finding him was a meticulous mission and I don't find it the least unsettling or any less of an accomplishment because it took 10 years. I think it would just demonstrate some unity in a time of partisan politics, because both parties can agree that bin Laden's death was a big accomplishment for our War on Terror.

I don't necessarily believe that anger would come from within our own country, but I do think it would hurt our world image (possibly more than this already has).

Before this turns into a Bush hate thread, he's also declined invites from several GOP lead officials as well. He said when he left the white house he simply wanted to fade from the spotlight, and go back to his ranch. He's stood his ground on that stance, and I have gotta say, I don't blame him. He had (unfairly more often than not) one of the worst approval ratings as a president, and simply got run down doing the job. If he takes 30 years to recharge his batteries, I'd be shocked, but not necessarily disappointed in him. He needed to get away from the lime light, and has done so.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

It's pretty plain that capturing him would have been a TERRIBLE plan. Alive he's a symbol of resistance and a martyr much more so than dead and buried at sea with no head stone to pray at. Killing him is quick and easy while going through a trial would not only take forever and give this d-bag a gazillion more media airtime miles. And when he's found guilty...what of? Do we want to deal with the "Did he get a fair trial?" bullshit you know would come up? What about the obvious pissing contest that some countries would insist on dragging us into as to who should prosecute him and for which crimes since he was responsible for so much shit in so many countries? Fuck that. Dead and gone. Way way less messy than having to juggle the fucking bologna shit storm that we'd have on our hands if he was kickin' it in a US prison.

I think that when weighed against the possible benefits of capturing him (intelligence) it's pretty clear that the only order that would have made sense was to put a bullet in his head. It's just business. ha!

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The decision wasn't whether to capture UBL or kill him, but whether to kill him with a missile or to use a SEAL team to get confirmation. They weren't going in there to take prisoners. And I agree with the decision.

Ham

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Do you believe yet?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... tml?hpt=C1

Some snippets...

Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had all issued orders to kill or capture the al Qaeda leader.

"The authority (during the raid) was to kill bin Laden," CIA Director Leon Panetta said Tuesday during an interview with PBS. "Obviously, under the rules of engagement, if he had in fact thrown up his hands, surrendered, and didn't appear to be representing any kind of threat, then they were to capture him. But they had full authority to kill him."

Asked if bin Laden tried to grab a weapon or physically attack a commando, the official would say only that "he didn't hold up his hands and surrender."

Bin Laden, considered a combatant by virtue of his position as head of al Qaeda, needed to immediately make clear a desire to surrender, if that was his decision, in order to avoid being shot. That apparently didn't happen, Groves said.

"The United States offered bin Laden the possibility to surrender, but he refused," Martin Scheinin, the United Nations' special rapporteur for human rights, said Tuesday. "Bin Laden would have avoided destruction if he had raised a white flag."

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Super graphic photos in this link. Don't look at pictures 7-9 if you get easily grossed out.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... tml?hpt=T1

Number 7 looks like his son they believe was being groomed to take over bin Laden. Number 8 was armed with a deadly mini water gun. Number 9, I have no comment. Obviously the one photo missing is OBL.

Al Queda confirms bin Ladin's death and VOWS revenge...

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

I'm guessing this is the long hand form of Al Queda saying, "This shit just got real".

If true though, seriously? Attacks on the 10th anniversary of 9/11?

Seriously?

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If it's a tight squeeze, spit on it! - NyI

He's a middling AHL player who had the good fortune of a drunk arbitrator. - The Squanto re: Tim Kennedy

The Taliban and Bin laden's overall goal is what they call the "death of a thousand cuts". Death by debt. They bogged down the USSR in a long drawn out campaign which hurt them financially and they believe that bleeding them slowly was a big part of why the USSR crumbled. That same goal is exactly what they are trying to enact with us. It costs them a few thousand to bomb us or pull off a 9/11 while it costs us billions/trillions to defend ourselves and push an offense. The more we get roped into a fight with them, the more we're being our worst enemy. It's the reaction to their actions that cause the most harm. I don't think it takes a genius to look around and go "Hmmm...".

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Al Qaeda was held together because of Bin Ladin's personality and charisma. With him gone, they'll start to fracture into smaller groups lead by different people who have different ideas about how to proceed.

I'd guess they'll be irrelevant within 5 years. At least I hope so.

Bwahahahahaha!

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"Sarcasm and cynicism: Just two of the many services I provide."
"Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them."
"You can't polish a turd."