Category Archives: Osama bin Laden

By Chrissy the Hyphenated

May 2, 2011: The CNN report has a breathless quality of awe to it.

Like a page plucked from a Hollywood screenplay, Obama and other principal coordinators for the mission that killed Osama bin Laden convened in order to remotely monitor the situation.

May 4, 2011: CIA Director spills the beans.

There was a 25 minute blackout during which the live feed from cameras mounted on the helmets of the US special forces was cut off.

A photograph released by the White House appeared to show the President and his aides in the situation room watching the action as it unfolded. In fact they had little knowledge of what was happening in the compound.

In an interview with PBS, Mr Panetta said: “Once those teams went into the compound I can tell you that there was a time period of almost 20 or 25 minutes where we really didn’t know just exactly what was going on. And there were some very tense moments as we were waiting for information.

Director Panetta also said,

The US Navy Seals made the final decision to kill bin Laden rather than the president.

He said: “The authority here was to kill bin Laden. And 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.

“To be frank, I don’t think he had a lot of time to say anything. It was a firefight going up that compound. And by the time they got to the third floor and found bin Laden, I think it – this was all split-second action on the part of the Seals.”

So sad that this is not particularly shocking to me. I’m disgusted, sure. But I learned a long time ago what a Big Fat Liar our current president is.

Click graphic to embiggen for easier reading.

Chrissy’s Site Bites: http://news.webshots.com/photo/2761624510056011884lbKxrL

SOURCES:

Flickr Pics: Obama Watching Bin Laden Raid

White House Releases Dramatic Images

By Mark Milian, CNN – May 2, 2011 Updated: May 3, 2011

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27751345/detail.html

Blackout during raid on bin Laden compound

By Steven Swinford – May 4, 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8493391/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-Blackout-during-raid-on-bin-Laden-compound.html

UPDATE: This one’s for you, Denise!

BTW, I saw someone saying there was originally a bearded guy between Biden and Obama, but he was photoshopped out. Couldn’t find any evidence but it makes sense, if the picture was posed, that the photographer would not have had such a big empty space.