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Bin Ladin is dead


Jae Onasi

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I think trying to save time may have been a priority. Pakistan hadn't been made aware of the operation and they had begun scrambling fighter jets. Perhaps the last thing they wanted was the place to be surrounded by Pakistani forces by the time they're done with Osama.

 

Remember that the PMA was at walking distance from the house, not only would it be an important target for attacks (terrorist ones or otherwise), but it would be easy to scramble troops if Pakistan catches wind of what's going on the compound. The US wanted a quick in, quick out.

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Being unarmed has never stopped the US military before, why now?

 

How about not making sweeping statements on subjects you know nothing about?

 

If I'd been allowed to shoot anyone I pleased, my job would've been a whole lot easier. Morally indefensible, sure, but definitely easier. I'm assuming that you're referring to civilians as well as unarmed known combatants.

 

Osama did not surrender, and was with a bunch of his buddies who were armed. There were obviously guns in the room that he could easily grab, given the chance. It would be insane to require a US soldier to wait for him to grab a nearby gun before shooting him, all the while being shot at by Osama's friends. It's not like they waltzed into the building, found poor defenseless Osama, and shot him in the head before he could open his mouth.

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I was musing: If you were a military operations planner and/or a government that has spent an extreme amount of resources in a war started by one man, wouldn't it be more logical to have a priority to take him alive if possible?

 

Now, doing so would cause an incredible amount of fanfare, and cause the very likely threat of retaliatory action in the form of reverse-hostage blackmail, as is characteristic of the enemy you face. So, it would make sense to have operation representatives to make a statement to the entire world that the target has been eliminated, as the gravity of such an action would generally rule out the possibility of untruth in the minds of most people.

I can almost imagine if Bin Laden was captured, America would go Roman Empire style and make him walk through the streets of NY chained to a car or something. Public humiliation and all that.

 

In any case, I can understand the satisfaction people have gotten for Bin Laden's death (whether it's revenge, justice or something else), but the cheering in the streets I find ridiculous. Then again, Americans are weird.

 

@Qui-Gon: I'm guessing there are a lot of reasons why someone might hate the US, depending on where you live. Me, I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. What I do think is that in more than a few ways, it's a backwater country. No offense.

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Being unarmed has never stopped the US military before, why now?

Care to add anything constructive to the discussion, or are you merely here to troll, troll? :dozey:

 

You're just jealous because we're not an Orwellian nanny-state with video cameras on every street corner. :p

 

 

Yet. :¬:

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I don't think that any of us should kid ourselves about Osama ever being brought into custody. I personally don't think any soldier fighting in the region would have been able to resist killing him, regardless of orders - standing or otherwise. Maybe within the first year or so after 9/11, but not after nearly a decade of evading and essentially taunting his pursuers.

 

He was always going to be killed upon discovery, if you ask me. And really - and this is one of the few times I feel no need to criticise the American military - I don't think there's a damned thing wrong with that.

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Being unarmed has never stopped the US military before, why now?

 

Contribute to the discussion. Give facts, make an argument. Don't just insult the whole of the US military without at least attempting to back it up, its a low blow to those of us who have or are preparing to put our lives on the line for our country.

 

Bin Laden was a legitimate combatant, armed or not. The point of rapidly storming a building is to tilt the odds in your favor. If the enemy doesn't even have time to pick up a rifle, then those SEALs did an excellent job.

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Also it should be noted that it was a distinct possibility he had a suicide vest on... I mean it's not like terrorists have been opposed to blowing themselves up to take people out.

 

I say Bravo Zulu SEALs, on a job well done.

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Also it should be noted that it was a distinct possibility he had a suicide vest on... I mean it's not like terrorists have been opposed to blowing themselves up to take people out.
I really don't see Bin Ladin wearing a suicide vest as a distinct possibility. He always seemed more like let the other guy wear the vest type of guy.

 

Please don’t take that as an attack on the Seal that shot Bin Ladin because it is not. In life Bin Ladin seemed to approve of killing unarmed people, so I’m sure he would have approve of the Seal’s actions too.

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@ Taak Farst: 67 of your United Kingdom compatriots died in the 9/11 attacks, along with 24 Canadians, 11 Australians, and 271 other foreign nationals.

 

The families of your fellow citizens who died at the word of Bin Laden have finally received some measure of justice. I apologize to them on behalf of the US military and the gov't for it taking nearly 10 years.

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@Milt: I think you know my politics a little better than that... I am a big criticizer of my country of origin, and think that we have done things that are downright despicable. I still love the land where I live... it is home, the only one I have known. But I am no nationalist.

 

That makes us no different than all of the "powerful" nations or states in human history. Big power == big bad decisions, power plays, dirty pool, etc.

 

@Liverandbacon: fair point on why killing him was the better and more logical choice. I am a philosopher, not a tactician, and I have no experience as a soldier. I fight CQC, and well, but in a gunfight I am screwed. I do like Stratego though.

 

@Jae's post right above mine: great point - it was not simply Americans who suffered loss in that attack. Every one of those foreign nationals had families in there homeland who suffered a great deal. It was a tragedy that truly affected people around the world.

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