Osama Bin Laden Is Dead.

[Essence]

source (http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/158515-osama-bin-laden-is-dead-obama-announces)

Osama bin Laden has been killed nearly 10 years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

President Obama announced the death of the terrorist leader Sunday night. Obama said he authorized a U.S. mission to go after bin Laden last week.

"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant event to date in our nation's efforts to defeat al Qaida," Obama said.

A senior House GOP aide confirmed reports that Osama bin Laden is dead.


 
The aide told The Hill House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) received a call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday with the news.


A source at the White House familiar with the situation confirmed that bin Laden had been killed by U.S. personnel, and the United States is in possession of the body.

The terrorist attacks on New York City's Twin Towers and the Pentagon in 2001 led U.S. forces to invade Afghanistan. U.S. troops are still in that country nearly 10 years later.


A CIA official, speaking on background, told The Hill earlier this year that it was highly unlikely for Bin Laden to be captured alive.

"The odds of bin Laden and Zawahiri being captured alive are about as good as vodka losing favor among Russians,” the official said.

[johannhowitzer]

And I suppose he's going to take credit for this?

One of the comments made me laugh and cry at the same time: "Read it in weap you Republicans. This is what Mission Accomplished really is."  Whoever said that doesn't know either president's actions very well.  Would Obama have even had any troops in Afghanistan if George W. hadn't sent them there in the first place?

Not taking either side here, but I've noticed both Republicans and Democrats like to take credit for the good situations they've inherited from their predecessors, while blaming them for the bad ones.  Yay politics.

In other news, the grapevine has told me that maybe Gov. Mitch Daniels (IN) will be trying for the Presidency soon?  I don't have a source on that, but if it's true, there is hope for the Oval Office yet.

[OldTrees]

A terrible man has died.

I salute the non partisan Soldiers and Intelligence agencies for their accomplishment.

This will give Obama an irrational edge in the next election but our elections are full of irrational biases that one more is not anything unexpected.

[coinich]

And I suppose he's going to take credit for this?

One of the comments made me laugh and cry at the same time: "Read it in weap you Republicans. This is what Mission Accomplished really is."  Whoever said that doesn't know either president's actions very well.  Would Obama have even had any troops in Afghanistan if George W. hadn't sent them there in the first place?

Not taking either side here, but I've noticed both Republicans and Democrats like to take credit for the good situations they've inherited from their predecessors, while blaming them for the bad ones.  Yay politics.

In other news, the grapevine has told me that maybe Gov. Mitch Daniels (IN) will be trying for the Presidency soon?  I don't have a source on that, but if it's true, there is hope for the Oval Office yet.

Obama inherited the intelligence infrastructure from Bush as much as he may want to claim it for himself.  It was not one man who was responsible for this operation, but hundreds.  Obama will take some credit, and some may even be due.

And rumors are that Mitch Daniels will run; Haley Barbour dropped out making that more likely.  Look for him and Pawlenty this next year.

[johannhowitzer]

If Daniels' record governing my state is any indication, he would bring incredible candor and honesty to the White House.  He doesn't strike me as a politician at all.

[Genuinous]

Great news, but.... What does this change? It's a moral boost for the Agencies and Army. Bin Laden was a key figure and the face of Al-Qaeda, but I'm sure others will step forward.... So what was achieved?

[johannhowitzer]

Up to yesterday, Bin Laden was an example of someone who had planned a large-scale terrorist attack on the USA and got away clean.

[Genuinous]

Hrmm... Exactly. Today he's the example of the terrorist who got away clean for almost 10 years.
Is better for us now? Certainly a moral boost and great success, but what do we gain?

[UTAlan]

He will surely be replaced, but that doesn't mean his successor will be the leader that OBL was for that organization. It seems as though this is not only a moral victory, but a big blow to the Al Qaeda.

[Neopergoss]

Hrmm... Exactly. Today he's the example of the terrorist who got away clean for almost 10 years.
Is better for us now? Certainly a moral boost and great success, but what do we gain?

This is justice, yes. But I have an uneasy feeling that people will now look at the war on terror as a success. The fact is that our anti-terror policy generates a lot of new terrorists (who will revere him as a martyr) and erodes our rights at home. It is epic fail, and the only silver lining to me for people thinking of it as a success is that maybe it will now be harder to sell new wars and invade more countries because there will be a sense of completion. The amount of civilians to die in our wars far outweighs those killed by Bin Laden.

[Genuinous]

^ said it pretty well... And also revenge, which Al-Qaeda, or others might feel necessary for their "martyr"...

[johannhowitzer]

Bin Laden is a much more significant victory than any before, nonetheless.  Sure, with the rest of the "war," we made more terrorists than we killed.  With Bin Laden, we may make him a martyr, but it's not like terrorists really *need* a martyr to be all insane in the first place.  Our armed forces did rob them of a leader, and that's never nothing.