Inside The Raid That Killed Bin Laden

by Staff - May 2nd, 2011 - Associated Press

Helicopters descended out of darkness on the most important counterterrorism mission in U.S. history. It was an operation so secret, only a select few U.S. officials knew what was about to happen.

The location was a fortified compound in an affluent Pakistani town two hours outside Islamabad. The target was Usama bin Laden.

Most important counterterrorism mission in U.S. history?

What grandiose claims of importance for someone whose organization has been gutted for years. Again and again we have been told that Usama Bin Laden's death or capture was not important by various government officials. Symbolically it always was. It still is. The question is whether the symbolism will matter less if we now pull out of the region? Or if it will matter even more because we pull out?

It never seemed that killing Bin Laden was important to George W. Bush. He was far more focused on nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also was far too concerned with being a good friend to the people in Pakistan, who were conning him from day one. They were also conning America out of billions and billions for what never seemed to be all that much support.

As much as I disagreed with Bush on many things, his support for the military has had far more importance in making this happen than Obama's actions have. Without the superiority of our forces, it could not have happened. Without the intelligence gained from the interrogations at Gitmo, it would not have happened. That said, I can't see Bush authorizing keeping this mission secret from Pakistan. Without that secrecy, it would have failed. The consequences of this action are going to be very interesting. Once again Obama gets to claim he is better than Bush, no matter how little that matters to current affairs or the future of our nation.

Since it was the Democrats who passed the law that made assassination illegal, how upset do you think they are going to be that Obama ordered the assassination of Usama Bin Laden?

Considering the constant mantra by Democrats that anything we did against the Muslims aided in recruitment for terrorists, think killing Bin Laden will get anyone on the left to criticize Obama for turning poor innocent Muslims against us?

Usama Bin Laden always admired the strong horse more than the weak horse and insisted everyone else did too. Today you have to wonder about his musings on the dead horse. Oops. Too late.

I will settle for this final thought. Attack America and we will get you. We will not quit until we do. Maybe it is only symbolism - it is good symbolism for a free nation. John Wayne would be proud.