&host=rt.com&uri=/usa/news/biden-bin-raid-president-109/&via=(none)&ua=CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html))
Biden opposed Osama bin Laden raid
Published: 31 January, 2012, 00:33
United States, Fort Campbell: US President Barack Obama addresses troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, May 6, 2011 after he met and decorated the "full assault force" behind the clandestine raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a White House official said. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden (L) held a series of closed door meetings with special operations troops, then decorated the entire force handing out Presidential Unit Citations, the highest unit award he has the power to grant. (AFP Photo / Jim Watson)
TAGS: Military, Obama, Biden, Terrorism, History, USA
When President Obama gave the okay for the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, it wasn’t a unanimous decision for the administration.
Nearly nine months after SEAL Team Six executed the al-Qaeda leader, Vice President Joe Biden admitted that he wasn’t in favor of the raid.
Speaking at a private meeting of Democratic leaders last week, Vice President Biden told colleagues that Barack Obama asked for opinions from throughout the cabinet. Most everyone was unsure of what answer to offer, with only then-CIA Director Leon Panetta being 100 percent for the push. Biden, however, wasn’t so certain.
"Every single person in that room hedged their bet, except Leon Panetta. Leon said 'Go'. Everyone else said 49, 51,” recalled Biden. The meeting in question occurred just days before the May 2, 2011 raid that left bin laden dead and involved input from Obama’s top appointees, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"It got to me," Mr. Biden told said to party leaders in Maryland on Friday. "I said 'You know, I didn't know we have so many economists around the table. We owe the man a direct answer. Mr. President, my suggestion is don't go."
Biden added that, the next morning, President Obama gave the go-ahead and the mission was underway. “He came down to the diplomatic entrance getting in the helicopter, I believe to go to Michigan, I'm not positive about that, and he turned to Tom Donilon [the National Security Adviser]and said, 'Go,’” recalled the VP.
On May 2, top officials in his cabinet watched remotely from the Situation Room as the execution was carried out.
"He knew what was at stake. Not just the lives of those brave warriors but literally the presidency. And he pulled the trigger," Mr. Biden said.
After the raid, some critics came after Obama for making the decision, saying the commander-in-chief jumped the gun by ordered an execution rather than bringing the alleged criminal to trial. Speaking from the retreat, Biden said such a move is typical for the president, who is not hesitant to jump to big decision.
When asked if the president "leads from behind," Biden told colleagues, "He just leads. And that's clear."
31.01, 00:28
19 comments
Megaupload is illegal, but buying drugs and guns online is okay?Senator Chuck Schumer called it “a certifiable one-stop shop for illegal drugs that represents the most brazen attempt to peddle drugs online that we have ever seen.” |
31.01, 01:55
47 comments
US vs Iran, coming this May!Depending on how soon military contractors can get to work on a massive US Navy “mother ship,” a colossal sea vessel could be stationed outside of Iran as early as this May. Israel vs Iran |
Politics is difficult to understand:
If Biden, who was received in Belgrade’s parliament by the opposition MP´s wearing t-shirts with inscribed “Nazi Scum Biden Go Home” as he was one of the main architects of the destruction of Yugoslavia, opposed the assassination of Osama just tells us volumes where Obama the “peace maker noble laureate” stands.
On a second thought; Osama was brought in Bosnia with other extremists muslim fanatics to fight and got shot in his left leg. As he was created by them to fight the Russian troops in Afghanistan. We never saw him openly fight the Americans but just some tape and video recordings once in awhile release sending threatening messages to USA. One thing is clear; he was a CIA creation to fight the socialists and used as an excuse for the Americans to invade in Afghanistan. Nasty, dirty political games.
I doubt it was Osama they've killed, the cheap manipulated (non-existing) evidences are proof enough for that lie. The photo composition from United States of Israel that was leaked is just too amateurish. The US product and friend OBL wouldn't have survived so many Years with such a severe disease in a Afghan cave. The seal team six mission was just a Hollywood-like PR nothing else, they've probably killed one of their own OBL photo-model imitation and continue to cover up the 9/11 inside job. Besides, who would just execute such a person without even water-boarding him to squeeze and get some information about who else was involved.