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Officials: SEALs thought bin Laden went for weapon
news.yahoo.com ^ | 5/4/2011 | news.yahoo.com

Posted on 05/04/2011 4:50:15 PM PDT by mewykwistmas

"The terrorist leader was killed by American commandos who burst into his room and feared he was reaching for a nearby weapon, U.S. officials said."

... "The officials who gave the latest details said a U.S. commando grabbed a woman who charged toward the SEALs inside the room. They said the raiders were concerned that she might be wearing a suicide vest." ... Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress the operation was "entirely lawful and consistent with our values" and justified as "an action of national self-defense." Noting that bin Laden had admitted his involvement in the events of nearly a decade ago, he said, "It's lawful to target an enemy commander in the field."

Holder also said the team that carried out the raid had been trained to take bin Laden alive if he was willing to surrender. "It was a kill-or-capture mission," he said. "He made no attempt to surrender."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 72versions; fishfood; obltermination; shiftingstory
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To: Hacklehead

First reports refered to a “40 minute firefight”. I figure that had to be wrong. A mission like this would fail or suffer casualties if it lasted anywhere near that long. Sure enough, subsequent reports stated that the raiders were only on the ground for a total of 40 minutes. Shooting would probably have ceased within 10 minutes or so.

How much ammo would the assault team have expended in a 40 minute CQB firefight? Possibly more than they could carry.


41 posted on 05/05/2011 5:02:55 AM PDT by Tallguy (Received a fine from the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit.)
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To: Tallguy

“Shooting would probably have ceased within 10 minutes or so.”

Granted that first reports are often wrong. Even if the shooting was over in 2 minutes, that’s still plenty of time to OBL to grab a weapon well before the troops got to his room. To me it makes no sense that he was unarmed unless he intented to surrender. It would seem the mission was to kill him, period, which is fine with me.


42 posted on 05/05/2011 7:07:21 AM PDT by Hacklehead (Liberalism is the art of taking what works, breaking it, and then blaming conservatives.)
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To: Hacklehead

The “he was going for a weapon” claim is bogus. It’s an after the fact justification of an ordered assassination. I have absolutely no problem with the assassination, but I have big problems with the deceit coming from the White House.


43 posted on 05/05/2011 8:47:02 AM PDT by littleharbour
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To: littleharbour
The “he was going for a weapon” claim is bogus. It’s an after the fact justification of an ordered assassination. I have absolutely no problem with the assassination, but I have big problems with the deceit coming from the White House.

That's because the children in this administration don't want to take even a little 'PR hit' from their radical support base & Euro-trash friends in pursuit of a major victory for US-interests.

We killed him because we had to. All the rest is just details. Details which properly should have remained classified. That's another problem with this bunch of kids -- they can't keep from blathering & speculating in absence of the facts.

44 posted on 05/05/2011 9:26:39 AM PDT by Tallguy (Received a fine from the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit.)
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To: Tallguy

You would think he would have either armed himself, killed himself, or had one of the body guards do it. I seem to recall that they supposedly had orders to kill him if looked like he was going to be captured.

God bless the SEALS, it’s a pity how poorly the white house is handling the slaying of OBL.

Freegards


45 posted on 05/05/2011 9:42:28 AM PDT by Ransomed
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To: mewykwistmas
Give it a week and Holder will be considering Hate Crime charges.
46 posted on 05/05/2011 9:43:54 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (If Sarah Palin was President, you would have a job by now...)
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To: littleharbour
The standard response should be “shit happens”.

In this case, “brains happen”.

47 posted on 05/05/2011 9:45:59 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (If Sarah Palin was President, you would have a job by now...)
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To: Ransomed

“God bless the SEALS, it’s a pity how poorly the white house is handling the slaying of OBL.”

Actually I consider it a blessing.


48 posted on 05/05/2011 9:46:37 AM PDT by Hacklehead (Liberalism is the art of taking what works, breaking it, and then blaming conservatives.)
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49 posted on 05/05/2011 9:54:37 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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