Memo Reveals The 'Gutsy' Bin Laden Call That Wasn't

IBD Editorials ^ | April 27, 2012

[raptor22]

Killing Bin Laden: Like so many others, the final decision to pull the trigger on the world's most-wanted man was delegated to an admiral who undoubtedly would have been thrown under the bus had the mission failed.

It's been almost a year since President Obama's leadership and foreign policy bona fides were allegedly established by the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. A campaign film narrated by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks tells of the president's alleged solitary, agonizing decision.

With apologies to Vice President Biden, maybe President Obama doesn't carry quite as big a stick as Joe would lead us to believe.

As reported by Big Peace, Time magazine has obtained a memo written by Leon Panetta, then-director of the Central Intelligence Agency and now-Secretary of Defense, that says "operational decision-making and control" was really in the hands of William McRaven, a three-star admiral and former Navy SEAL.

"The timing, operational decision-making and control are in Adm. McRaven's hands," the memo says. "The approval is provided on the risk profile presented to the president. Any additional risks are to be brought back to the president for his consideration. The direction is to go in and get bin Laden and, if he is not there, to get out."

In other words, it was McRaven's call to pull the trigger or not on the raid.

Some would say that this is a distinction without a difference, sort of like a head coach in football drawing up the game plan and letting his offensive coordinator actually call the plays. Then, technically, President George W. Bush gets the credit, since it was on his watch our war on terror was declared, Navy SEALs and Special Forces funding was increased and the hunt for Osama bin Laden began.

[beethovenfan]

Zero didn’t do a damn thing but get out of the way.

[basil]

I’m surprised that he was smart enough to do even that.

I wonder if someone didn’t bind and gag him during the operation to get OBL.....

[raptor22]

War on terror ping

[Sacajaweau]

By the time we gottem (if we did in fact gettum) he was a worthless piece of sh**. Did you see Muslims bowing in adoration?? He just wasn’t a big deal any more.

[SamAdams76]

Yep, if the mission had failed, the 3-star Admiral would be a 2-star Admiral stationed in Nome, Alaska and Obama would be condemning him as a loose-cannon “renegade”.

[dfwgator]

Where’s the Death Certificate?

[AU72]

And he’s still doing an end zone dance and getting up in Romney’s grill about it.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I still think it sucks that the North Koreans, Red Chinese and Pockeystawnis know more about the stealth Blackhawks than Americans do.

[lentulusgracchus]

Don't forget the Offgonnistonnis .... and Eerawnnies.

I think all these foreign correspondents must go around chewing toffees all day.

[Ranger Warrior]

If I knew how, I would post a picture of a toothpick — that would represent the “big stick” Biden was referring to!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[Ramius]

A solitary, agonizing decision? Really? Are they really going to push that line?

C’mon, if anything for a CIC is a no-brainier, it’s that one. And you go in with the SEALS instead of dropping a 2,000 pounder because you want to be really sure. It’s about as easy a decision as a President could hope to have.

[Bulwinkle]

Hmmm, remember the famous photo of Obama and Hillary watching it “Live”... but then it turn out that they did not have a video feed?????

How is that going to play in the Obama Kills osama Movie that is coming out in the fall?????

LOL, he wasn’t in control and he didn’t even watch it happen.

[Bulwinkle]

Hmmm, remember the famous photo of Obama and Hillary watching it “Live”... but then it turn out that they did not have a video feed?????

How is that going to play in the Obama Kills osama Movie that is coming out in the fall?????

LOL, he wasn’t in control and he didn’t even watch it happen.

[plain talk]

Death certificate? who cares about whatever Pakistani paperwork is or is not filed?

[TigersEye]

Bush did it!

[hummingbird]

“Hmmm, remember the famous photo of Obama and Hillary watching it “Live”... but then it turn out that they did not have a video feed?????”

What were they watching, Bulwinkle? I had not heard this.

Tell me more...it will prove how more ridiculous Obama is.....

[Chode]

do I really have to say it???

nothing we didn't already know to be true since the boy was on a golf course when it went down...

[SandRat]

SO...Hollywierd, the LameStreamMedia, and Obozo lied again. Of course we already knew that here at FR.

[RedMDer]

---

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[UCANSEE2]

Here is the (in)famous photo.

[rdb3]

Do you have a link for that? I’d love to see it!

[Vigilantcitizen]

You notice Hillary! puttin on the front? She’s an awful actor.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Then, technically, President George W. Bush gets the credit, since it was on his watch our war on terror was declared, Navy SEALs and Special Forces funding was increased and the hunt for Osama bin Laden began.

No...all the credit goes to the operators, pilots, logistics guys, and commanders...period. Not that I buy the story...but.

[mirkwood]

[Vaquero]

Saying the zer0bama regime took down Bin Laden...

....is like saying the Nixon Administration put Apollo 11 on the moon....

[Verginius Rufus]

The Obama team has Bill Clinton as the narrator praising Obama's courage--they expect everyone to be unaware of the fact that the Sudanese government offered to hand over Osama Bin Laden while Clinton was President (Clinton even admitted that once--it's on tape).

The risks to his political popularity (the only thing Obama cares about) were minimal. Carter wasn't rejected in 1980 because of the people who got killed on the failed attempt to rescue the hostages.

The Democrats are alleging that Romney would not have ordered the strike on Osama. I think it was Krauthammer last night who was pointing out how implausible that claim is--people think any President in that situation would have given his approval. It took Obama 16 hours to decide--it would have taken Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush 16 seconds, or less.

[hummingbird]

What? No pizza!

[marvlus]

With apologies to Vice President Biden, maybe President Obama doesn't carry quite as big a stick as Joe would lead us to believe.

Biden said Obama has a big stick, not that he carries one.

[SunkenCiv]

Time magazine has obtained a memo written by Leon Panetta, then-director of the Central Intelligence Agency and now-Secretary of Defense, that says "operational decision-making and control" was really in the hands of William McRaven, a three-star admiral and former Navy SEAL... Some would say that this is a distinction without a difference, sort of like a head coach in football drawing up the game plan and letting his offensive coordinator actually call the plays. Then, technically, President George W. Bush gets the credit, since it was on his watch our war on terror was declared, Navy SEALs and Special Forces funding was increased and the hunt for Osama bin Laden began.

Zero had been told the location of his coreligionist some time earlier, and hadn't given the go-ahead. One tip from the NY Slimes, and Osama could have run for it before the raid. Thanks raptor22.

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