President Obama: Bin Laden raid is 'most important single day of my presidency'

MSNBC website ^ | Wed May 2, 2012 7:00 AM EDT | By Jessica Hopper, Subrata De and Tim Uehlinger

[Mr. K]

President Barack Obama describes the killing of Osama bin Laden as the “most important single day” of his presidency and said that the decision to carry out the raid was one that he had to ultimately make alone.

“I did choose the risk,” the president said in an exclusive interview with Rock Center Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams. “The reason I was willing to make that decision of sending in our SEALs to try to capture or kill bin Laden rather than to take some other options was ultimately because I had 100 percent faith in the Navy SEALs themselves.”

A year after the May 1, 2011, raid on bin Laden’s compound, Obama and several of the advisers who helped plan the operation, known as “Operation Neptune’s Spear,” spoke exclusively to NBC News, reflecting on the tense months spent planning and debating the feasibility of this daring raid. The interviews occurred before the president made an unannounced visit to Kabul on Tuesday, where he and President Hamid Karzai signed an agreement on the future of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

“This had to be such a close-held operation,” the president said in the interview airing tonight at 9pm/8c on NBC. “There were only a handful of staff in the White House who knew about this.”

[Nip]

Lets take him at his word - the most important single day of his presidency.

Okay.

The most important day was something that he had only a passing acquaintance with. He made the decision to act after a few minutes and absolutely no risk and the raid took several hours to execute with considerable risk.

The most important day was something that was based entirely on a new infrastructure developed and maintained by his predecessor. Remember Obama wanted to totally dismantle the intelligence PROGRAMS developed and maintained by Bush when he, Obama, was a candidate.

I say lets take this unsolicited quote from Obama and show again and again how shallow the last four years have been!

[domeika]

He can’t run on his record, and only his moonbat base likes his healthcare debacle. So he needs to distance himself from....himself and do a little “re-imaging”. His campaign is going to be all about national security and he is such a tough guy. And to help foster that illusion, I smell something contrived in the works for the NATO summit in Chicago with the help of his slimy partner Rahm. He has lost the middle class....at least the ones that were stupid enough to vote for him in the first place....and some show of crisis handling might give him a boost, or so they think. It would be great if all the protesting whackos just stayed away from Chicago if for nothing else than to deprive zero of his moment.

[Seaplaner]

(Mister)...Obama describes the killing of Osama bin Laden as the “most important single day” of his presidency and said that the decision to carry out the raid was one that he had to ultimately make alone.

I'm not easily offended; however this veteran and Navy Dad takes high offense at Mister Obama's crowing about his one semi-correct decision of his (alleged) presidency.

I suspect that the reason that bin Laden was killed in situ was that to remove him alive to Gitmo would have been politically inconvenient (even though there was much info to be had from the evil dude.)

Then, to cover their foolishness on killing an intel gold mine, they chose to crow that the laptops were a "treasure trove of information". IIRC, this is an uber-huge no no. You don't tell our enemies what we have (real or imaginary).

Then there was another uber-no-no. Someone (I forget who) blabbed that it was a SEAL team. If memory serves, the dark side took reprisals on a SEAL helo, and many were killed (apparently) due to juvenile exuberance, and flaunting the most important rules of security. (Feel free to check my facts, here, I'm working on memory.)

Then, any other president (save for Clinton) would be crediting our Military (in general) and our intel agencies, sort of the way a QB credits his team after a win.

Childish, in-over-his-head, and totally disrespecting our military and military procedures.

[b4its2late]

Cause it’s the only one.

[bgill]

It’s only memorable to him because he was pizzed they had to drag him kicking and screaming off the golf course.

[PLD]

I am so sick of seeing and hearing this bozo pat himself on the back..what a jerk!!!

I guess now he will be taking another vacation since he put himself in danger by going over to Afghanistan..wonder where to this time... /sarcasm..

[goseminoles]

I happen to agree with him on this. Nothing else positive has happened in 3 1/2 yrs.

[blueunicorn6]

Reminds me of Eisenhower and D-Day......no.....I guess not....more like PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE.

[RetSignman]

[Chgogal]

President Obama, take this advice from me. STFU!

Every time you open your mouth you make yourself look small and insignificant compared to ALL of America's Great Leaders. You trivialize yourself. Second thought, just keep on talking President DumbA$$.

[Sgt_Schultze]

So is he saying he broke 80?

[Verginius Rufus]

He is being modest, as usual.

It's not only the most important single day in his presidency, it's the most important day in American history, and quite possibly the most important day in the past 1,000 years of world history.

[Chgogal]

BTTT

You are correct on all fronts. Obama, how should I put it, displayed youthful exuberance which led to too much talkie talk. Typical of this immature ideologue. What was equally sickening, his administration and MSM sycophants telling us all what a tough decision this was. They keep on hammering this until nausea sets in. Worse yet if you compare Obama’s CIA record of this American Moment to then General Eisenhower's American Moment, Obama’s is wanting. Let's compare:

Obama’s CIA official Record (please take note of the weasel words if events went south. I took the liberty to bold them):

Received phone call from Tom Donilon who stated that the President made a decision with regard to AC1 [Abbottabad Compound 1]. The decision is to proceed with the assault. The timing, operational decision making and control are in Admiral McRaven’s hands. 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. Those instructions were conveyed to Admiral McRaven at approximately 10:45 am.

Now here is General Eisenhower who on the day before D-Day had the guts to meet up with the 101st Airborne thinking that 80% of these men would be dead within the next 48 hours. Yet he spent time with them despite his heavy heart. Then on his drive back he penned a note that said the following:

“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

What an amazing difference. Too bad Obama studied the Marxist Manifesto and Alinski instead of American History.

[varon]

President Obama: Bin Laden raid is 'most important single day of my presidency' and in true fashion of my presidency all the work was done by someone else.