Missed opportunies: Bin Laden

[rogwar]

Originally posted by midnight Target
A Presidential order has been in place to KILL Bin Laden for over 7 years now. I wonder who gave that directive???

You guys need to read a freakin book.

Really? and I saw the subsequent replies as well...

show me validated sources!


Any such presidential directive of this nature would be highly classified. A presidential directive means a written and signed authorization from POTUS. Moreover, Jimmy Carter put some roadblocks in place for such executive action.

Is a copy in the Clinton library for review?

I am not saying that Clinton did not sign such a directive but find me proof please. Yes, I did some searching out of curiosity and found some BS but just hearsay. Albiet I knew such would not be found.

For that matter find me proof, as in a copy, of any presidential directive authorizing such action in the last 30+ years. Those would be classified documents, and I mean classified way beyond TS with all sorts of color or codeword chit.

This is not intended to be a personal attack. Have a great week!

[Nefarious]

Reports are saying now,

After the CIA showed the tapes to President Bush they agreed they would arm the Predator with Hellfires, Unfortunatley No armed Predators would be delivered before Sept 2001, and No more Unarmed Predators would make flights over Afghanistan until after 9/11.

Condoleeza Rice agreed with these statements and went on to say that 9/11 would have happened anyway and the death of Bin Laden would have been the primary reason behind 9/11.

[NUKE]

It was not that the predator wasn't armed, it was that they had located him in real time where he was and chose to do nothing about it. They could have send cruise missles and maybe taken him out.

[Nefarious]

Originally posted by NUKE
It was not that the predator wasn't armed, it was that they had located him in real time where he was and chose to do nothing about it. They could have send cruise missles and maybe taken him out.

The Key word in your statement is maybe

Cruise missiles dont just appear out of nowhere, there targeted and launched, it could have taken 3 to 4 hours to have them even launched.

True we missed a golden oppurtunity, but even if we launched Tomahawks at him it, It would have been at least a couple hours for the missiles to even get to target.

The Chance was there, but it was slim.

[MrLars]

Another fact about that 'missed opportunity' is that OBL was in a farm like compound where there were lots of women and children. Any attack with the possibility of collateral damage like that would have been unacceptable at that time.

Are some of you saying that if WJC attacked and got OBL under those circumstances that your party wouldn't have castigated him for his actions?

Hindsight may not be 20/20 all the time I guess.

[GRUNHERZ]

Originally posted by MrLars
Another fact about that 'missed opportunity' is that OBL was in a farm like compound where there were lots of women and children. Any attack with the possibility of collateral damage like that would have been unacceptable at that time.

Are some of you saying that if WJC attacked and got OBL under those circumstances that your party wouldn't have castigated him for his actions?

Hindsight may not be 20/20 all the time I guess.

Well how true is that? Clinton sent dozens of cruise missles into afghanistan and sudan which are rather indiscriminate after they are targeted, who knows who will show up at the target areas. All I'm saying is that Clinton in practice prolly was less concrned than you are implying.

Howver I agree that there would have been political problems. IIRC he was accused of sending missles to distract from lewinsky scandal. Which I consider a disgrace for both parties behavior.

[lasersailor184]

Also, another interesting thing that my father told me was that we will not catch OBL alive.


The moment troops get within 100 yards of him, his "People" will put a bullet in his head and Martyrize him saying that the US did it.

[2Slow]

Originally posted by midnight Target
Clinton did more to combat terrorism than any President before or even since (until 9-11).

Look it up. You will be surprised.

You are full of it!  The Sudan tried to ransome OBL to Clinton twice.  Both times we defered.  They wanted foriegn aid and in turn would turn him over to us.  We declined.

[midnight Target]

1993 - WTC #1 - Captured tried and convicted the perps.
(the same perps were planning to kill the Pope and to blow up 12 US airliners simultaneously. didn't happen.

Clinton tripled the counterterrorism budget for the FBI and doubled counterterrorism funding overall.

Both very successful crime bills included anti-terror provisions.

His was the 1st administration to coordinate Nationwide simulations to test preparedness of local response teams for terrorist attacks.

Created the 1st nationwide stockpile of vaccines including 40 million doses of smallpox vaccine.

When Clinton asked for even more funding in 1996 Orin Hatch (R) said " The administration would be wise to utilize the resources already provided before asking for more."

Clinton asked for increased wiretap authority after the Oklahoma City bombing... Gingrich helped shut it down. (Can you say "Patriot Act"?)

Immediately after the embassy bombings in Kenya Clinton issued a Presidential directive authorizing the assasination of OBL.

Clinton appointed Richard Clark as the 1st National Antiterrorism Coordinator.

Before Clinton left office he directed Clark to come up with a plan...That plan was presented to Condi and GWB and it included....
1. Attack and break up Al Quaida cells
2. Attack financial support freeze assets.
3. Assist other Govt's having Al Quaida trouble (Yemen, Phillipines and Uzbekistan)
4. Scale up covert action in Afghanistan to eliminate training camps and get to Bin Laden
5. Support the Northern Alliance and palce special forces on the ground in Afghanistan.

(exactly what Bush decided to do..... too late)

[Torque]

Originally posted by 2Slow
You are full of it!  The Sudan tried to ransome OBL to Clinton twice.  Both times we defered.  They wanted foriegn aid and in turn would turn him over to us.  We declined.

I believe they offered to turn him over to the Saudis and they were the ones who declined.