Yossarian Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I don't mind it if the Pakistanis do things in their national interest that run counter to ours...it's just that I hate to pay their salaries while they are doing it. As for the Chinese getting access to that helicopter...that's the way that military operations work. Sometimes you lose valuable assets, but in the case of putting a round into Osama's head, it was well worth the price. Too bad our President had to do his own premature "Mission Accomplished" crowing sending countless Muslim terrorists to their bolt-holes before we could exploit the intelligence gathered on-site. But that's the way he rolls... Link to comment
Excel Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 That is one issue I have with the way it all played out. It'd have been nice if we hadn't released the news for a week or two, we could easily have bagged a few more. Link to comment
Yossarian Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 That is one issue I have with the way it all played out. It'd have been nice if we hadn't released the news for a week or two, we could easily have bagged a few more. Now, having said that, I imagine that if we (you and I) had had the summer he has gone through, we probably would have done the same. Link to comment
Excel Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 That is one issue I have with the way it all played out. It'd have been nice if we hadn't released the news for a week or two, we could easily have bagged a few more. Now, having said that, I imagine that if we (you and I) had had the summer he has gone through, we probably would have done the same. Are you talking about the President? Link to comment
Sub-Husker Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 With allies like the Pakistanis, who needs enemies? Despite our killing their citizens with our drones, interfering with their politics and arming rival drug gangs to their north, the Pakistanis should love us for all the freedom we have offered them! Link to comment
Sub-Husker Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 ... they have to know if you mess with the bull, you get the horns. Sounds like a recipe for creating a disfunctional football conference. Link to comment
knapplc Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 That is one issue I have with the way it all played out. It'd have been nice if we hadn't released the news for a week or two, we could easily have bagged a few more. Not so much. Al Qaeda knew bin Laden was dead. The major targets - the guys we really wanted - were all on the run within 24 hours of his death. The president announcing his death on TV isn't what alerted them, their own communication structure alerted them. Despite that, we've already bagged how many major players? A dozen? Who is running al Qaeda now? Who are the targets that we haven't captured/killed? Link to comment
Yossarian Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 That is one issue I have with the way it all played out. It'd have been nice if we hadn't released the news for a week or two, we could easily have bagged a few more. Now, having said that, I imagine that if we (you and I) had had the summer he has gone through, we probably would have done the same. Are you talking about the President? Yes...I assumed you were referring to him when you said "It'd have been nice if we hadn't released the news." Who were you talking about? Link to comment
Sub-Husker Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Who is running al Qaeda now? Who are the targets that we haven't captured/killed? Ever since we coined that name, many groups different have either claimed that name or were given that name. They share a general ideology and perhaps share some sources for funding and weapons, but they are not the same group. Just like Hezbollah, there are many groups with that name. Link to comment
knapplc Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Who is running al Qaeda now? Who are the targets that we haven't captured/killed? Ever since we coined that name, many groups different have either claimed that name or were given that name. They share a general ideology and perhaps share some sources for funding and weapons, but they are not the same group. Just like Hezbollah, there are many groups with that name. And the sun rises in the east, but that doesn't answer my question. The statement was that we made an error by announcing bin Laden's death. This begs the question, who in bin Laden's organization have we missed out on capturing/killing because we announced his death? Link to comment
Excel Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Who is running al Qaeda now? Who are the targets that we haven't captured/killed? Ever since we coined that name, many groups different have either claimed that name or were given that name. They share a general ideology and perhaps share some sources for funding and weapons, but they are not the same group. Just like Hezbollah, there are many groups with that name. And the sun rises in the east, but that doesn't answer my question. The statement was that we made an error by announcing bin Laden's death. This begs the question, who in bin Laden's organization have we missed out on capturing/killing because we announced his death? ...one word....BIEBER Link to comment
Yossarian Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Who is running al Qaeda now? Who are the targets that we haven't captured/killed? Ever since we coined that name, many groups different have either claimed that name or were given that name. They share a general ideology and perhaps share some sources for funding and weapons, but they are not the same group. Just like Hezbollah, there are many groups with that name. And the sun rises in the east, but that doesn't answer my question. The statement was that we made an error by announcing bin Laden's death. This begs the question, who in bin Laden's organization have we missed out on capturing/killing because we announced his death? ...one word....BIEBER We have a winner!!!!! Link to comment
Excel Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 But seriously you may have a point knapplc but you may be overestimating the communications capabilities of these people. We announced his death within hours of the operation right? From the look of it that compound hardly had the capabilities to maintain constant contact with the outside world and who knows...we might have been able to exploit it. I dunno, I'm no intelligence genius.... Link to comment
knapplc Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 All I know is, they have cell phones just like everyone else. I'm sure they have codes and signals and yadda yadda yadda. I'm not a member of al Qaeda, so I can't fully comment. I'm just speaking from what I think is rational. Link to comment
Yossarian Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 But seriously you may have a point knapplc but you may be overestimating the communications capabilities of these people. We announced his death within hours of the operation right? From the look of it that compound hardly had the capabilities to maintain constant contact with the outside world and who knows...we might have been able to exploit it. I dunno, I'm no intelligence genius.... I am assuming that when the operation went down, NSA and everyone in the region had collection platforms/systems turned on to collect any and all comms even remotely related to the killing of bin Laden. If I remember correctly, the friendlies collected all of the cell/satellite phones as well as computers - leaving the survivors in the compound with limited means to communicate. I suspect that the Pakistani ISI was the prime collection objective since we were trying to determine their role in their guests' ability to remain hidden for several years. While it would have been better to hold off on the victory dance, I am amazed and proud that we were able to keep the operation a secret until it was over. COMSEC and OPSEC at the very highest level... Link to comment
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