A motivational poster, sent in from a reader:
In case the font is too small, the words at the bottom are: “VINDICATION: When the loudest critic of your policies achieves his greatest success because of them.”
I can hear the liberal cries of outrage, so to recap: The interrogations of KSM (which included waterboarding) and the interrogation of Hassan Ghul (held in “black site” prisons) were key to identifying the courier; the president then authorized military action in a foreign country without going to the United Nations or informing the host government; the military action was unilateral, and we did not consult with our allies; Congress was not informed of the military action; and it increasingly appears that no serious effort was made to treat Osama bin Laden as a criminal (reading him his rights, etc.). The monitoring of Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti’s phone call was a result of an extensive global wiretapping system. Furthermore, as Charles Krauthammer notes, the helicopters used in the raid came from Bagram and Jalalabad; if we had withdrawn from Afghanistan on the antiwar Left’s timetable, we would have had no bases from which to launch this operation.
Well done to one president for enacting all of these policy changes, and well done to his successor for keeping them in place.
Let them scream. The truth hurts.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy new background picture at work...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Congress was not informed of the military action"
This doesn't sound like a Bush policy. More like a new invention by Obama. Let's not lay it at W's feet, or even imply it's remotely consistent with the general theme of his policies.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGreat poster. I hope you (and the reader) doesn't mind if I add it to my website.
www.theclassicalliberal.com
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou can accomplish much if you don't care who gets the credit.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRonald Reagan
Thanks for posting, Jim!
Don't forget that further key intelligence was obtained from Abu Faraj al-Libi, who was interrogated at Gitmo, and from Hassan Ghul, who was captured in Iraq.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBest. Poster. Ever.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYa know, it just kind of shows how classless and insecure Obama is to not mention GWB as one of the people he thanked this week. I mean, it would've been seen as magnanimous and even touching - certainly giving him a bigger bounce than he got - if he would've specifically thanked GWB for starting the efforts to get bin Laden (as it's obvious from the timeline that this effort started under GWB's watch).
But no, it was either his thought that it would tick off his lefty base too much, or his ego that got in the way, and he wouldn't do it.
When Urban Meyer won a Nat'l Chamionship at Florida a few years after taking over for Ron Zook with a fair number of Zook's recruits, he specifically and loudly thanked Zook and credited him as contributing to the season. Meyer looked better for doing it, and Obama - purported sports fan that he is - should've taken note.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSources please? I'd like to confirm the facts your throwing out...
Just doing my job as an educated, informed American to make sure all the facts are in line before I make a judgement call one way or another...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDave:
"NBC News reported that Obama invited former President George W. Bush to attend the event but Bush does not plan to attend.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNBC said Bush plans to mark the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 at ground zero in September."
Tommy - I think Dave was referencing the announcement last Sunday evening. Assuming that is so, Dave's comment rings sadly true, but also consistent with this president's overall style.
It was nice to make the invite - I think it was consistent with GWB's post presidential posture to decline.
The suspicious will take some ulterior motive or concern to the invite and subsequent decline, but unlike the Paul Ryan or Supreme Court slapdowns Obama has done (Budget speech and SOTU Address) I highly doubt GWB would have had any reason to assume he would receive the same treatment from Obama at this occasion.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThanks for the update, JEM. Agree about the invite. What announcement though are you referring to?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAn awesome poster full of awesomeness.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSeems like conservatives are hell bent on making this all about GWB, even though the majority of the country knows he dismantled the OBL unit and failed to capture or kill him for years.
But whatever. We all know there isn't an issue out there the right won't try to politicize, even when they look so small and insignificant doing it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo true, so true--Obama has always been Bush's biggest critic.
Not Bill Maher.
Not Michael Moore.
Not Keith Obermann.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLiberal truth
05/06/11 14:42
Seems like conservatives are hell bent on making this all about GWB, even though the majority of the country knows he dismantled the OBL unit and failed to capture or kill him for years.
But whatever. We all know there isn't an issue out there the right won't try to politicize, even when they look so small and insignificant doing it.
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Here's some truth for you: if our military and intelligence ops had to operate the way Obama and the screaming liberals want them to, we would not have gotten bin Laden. That is a FACT. The critical intelligence used to find him came from Gitmo and enhanced interrogation by the CIA at black sites. Bush wanted information, so he concentrated on capturing and interrogating first. Obama has not captured ONE terrorist overseas - no interrogation, no intelligence. He dismantled the black sites, tried to close Gitmo, and dismantled the CIA interrogation team.
Obama gets credit for giving the orders to go into Abbottabad and get bin Laden. Bush gets credit for instituting the policies that got the actionable intelligence, IN SPITE of all of the criticism from the left, and the blatant attempts by Democrats to thwart Bush's prosecution of the war on terror.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTorture works! Hooray! Who do we get to torture next? Torture is an honorable institution and Jesus personally loved torture, having experienced its effects first hand. Also, torture and freedom go hand in hand! George Washington urged his soldiers to torture captured enemy, always. Go, USA!
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Jesus personally loved torture"
Why do people insist upon using Christian faith (or any faith) for manipulation of others? Folks are able to attend to "their God" without the assist. Attend to your own.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseEvidently, Svensker wishes bin Laden were still alive.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat a sad bunch of America-haters we have squatting in this great country.
"We all know there isn't an issue out there the right won't try to politicize, even when they look so small and insignificant doing it." - LT
Irony meter = pegged
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