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Re: Bin Laden Dead

I’m very glad to hear it, Robert. My own announcement of his demise was off only by a mere nine years. I’m inclined to agree with Austin Bay that it would have been better for Osama to have died back then than spend a decade skulking at the back of a cave to no great strategic purpose.

PS That said, the business about “a mansion near Islamabad” is disturbing. I hope it doesn’t turn out he’s been hiding in plain sight these past years.

New on The Corner. . .


COMMENTS   25

EXPAND  

Stretch
   05/01/11 23:22

He wasn't in a cave, Steyn. Perhaps you haven't read the news.

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Robert Werner
   05/01/11 23:25

Mark, apparently OBL was in a mansion outside of Islamabad, do you think it's remotely conceivable that members of Pakistan's security forces didn't know this? I don't.

Pop Question: How many Leftist Rent-a-Crowd groups will be protesting at Pakistani embassies tomorrow?

My prediction: ZERO

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Brian in Raleigh
   05/01/11 23:31

Apparently he was in a mansion outside Islamabad.

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   05/01/11 23:59

Very, very happy that justice has been done, and kudos to the President on a pitch perfect speech.

OTOH - speaking as someone who lives in Manhattan, there's no way me and the missus are in town the week of 9/11 this year. Having just given al Queda a whacking great kick up the backside, we can expect payback on the anniversary.

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   05/02/11 00:13

Wow, Obama really does hate rich people! Bin Laden moves up from a cave to a mansion and Barack wacks him.

He could have just raised his taxes instead.

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   05/02/11 00:16

To the brave men and women who lost their lives hunting this terrorist parasite down, your sacrifice was not on vain. RIP

Osama bin Laden, AIH (Anguish in Hell).

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kerrick
   05/02/11 00:21

I literally believe that Pres Obama should make a crazy announcement, like a Winston Churchill speech "the war is over", we can now go back to our lives. All troops come home immediately!!! There will be a ticker tape parade in every town, every heart in America will be happier. Trillion dollars saved, budget meltdown averted, America #1 again.

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tdrizzle74
   05/02/11 00:30

I thought I recognized that guy hanging out by the hot tub near my Islamabad time-share! All things being equal Steyn, Islamabad "mansions" are not all they are cracked up to be.

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   05/02/11 00:34

All hail the Audacity of Listless, Ambivalent Continuation of Bush's Policies!

Just kidding...mostly. Good work by all involved, even the Prez!

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Donald Bryan
   05/02/11 00:45

Someone please tell Rev Wright that the chickens have come home to roost.

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PCC
   05/02/11 02:49

Dear Mr. Steyn,

You're too smart to have believed the guy spent the last 9 years in a cave. It'sno surprise at all that he was living indoors with plumbing and heating.

Anyway, it's a good day's work for the CIA and the SEALS.

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 cab
   05/02/11 03:51

Steyn says: "That said, the business about 'a mansion near Islamabad' is disturbing. I hope it doesn’t turn out he’s been hiding in plain sight these past years."

Ya think? Playing both sides is the Pakistani national sport.

Hunker down, folks. Blowback about to commence.

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   05/02/11 05:27

Mark: it gets a LOT more disturbing. Go to al Jazeera and read a story that was on their site HOURS before anyone else had it. He was living in a million dollar compound in a ritzy neighborhood where many Pakistani retired military live, his protection perhaps.

We've been watching the compound since Bush was in office. He wasn't living in a cave, some consolation to Americans. No he was living in the lap of luxury. I have all respect for our men in arms and in harm's way, but it seems like the bureaucrats were running the operation. And an Islamic funeral. Egads, so now their hero is in heaven, in their minds, rather than being prevented being there by us. We can be so pathetic.

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Truth Seeker
   05/02/11 06:36

@LivingTheHighLife - May God have pitty on you and your foolishness.

To our men & women in uniform - THANK YOU. Your bravery and sacrifices is what has made this nation great. May god bless you and keep you out of harms way. Hope you come home safely.

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mpeters8
   05/02/11 07:58

RE hiding in plain sight.

Do you really think the Pakistanis didn't know the whereabouts of OBL at any given point in time?

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per weslien
   05/02/11 08:27

Usama,Quadaffi's kid and grandkids.All in the same week. Who would have thunk it?

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honeybee
   05/02/11 08:53

Perhaps Obama's spineless foreign policy lulled him into complacency & out into the open. You couldn't have planned a better strategy. Send our leader out to apologize for all our successes and appear to avoid any further successes, but continue covert military operations. I think we all know who the true heroes are here, but if Obama's foreign policy cowardice allowed them to finish the job, maybe it's not all bad.

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ledavid
   05/02/11 09:14

...BURIED AT SEA according to Islamic tradition. Why does a 'hijacker of Islam' require a Sharia burial? Is the US govt now practising Sharia law? WT..

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michael burke
   05/02/11 09:55

Speech did not need comment about how we are not at war with Islam. Why do we always feel the need to explain that? If we wanted, if we were like them, wishing to kill Muslims indiscriminatly as they wish to kill Americans indiscriminatly, we could wipe out millions tomorrow. We want to kill bin Laden and his allies. This was justice. It is how you fight terrorism and fanaticism. It needs no qualification or explanation. Our stance would be clearer and more forceful w/o that apology over and over. It's nothing but a sign of weakness.

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   05/02/11 10:22

Give credit where credit is due. Good job Obama. Even better job CIA and Seals. However, am I the only one with the following thought:
Had this great moment occurred under Bush or any other non Democrat, here would be some of the searching questions from the media:
1. Did the President act in accordance with international law?
2. Should the President have acted unilatterly?
3. Won't this cause the Muslim world to hate us more?
4. Are we now in more danger now?

Anyway, I'm happy. Good job Obama!

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