Reporter Kurt Eichenwald has new details in the New York Times today about the blindness and inaction of the George W. Bush …
osama bin laden
Was the bin Laden Raid Really ‘Not a Tough Decision’?
On Wednesday, Donald Rumsfeld joined the bin Laden-anniversary party by declaring that it was “not a tough decision” for Barack Obama to order the Navy Seal raid in Abbottabad, and that to decide otherwise would be “dumbfounding.” Set aside for a moment the fact that a guy as tough as Rumsfeld’s successor as Defense Secretary, Robert …
Will bin Laden Bluster Help Obama Weather Iran Debate in 2012?
There have been innumerable references in the wake of the death of Osama Bin Laden to Barack Obama’s 2007 assertion that he would go into Pakistan to kill the al-Qaeda leader with or without Islamabad’s permission.
What most have forgotten is that the saber-rattling threat was crafted specifically to counter a dovish gaffe.
Should We Have Captured bin Laden?
In recent days, the assumption that Osama bin Laden should have been killed on the spot has gone almost unquestioned. People understandably wanted the bastard dead. He might have escaped a capture attempt. A strong case can be made for the legality of killing him. Imprisonment and trial of the world’s most notorious terrorist would have …
U.S. Considered Delaying bin Laden Announcement, Pakistan Pushed to ‘Go Public Right Away’
A CIA task force is scrambling to exploit intelligence from the computers, thumb drives and other electronic media taken at Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, racing against the clock as what remains …
In the ArenaViewpoint
About the Photos
I’m torn between basic human curiosity, journalistic voyeurism…and my better angels, which tell me that any death photos of Osama bin Laden will make life more dangerous for the thousands of American soldiers and diplomats, as well as untold numbers of private citizens, both businesspeople and tourists, who spend time in iffy places overseas.
Parties Divided on Admonishing Pakistan
How do you react when you suspect a friend has been aiding your worst enemy? If you’re Rep. Ted Poe, you demand they prove their loyalty. “Pakistan has a lot of explaining to do. It seems unimaginable that Osama bin Laden was …
In the ArenaViewpoint
Enhanced Baloney
I am sitting here watching Congressman Peter King lie through his teeth on CNN about the role of torture in the capture and death of Osama bin Laden. King is insisting that the initial information about the Bin Laden couriers …
Pawlenty in Iowa: Let’s Get This Campaign Started
It’s a long way from Abbottabad and the White House Situation Room, but in Adel, Iowa, last night, about 100 locals turned up at their town library to take the measure of a leading GOP presidential candidate, Tim Pawlenty. With …
Bush’s Torture Lawyer Claims Credit for bin Laden’s Death, Criticizes Seals
More Bush administration officials associated with the program of compliance-inducing “enhanced interrogation techniques” are coming out of the woodwork to claim a measure of credit for Osama bin Laden’s death.
Ex-CIA Counterterror Chief: ‘Enhanced Interrogation’ Led U.S. to bin Laden
A former head of counterterrorism at the CIA, who was investigated last year by the Justice Department for the destruction of videos showing senior al-Qaeda officials being interrogated, says the harsh questioning of terrorism …
Obama Pushed for ‘Fight Your Way Out’ Option in bin Laden Raid
A senior U.S. military official Monday credited President Obama for having a prominent role in pushing and shaping the plan to get Osama bin Laden. “In the final weeks and really months of this, his personal interest and …
White House: Debate Over “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” Is Moot
The chain of clues that led to the Abbottabad compound where Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. special forces early Monday began with human intelligence. Senior administration officials have said key members of bin Laden’s inner-circle were flagged by post-9/11 detainees under interrogation, and that has raised an inescapable question: …
