FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[F1er]

Did Tex have a hand in this coz I havent seen him lately.

[What's Burning?]

I think Tex hung up his commando boots after the gulf war.

[bud]

From National Geographic


The last hideout of the United States' most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, appeared peaceful the day after U.S. Navy SEALs killed bin Laden Monday during a predawn raid on his fortified compound in Abbottabad (map), Pakistan.

It's shocking that bin Laden was found in this Pakistani army-garrison town just 72 miles (116 kilometers) north of the city of Islamabad, according to Don Belt, National Geographic magazine's former senior foreign affairs editor. Belt has briefed the U.S. Congress on Pakistan and visited Abbottabad many times.

That's because the picturesque town is home to thousands of troops, and it's neither a Taliban stronghold nor a vast, hard-to-search metropolis.

A CIA drawing illustrates the secure Abbottabad compound in which Osama bin Laden was killed Monday during a U.S. military operation that was months in the planning.

Don Belt said walled compounds are typical in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but this one was rather odd—especially considering its location.

The home was built in 2005, and "I can't believe that the military wouldn't at least be scrutinizing the place—with so much of their infrastructure right there, including the military academy where all of the officers go for training, including people like [Pakistan's former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf.

"It's a very high-security area, and you'd think the Pakistani military might look askance at a place with a roughly 15-foot-high [4.5-meter-high] wall and a ring of barbed wire on top and say, Who the heck lives there?"

The wreckage of a U.S. helicopter—destroyed by U.S. troops after a mechanical failure, lest it fall into enemy hands—lies next to a wall of the Abbottabad compound where Osama bin Laden was killed Monday.

It's not clear how bin Laden made the journey from Afghanistan to the site of his last stand.

"It's not far-fetched to think about him making an overland journey from Afghanistan, through the Swat Valley and across the Indus, then down the Karakoram Highway to land in a place like Abbottabad," Belt said.

"And Abbottabad is also close to Kashmir, where Lashkar-e-Taiba and other militant groups are active in the mountains. So there’s a network of militants in this countryside not far from Abbottabad."


Now bloodstained, this room—pictured in a still from video captured Monday—is among those where Osama bin Laden spent his final days.

"Most of the theories about his whereabouts focused on either tribal areas [along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border] or a large city," Belt said. "Many tribal areas are controlled by the Taliban, and the assumption was that he was living in a walled compound out there or in the vast, teeming slums of some vast city like Karachi (map), where he could disappear among some 15 million people who live there.

“Probably the mix in Abbottabad includes some militants," Belt added, "but it’s not any kind of a hotbed, not by a long shot."

[acosmichippo]

so they didn't destroy the building?

[darwin dali]

so they didn't destroy the building?

Nope, it was a high-precision Navy Seals (24 of them) operation, rather than just bombing the sh!t out of the compound.

[acosmichippo]

Right, but some people had been saying they burned the building to the ground.

[What's Burning?]

Right, but some people had been saying they burned the building to the ground.

Some people were saying that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. Interesting that with one heli down the other one was capable of getting everyone out of there plus one.

[bud]

Right, but some people had been saying they burned the building to the ground.

They were basing that on the video footage of the fire which was infect the helicopter.

[What's Burning?]

The assault force of Navy SEALs snatched a trove of computer drives and disks during their weekend raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, yielding what a U.S. official called “the mother lode of intelligence.”

The special operations forces grabbed personal computers, thumb drives and electronic equipment during the lightning raid that killed bin Laden, officials told POLITICO.

“They cleaned it out,” one official said. “Can you imagine what’s on Osama bin Laden’s hard drive?”

U.S. officials are about to find out. The material is being examined at a secret location in Afghanistan.

“Hundreds of people are going through it now,” an official said, adding that intelligence operatives back in Washington are very excited to find out what they have.

“It’s going to be great even if only 10 percent of it is actionable,” the official said.

Savoring the military and intelligence triumph, officials late Monday described new details about how the mission unfolded:

The SEALs took fire on their way to the compound’s third floor, where bin Laden had been sleeping, officials said. The encounter with bin Laden lasted only seconds, and ended with a kill shot to his face.

The team’s photos of bin Laden are gruesome, complicating officials’ deliberations about whether to release them.

Officials also have images of bin Laden in a white shroud before his burial at sea.

The raid was not supposed to last more than 30 minutes. The forces finished in 38 minutes, even though they lost one of their choppers and had to go to a back-up plan.

Four helicopters were used in the raid. Two went in, and two were in reserve.

Hovering above the compound on the way in, one of the choppers developed a mechanical problem that caused it to lose lift, officials said. The pilot made a controlled landing, according to the officials. When he couldn’t get the bird airborne again, the SEALs blew it up and left in one of the reserves.

Officials described the reaction of the special operators when they were told a number of weeks ago that they had been chosen to train for the mission.

“They were told, ‘We think we found Osama bin Laden, and your job is to kill him,’” an official recalled.

The SEALs started to cheer. Radioing a commander on Sunday, the team reported the capture with a pre-arranged signal: “Geronimo!”

[nish2280]

I doubt they would release the DNA tests in full detail to the public. They are more likely to just say that the tests were positive and that it was infact him that was killed.

No matter if they put his body on display in time square, people would still have doubts. Especially people from non Western backgrounds.

We all know what Gaddafi has been doing/ is still doing is wrong but if he is ready to stop then shouldnt NATO be ready to accept? Surely by denying the ceasefire they are extending the war and thus the overall death toll.

I love it how poeple put the blame elsewhere. you cant just put blame on NATO here, is he ready to relinquish control and hand it over to the rebels? No then a cease fire would serve no purpose.

Just because he isnt ready to relinquish control doesnt mean that they should allow the killing to continue. Think about it this way. Your family member is in Libya. NATO would prefer your family member to DIE than bring a ceasefire to the table. Would negotiations be a better way to have the mad bugger give up control than to try to kill him and his supporters?

BOLD: What is that supposed to mean? Non-westerners are skeptics? Dont generalize such a massive group of people.

[vaptin]

Gaddafi has had plenty of time to step down, he made his position very clear. His actions should make his position untenable, and if he's not going to step down. . .

[vlad]

Already a parody...


[youtube]cw0AXjAaf3g&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[bud]

See NATO gets critisised no matter what, far as I'm concerned the Libyan rebels should appreciate they are even helping!!!

And any blame on more casualties can lie on gadaffi, he could listen to the people and step down, it's in his hands.

And yes Bold I'm allowed to have that view. You seem to be helping my case

[nish2280]

See NATO gets critisised no matter what, far as I'm concerned the Libyan rebels should appreciate they are even helping!!!

And any blame on more casualties can lie on gadaffi, he could listen to the people and step down, it's in his hands.

And yes Bold I'm allowed to have that view. You seem to be helping my case

I understand you are allowed to have that view. The thing is i just hope you are not basing this off my views because though i am, i wish not to represent a couple billion people.

[myownalias]

NATO has got itself into a catch22 situation; on one hand, the rebels want NATO to take a more active role; on the other hand NATO have their hands tied by the UN resolution. It's a classic stalemate situation; Gaddafi is going nowhere unless a bullet and a pine box is provided; NATO is not going to take direct action against Gaddafi. In my opinion, the NATO countries has already overstepped their mark by having military commanders on the ground advising the rebels (effectively taking command of the rebel troops). This was supposed to be a humanitarian mission to protect civilians, not an active mission to help overthrow the incumbent leader! Anyway, that's not the point of this thread; back to Mr. Bin Laden!

I am very sceptical of the media reports about his death; many thing don't add up, see what I wrote on my blog below!

The reported death of Osama Bin Laden is all over the news right now but I am sceptical (regular readers will say “what’s new?!?!”); how many times have we heard that Bin Laden has been killed since 9/11? The biggest reason I suspect this is propaganda from the Obama administration is that the body of the Al-Qaeda leader has been buried at sea; why would the United States do that? The body would have been paraded about like some sort of trophy just the same as the show trial and execution of Saddam Hussein which made worldwide television! I find the location of the compound where he was killed to be strange; right in the heart of Pakistan; just a few miles away from a premier Pakistan military camp in a well-to-do area! This would suggest that Pakistan was harbouring the USA’s “most wanted”. Al-Qaeda have confirmed the death of their leader; which in itself seems odd; that seems like admitting defeat and that is not in the nature of the terrorists; propaganda is the terrorists biggest weapon and admitting Bin Laden is dead is a massive own goal!!! I am a naturally sceptical person but this is more than scepticism; the whole situation simple doesn’t add up, especially the whole disposing of the body at sea; it’s just too convenient!

If Bin Laden really is dead; it means nothing as his #2 or #3 or #4 will be ready to step up and take his place, this is in no way a victory against terrorism, it’s a minor inconvenience at best for Al-Qaeda! It will make Bin Laden a martyr, inspiring thousands more to take up the fight against the west and capitalism. If Osama is genuinely dead; the US and Europe best be on high alert are there will almost certainly be recriminations against the high profile westernised countries!