The impact and benefits of the remarkable taking out of Osama are being undermined by a seemingly endless blathering coming from administration spokesmen with--as we have highlighted in prior postings--widely divergent accounts of the raid on Abbottabad. It is one thing for there to be leaks, and off-the-record briefings that diverge or even dispute official accounts. That's the way of Washington, and of most modern capitals in the 24/7 news cycle in which we all live. It is quite another to have official after official going on the record with different and often directly contradictory accounts of the raid. Is there no person who knows how to do "strategic communication?" Never mind that, let's get more basic, is there no person who can throw an off switch and stop the noise?
Was it really necessary to say anything official beyond, "We got him. Here are the photos?"
Now the latest gambit is revealing to all that US forces picked up all sorts of intel goodies in the Osama man-cave. Who was the genius who revealed that we found phone numbers? What do you think has now happened to those phones? Why did we have to announce the taking of computers, hard drives, discs, and documents? Why? Do the geniuses in charge of this fiasco think that the bad guys aren't listening? That they don't know how to adapt? This is criminally irresponsible, and could put people's lives at risk.
I agree with the need for an off switch. My belief is Obama has largely clocked out of the day-to-day Presidential stuff. It is over his head and he is much more comfortable campaigning, so off campaigning he goes.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile there is a power vacuum in the Executive branch, so various factions are trying to ooze in and seize the levers of power. Those competing factions are all spewing their own spin to try to control the narrative, so you get the schizophrenic message about Libya, and now the Osama hit.
Just my guess as to what's going on. Regardless, it is really counter-productive.
However, as for the intel stuff, that bothers me a lot less. Of course we grabbed that stuff. I would imagine, or at least hope, that 99% of the talk is misdirection, smoke and/or hogwash intended to induce paranoia among Al Qeida and the Paki double-crossers.
I regret the timely announcement of bin Laden's demise. We should have let the word leak out, then confirmed it in a casual tone after a few days, meanwhile rolling up another echelon or two of the organization.
ReplyDeleteAw well, but that wouldn't help Obama get re-elected, now, would it?
… and here I thought “we got Osama”
ReplyDeleteNow we find out that not only did Obama make the decision to raid Pakistan, but he flew the helicopter, shot everybody in the compound, personally ripped the heart of of bin Laden with his bare hands, carried the dead body of bin Laden in one arm while he first ran then swam to the USS Carl Vinson, and finally personally prepared the body for burial at sea drawing on his boyhood experience in a Muslim country. And all of this while getting in 9 holes of golf.
Obviously, there are just too damn many folks drawing a paycheck from the federal government who are doing nothing, while Obama is doing it all. I suggest that we layoff 20% of all federal employees while doubling .. no .. quadrupling the Obama’s paycheck .. because obviously he is worth it all.