While we all can celebrate in one way or the other over the death of Usama Bin Laden, it can be said that "we" all have a different political perspective on his "involvement", "hiding", "Search" and "Death".
Since another member felt the need to congratulate Former President Bush for the capture and death of Usama Bin Laden, I felt the need to dispell the kudos.
Lets start at the begining, 911 happens, The Bush administration vows revenge for the horrific attack and uses a catch slogan in the process.
[video=youtube;DRyV1sVEOG8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyV1sVEOG8[/video]
This phrase became the montra for everyone of the Bush administrations cabinet officials including Dick Cheney.
"Smoke em out".....was repeated over and over. Afghanistan was where Bush wanted to lay out all his cards. Everyone in his administration was convinced Usama Bid Laden was hiding there. But was he?
Hundreds of millions of dollars in personnel, equiptment and resources were poured into that country. Democrats warned about going into afghanistan because there was NO PROOF that Bin Laden was even in that country.
Early intelligence suggested Bin Laden was either hiding in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia.
The Bush administration made it a point to convince americans that afghanistan was where we needed to fight the "war on terror".
Year after year passed and not one sign of Bin Laden (2002-2008) In the meantime, Bush invades another country and leaves afghanistan under staffed and under resourced.
Despite all the "smoke em out" rhetoric, nothing was gained in afghanistan other than we got to see purple ink on fingers as the operation transformed into nation building vs a hunt for the number 1 enemy of the state.
6 years passed, 1 trillion dollars spent and Bush left office no closer to Bin Laden than when he suggested going after him.
The only thing he managed to "kill" in the process, was our economy, wall street, the housing market, employment, oil prices and New Orleans.
Intelligence presented to the Bush administration suggested in 2005 that Bin Laden was in Pakistan, but Bush refused to invest ONE DIME into that option, But why?
In the 2008 campaign for the presidency, then senator Obamas position on the wars was simple. IRAQ and Afghanistan was a big waste of time, effort, energy and LIVES.
He stated over and over for months, that if elected president, he would end both wars and put the efforts and energy into pakistan, where he believed Usama Bin Laden was hiding.
Everyone on the right , from Cheney, to Rove, to Condolezza Rice to all the right wing senators and congressmen said that OBAMA WAS NUTS.
ON fox news, every republican who could get in front of the microphone stated that Obama knew nothing about war or leading a military. They ALL criticized Obama for stating that he would go into Pakistan and search for Bin Laden.
They all said it was "CrazyTalk" by Obama, because Pakistan was an ally. Peter King, and John McCain said attacking or going into Pakistan was foolish because Pakistan was "helping" the U.S. in the war on terror.
The closer to the Nov 2008 election, the louder the Bush Administration and the republicans grew to calling Obama foolish for suggesting going into Pakistan to find Usama. Barack Obama stuck to his guns and promised america despite the objections of the republicans, he would in fact look in Pakistan while the Bush administration and republicans countered that Bin Laden was in a cave in afghanistan.
Well, here we are in 2011, Barack Obama ended the Iraq war, is ending the Afghan war and SURPRISE....he found and killed Usama Bin Laden in Pakistan just like he said he would during his campaign.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3124245n
How is it, that Bush spent 6 years in afghanistan and found NOTHING and Obama took 2 years to capture and kill him?
Why did we waste so many soldiers lives and US taxpayers dollars in afghanistan when Bin Laden was in Pakistan this whole time?
Sources in the intelligence community said today, its likely he's been in Pakistan for 6 YEARS!
Obama said before he was president where he'd go to find him, Bush called him "naive" and Obama went on to do what GW Bush failed to do.
We lost over 9000 military people both men and women in two countries in wars that had no purpose. Having soldiers in the mountains of afghanistan looking under every rock and cave for someone who wasnt even close cost our economy trillions of dollars.
I ask, why praise Bush? I think a simple thank you to Obama is in order.
Peace.
Since another member felt the need to congratulate Former President Bush for the capture and death of Usama Bin Laden, I felt the need to dispell the kudos.
Lets start at the begining, 911 happens, The Bush administration vows revenge for the horrific attack and uses a catch slogan in the process.
[video=youtube;DRyV1sVEOG8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyV1sVEOG8[/video]
This phrase became the montra for everyone of the Bush administrations cabinet officials including Dick Cheney.
"Smoke em out".....was repeated over and over. Afghanistan was where Bush wanted to lay out all his cards. Everyone in his administration was convinced Usama Bid Laden was hiding there. But was he?
Hundreds of millions of dollars in personnel, equiptment and resources were poured into that country. Democrats warned about going into afghanistan because there was NO PROOF that Bin Laden was even in that country.
Early intelligence suggested Bin Laden was either hiding in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia.
The Bush administration made it a point to convince americans that afghanistan was where we needed to fight the "war on terror".
Year after year passed and not one sign of Bin Laden (2002-2008) In the meantime, Bush invades another country and leaves afghanistan under staffed and under resourced.
Despite all the "smoke em out" rhetoric, nothing was gained in afghanistan other than we got to see purple ink on fingers as the operation transformed into nation building vs a hunt for the number 1 enemy of the state.
6 years passed, 1 trillion dollars spent and Bush left office no closer to Bin Laden than when he suggested going after him.
The only thing he managed to "kill" in the process, was our economy, wall street, the housing market, employment, oil prices and New Orleans.
Intelligence presented to the Bush administration suggested in 2005 that Bin Laden was in Pakistan, but Bush refused to invest ONE DIME into that option, But why?
In the 2008 campaign for the presidency, then senator Obamas position on the wars was simple. IRAQ and Afghanistan was a big waste of time, effort, energy and LIVES.
He stated over and over for months, that if elected president, he would end both wars and put the efforts and energy into pakistan, where he believed Usama Bin Laden was hiding.
Everyone on the right , from Cheney, to Rove, to Condolezza Rice to all the right wing senators and congressmen said that OBAMA WAS NUTS.
ON fox news, every republican who could get in front of the microphone stated that Obama knew nothing about war or leading a military. They ALL criticized Obama for stating that he would go into Pakistan and search for Bin Laden.
They all said it was "CrazyTalk" by Obama, because Pakistan was an ally. Peter King, and John McCain said attacking or going into Pakistan was foolish because Pakistan was "helping" the U.S. in the war on terror.
The closer to the Nov 2008 election, the louder the Bush Administration and the republicans grew to calling Obama foolish for suggesting going into Pakistan to find Usama. Barack Obama stuck to his guns and promised america despite the objections of the republicans, he would in fact look in Pakistan while the Bush administration and republicans countered that Bin Laden was in a cave in afghanistan.
Well, here we are in 2011, Barack Obama ended the Iraq war, is ending the Afghan war and SURPRISE....he found and killed Usama Bin Laden in Pakistan just like he said he would during his campaign.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3124245n
How is it, that Bush spent 6 years in afghanistan and found NOTHING and Obama took 2 years to capture and kill him?
Why did we waste so many soldiers lives and US taxpayers dollars in afghanistan when Bin Laden was in Pakistan this whole time?
Sources in the intelligence community said today, its likely he's been in Pakistan for 6 YEARS!
Obama said before he was president where he'd go to find him, Bush called him "naive" and Obama went on to do what GW Bush failed to do.
We lost over 9000 military people both men and women in two countries in wars that had no purpose. Having soldiers in the mountains of afghanistan looking under every rock and cave for someone who wasnt even close cost our economy trillions of dollars.
I ask, why praise Bush? I think a simple thank you to Obama is in order.
Peace.