dagblog - Comments for "BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says"

The End of an EraBy Will

artappraiser — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:22:49 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

The End of an Era
By Will McCants @ Jihadica.com, May 2, 2011
.....I took my own stab at answering some at 1:30 this morning after the news broke, which Foreign Policy kindly published with the wonderful title of “William McCants: A Gaping Hole.”

We’re all clumsily feeling our way through this, and here are some of those who have helped me today:

Marc Lynch’s Bin Ladin’s Quiet End explained how al-Qaeda made itself irrelevant and the Muslim Brotherhood capitalized
Jason Burke’s What Now for al-Qaida ran through some of the implications of UBL’s death for AQ Central
Aaron Zelin did yeoman’s work translating the reactions of jihadis online in real time
Chris Anzalone put together a valuable collection of jihadi uses of Bin Laden’s visage
Clint Watts reminded us of his January poll on the implications of Bin Laden’s death
Leah Farrall has some inside-baseball analysis of the transition scenarios for AQ leadership
~~Joshua Foust~~ Sekundar predicts that the impact on Taliban operations in Afghanistan will be nil
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross cautions us that al-Qaeda is still very much alive
Andrew Exum reminds us of those who have sacrificed along the away.
I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting (tweet them or write), and there are still some I’m waiting to hear from (come on Weisburd and Johnsen). No doubt the analysis will get more sober as the weeks pass....

In real life a special op

artappraiser — Wed, 04 May 2011 07:11:43 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

In real life a special op with a large team is not actually like a Hollywood movie script, imagine that:

White House officials said the discrepancies resulted from their haste to provide details about a chaotic, fast-moving military operation to an intensely interested American public. As more of the assault team’s 79 members were debriefed, and their accounts were crosschecked with those of other team members, there were bound to be changes in the account, these officials said.

from
New U.S. Account Says Bin Laden Was Unarmed During Raid
By Mark Landler and Helene Cooper, New York Times, May 3/4, 2011

There's 79 stories of what happened in that enormously stressful action. I can't imagine a more stressful project a soldier could be assigned to, no matter how practiced, how toughened

Links to all the stories in

artappraiser — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:31:50 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

Links to all the stories in the New York Times' May 3 print edition special section "The Death of Bin Laden" before the menu disappears. (Several are already hard to find in the web version. Note this does not include "Behind the Hunt for Bin Laden," cited above, as that had huge page A1 placement before continuing in this section.)

The Death of Bin Laden, Section F:

A Mood of Triumph and Sober Reflection
section F - page 1

By ROBERT D. McFADDEN

News Analysis: Amid Skepticism, Pakistan Calculates Its Response
section F - page 1

By CARLOTTA GALL and ERIC SCHMITT

In Arab World, Bin Laden’s Confused Legacy
section F - page 1

By ANTHONY SHADID and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Islamic Scholars Split Over Sea Burial for Bin Laden
section F - page 2

By JOHN LELAND and ELISABETH BUMILLER

Experts Say DNA Match Is Likely a Parent or Child
section F - page 2

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and PAM BELLUCK

Even Before Al Qaeda Lost Its Founder, It May Have Lost Some of Its Allure
section F - page 2

By SCOTT SHANE and ROBERT F. WORTH

Big Compound Stood Out, but Not Its Occupants, Neighbors Say
section F - page 4

By SALMAN MASOOD

Bin Laden’s Likely Heir Is Viewed as Organizer, Not as Inspiring Figure
section F - page 4

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Killing Adds to Debate About U.S. Strategy and Timetable in Afghanistan
section F - page 5

By MARK LANDLER, THOM SHANKER and ALISSA J. RUBIN

The TV Watch: As Word Spread About Bin Laden’s Death, It Became a TV Moment
section F - page 8

By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

A Mix of Emotion Stored for a Decade
section F - page 9

By DAN BARRY

Turning to Social Networks for News
section F - page 9

By BRIAN STELTER and JENNIFER PRESTON

For Many Africans, Bin Laden’s Death was a Long Time Coming
section F - page 10

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

Affluent/military/quiet

artappraiser — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:23:13 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

Affluent/military/quiet Abbotabad location makes perfect sense for hideout:

One Pakistani security analyst said Bin Laden might have moved to the unlikely hiding place, only about 35 miles from Islamabad, because foreign spies would have been unlikely to be able to pry in a town with high-level military installations. The site would also have kept Bin Laden out of the range of American drones, which could not venture so far into Pakistan, away from the tribal areas where the armed aircraft patrol, killing many militants.

from

Big Compound Stood Out, but Not Its Occupants, Neighbors Say
By Salman Masood from Abbotabad, Pakistan, for The New York Times, May 2/3, 2011

Osama bin Who?A decade of

artappraiser — Tue, 03 May 2011 05:05:57 +0000

In reply to Was Osama killed by US troops

Osama bin Who?
A decade of denials and downplaying from Pakistani leaders.
BY CHARLES HOMANS, JOSHUA KEATING, DAVID KENNER, Foreignpolicy.com, May 2, 2011

On Raymond Davis, from second

artappraiser — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:31:29 +0000

In reply to Details Released on DNA

On Raymond Davis, from second link above:

Admiral McRaven....spent weeks working with the C.I.A. on the operation,and came up with three options.....On March 14, Mr. Panetta took the options to the White House. C.I.A. officials had been taking satellite photos, establishing what Mr. Panetta described as the habits of people living at the compound. By now evidence was mounting that Bin Laden was there.
The discussions about what to do took place as American relations with Pakistan were severely strained over the arrest of Raymond A. Davis, the C.I.A. contractor imprisoned for shooting two Pakistanis on a crowded street in Lahore in Januar
Some of Mr. Obama’s top aides worried that any military assault to capture or kill Bin Laden might provoke an angry response from Pakistan’s government, and that Mr. Davis could end up dead in his jail cell. Mr. Davis was ultimately released on March 16, giving a freer hand to his colleagues.
On March 22, the president asked his advisers their opinions on the options....

Details Released on DNA

artappraiser — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:11:16 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

Details Released on DNA Match
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and PAM BELLUCK, New York Times, May 2/3, 2011

While federal officials said that analysis of DNA from several relatives helped confirm that it was Osama bin Laden who was killed in the military raid on Sunday, they have not yet disclosed the relationships of the family members whose DNA was used.

Officials said they collected multiple DNA samples from Bin Laden’s relatives in the years since the Sept. 11 attacks. And they said the analysis, which was performed the day Bin Laden was killed but after his body was buried at sea, confirmed his identity with 99.9 percent accuracy....

Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Qaeda Chief
By MARK MAZZETTI, HELENE COOPER and PETER BAKER, New York Times, May 2/3, 2011

Reporting was contributed by Elisabeth Bumiller, Charlie Savage and Steven Lee Myers from Washington, Adam Ellick from New York, and Ismail Khan from Peshawar, Pakistan.

The raid in Pakistan was the culmination of years of painstaking intelligence.

Haqqani promises bin Laden

artappraiser — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:56:01 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

Haqqani promises bin Laden intel inquiry
Agence France Presse, May 2, 2011

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s US envoy promised a “full inquiry” Monday into how Pakistani intelligence services failed to find Osama bin Laden in a fortified compound just a few hours drive from Islamabad....

EDITORIAL: Osama bin Laden is dead
Daily Times (Pakistan,) May 3, 2011

....Pakistan has found itself in quite the embarrassing situation. Osama bin Laden was found in a military town just a mile or so away from the Kakul Military Academy. How he was able to hide there without any action on our part is going to be a hard sell to the Americans. So far, we have been milking the same excuse: joint intelligence and a willingness on our part in counter-terror operations led to this victory. Scratching beneath the surface may reveal other truths entirely. Whilst we have been allies of the US, we have been very trying partners, picking and choosing the militants we wanted to root out and the ones we wanted to protect. No doubt, in the coming days, Pakistan’s exact role in the war on terror and Osama’s death will become clearer. It is hoped we will not be on the receiving end of a negative fallout with the Americans, who are in this war for the long haul. *

Was Osama killed by US troops

artappraiser — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:53:09 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

Was Osama killed by US troops or his own guard?
By Ismail Khan | Dawn, May 3, 2011
...Reports suggest that Bin Laden was shot dead with a single bullet to his head when he resisted capture, but an official indicated that the 54-year-old mastermind of the biggest and most devastating attack on US soil might have been killed by one of his own guards in line with his will to avert his capture.
“From the scene of the gunbattle it doesn’t look like he could have been killed at point blank range from such a close angle, while offering resistance,” said an official, who visited the scene of the night assault soon after the departure of the US assault team from the sprawling compound in Thanda Choa, now called Bilal Town, at stone’s throw from Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul....

Cavaet: the quoted "official" is no doubt a Pakitstani one. Dawn is a relatively reputable newspaper, though.

I am rather suspicious of

cmaukonen — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:19:35 +0000

In reply to BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says

I am rather suspicious of this. Not that I doubt that it went down the way it has been reported. It most likely did.

What strikes me is how “neat and clean” the operations was supposed to have been. I am of the mind that Osama bin Laden was set up either by an apposing faction with in Al Qaeda or by Pakistan security forces.

He became a liability to someone and we got to do the dirty deed and they keep their hands nice and clean.

And the president gets 100 political points.

dagblog - Comments for "BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says"

The End of an EraBy Will

In real life a special op

Links to all the stories in

The Death of Bin Laden, Section F:

A Mood of Triumph and Sober Reflection
section F - page 1

By ROBERT D. McFADDEN

News Analysis: Amid Skepticism, Pakistan Calculates Its Response
section F - page 1

By CARLOTTA GALL and ERIC SCHMITT

In Arab World, Bin Laden’s Confused Legacy
section F - page 1

By ANTHONY SHADID and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Islamic Scholars Split Over Sea Burial for Bin Laden
section F - page 2

By JOHN LELAND and ELISABETH BUMILLER

Experts Say DNA Match Is Likely a Parent or Child
section F - page 2

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and PAM BELLUCK

Even Before Al Qaeda Lost Its Founder, It May Have Lost Some of Its Allure
section F - page 2

By SCOTT SHANE and ROBERT F. WORTH

Big Compound Stood Out, but Not Its Occupants, Neighbors Say
section F - page 4

By SALMAN MASOOD

Bin Laden’s Likely Heir Is Viewed as Organizer, Not as Inspiring Figure
section F - page 4

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Killing Adds to Debate About U.S. Strategy and Timetable in Afghanistan
section F - page 5

By MARK LANDLER, THOM SHANKER and ALISSA J. RUBIN

The TV Watch: As Word Spread About Bin Laden’s Death, It Became a TV Moment
section F - page 8

By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

A Mix of Emotion Stored for a Decade
section F - page 9

By DAN BARRY

Turning to Social Networks for News
section F - page 9

By BRIAN STELTER and JENNIFER PRESTON

For Many Africans, Bin Laden’s Death was a Long Time Coming
section F - page 10

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

Affluent/military/quiet

Osama bin Who?A decade of

On Raymond Davis, from second

Details Released on DNA

Haqqani promises bin Laden

Was Osama killed by US troops

I am rather suspicious of

dagblog - Comments for "BIN LADEN IS DEAD-Qaeda Leader Killed by U.S. Forces, Obama Says"

The End of an EraBy Will

In real life a special op

Links to all the stories in

The Death of Bin Laden, Section F:

A Mood of Triumph and Sober Reflection section F - page 1 By ROBERT D. McFADDEN

News Analysis: Amid Skepticism, Pakistan Calculates Its Response section F - page 1 By CARLOTTA GALL and ERIC SCHMITT

In Arab World, Bin Laden’s Confused Legacy section F - page 1 By ANTHONY SHADID and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Islamic Scholars Split Over Sea Burial for Bin Laden section F - page 2 By JOHN LELAND and ELISABETH BUMILLER

Experts Say DNA Match Is Likely a Parent or Child section F - page 2 By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and PAM BELLUCK

Even Before Al Qaeda Lost Its Founder, It May Have Lost Some of Its Allure section F - page 2 By SCOTT SHANE and ROBERT F. WORTH

Big Compound Stood Out, but Not Its Occupants, Neighbors Say section F - page 4 By SALMAN MASOOD

Bin Laden’s Likely Heir Is Viewed as Organizer, Not as Inspiring Figure section F - page 4 By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Killing Adds to Debate About U.S. Strategy and Timetable in Afghanistan section F - page 5 By MARK LANDLER, THOM SHANKER and ALISSA J. RUBIN

The TV Watch: As Word Spread About Bin Laden’s Death, It Became a TV Moment section F - page 8 By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

A Mix of Emotion Stored for a Decade section F - page 9 By DAN BARRY

Turning to Social Networks for News section F - page 9 By BRIAN STELTER and JENNIFER PRESTON

For Many Africans, Bin Laden’s Death was a Long Time Coming section F - page 10 By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

Affluent/military/quiet

Osama bin Who?A decade of

On Raymond Davis, from second

Details Released on DNA

Haqqani promises bin Laden

Was Osama killed by US troops

I am rather suspicious of

A Mood of Triumph and Sober Reflection
section F - page 1

By ROBERT D. McFADDEN

News Analysis: Amid Skepticism, Pakistan Calculates Its Response
section F - page 1

By CARLOTTA GALL and ERIC SCHMITT

In Arab World, Bin Laden’s Confused Legacy
section F - page 1

By ANTHONY SHADID and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Islamic Scholars Split Over Sea Burial for Bin Laden
section F - page 2

By JOHN LELAND and ELISABETH BUMILLER

Experts Say DNA Match Is Likely a Parent or Child
section F - page 2

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and PAM BELLUCK

Even Before Al Qaeda Lost Its Founder, It May Have Lost Some of Its Allure
section F - page 2

By SCOTT SHANE and ROBERT F. WORTH

Big Compound Stood Out, but Not Its Occupants, Neighbors Say
section F - page 4

By SALMAN MASOOD

Bin Laden’s Likely Heir Is Viewed as Organizer, Not as Inspiring Figure
section F - page 4

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Killing Adds to Debate About U.S. Strategy and Timetable in Afghanistan
section F - page 5

By MARK LANDLER, THOM SHANKER and ALISSA J. RUBIN

The TV Watch: As Word Spread About Bin Laden’s Death, It Became a TV Moment
section F - page 8

By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

A Mix of Emotion Stored for a Decade
section F - page 9

By DAN BARRY

Turning to Social Networks for News
section F - page 9

By BRIAN STELTER and JENNIFER PRESTON

For Many Africans, Bin Laden’s Death was a Long Time Coming
section F - page 10

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN