Obama Lied About Bin Laden Raid

[Straight Shooter]

According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Seymour Hersh, the US raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was not a secret, risky US action, it was a joint operation between the US and Pakistani military intelligence.

The allegation has many in the US - and Pakistan - crying foul, and pointing to what they see as insufficient attribution and questionable conclusions throughout Hersh's lengthy piece.

"The notion that the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden was anything but a unilateral US mission is patently false," said White House spokesperson Ned Price, adding that the piece was riddled with "inaccuracies and baseless assertions".

At the heart of Hersh's article is the allegation that, starting in 2006, Bin Laden was under Pakistani control, kept in Abbottabad with the financial assistance of Saudi Arabia.

Hersh says high-level Pakistani officials consented to allow the US to conduct its "raid" on the compound - a de facto assassination - after the US found out about Bin Laden's whereabouts through a source in Pakistani intelligence (and not, as reported, after interrogation of al-Qaeda detainees and extensive investigation into a Bin Laden courier).

A deal was then struck that included allowing the US to set up detailed surveillance of the area, obtaining DNA evidence confirming Bin Laden's identity and even providing a Pakistani agent to help guide the operation - in exchange for continued US financial support of the nation's intelligence service and its leaders.

As part of the agreement, according to Hersh, the US would hold off on announcing Bin Laden's death for a week, and then only say that he was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan. Mr Obama double-crossed the Pakistanis, however, after one of the US helicopters crashed during the operation and the White House feared they could not contain the story.

Instead Mr Obama spoke to the nation that night, announcing that US Navy special forces had conducted a daring attack based on months of secret intelligence-gathering, without the knowledge of the Pakistanis, concluding in a firefight in which Bin Laden - and other militants - were killed.

In the following days, further details - sometimes conflicting and later disavowed - leaked out from the White House, angering US special forces commanders and defence officials.

"The White House's story might have been written by Lewis Carroll," Hersh writes in the latest issue of the London Review of Books, referencing the author of Alice in Wonderland.

His piece ends with a broad-based condemnation of the Obama administration's foreign policy operation.

"High-level lying nevertheless remains the modus operandi of US policy, along with secret prisons, drone attacks, Special Forces night raids, bypassing the chain of command and cutting out those who might say no," he writes.

Word of Hersh's story spread quickly, dominating political conversation on social media and repeatedly crashing the London Review of Books' website due to the heavy volume of traffic.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32698016

Complete and total bullshit

 

[Jack Davenport]

What manner of poster would post the lie in the thread title?

I guess the intent was to stir shit.

 

[Straight Shooter]

What manner of poster would post the lie in the thread title?

I guess the intent was to stir shit.

It got you to click didn't it?

 

[Jack Davenport]

It got you to click didn't it?

I would have clicked on it anyway. I like to stay on top of what they are saying over at The Atlantic.

 

[Straight Shooter]

I would have clicked on it anyway. I like to stay on top of what they are saying over at The Atlantic.

Something we both can agree on

 

[SabrinaDeep]

Shush you all! The guy got a peace Nobel prize: a bit of respect, please.

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

Shush you all! The guy got a peace Nobel prize: a bit of respect, please.

Don't forget also being honored at the Source Awards for Flim-Flam Man Of The Year then later on hosting the Player Haters Ball. Respect.

 

[Will E Worm]

Of course he lied.

 

[GodsEmbryo]

Does it really matter? Sounds more like "You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to" to me.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

It matter when Bush lied. It matter when Clinton lied. It always matters when they lie, and they ALWAYS lie, so on the rare occasions they do get caught, they need to be held accountable.

 

[GodsEmbryo]

It matter when Bush lied. It matter when Clinton lied. It always matters when they lie, and they ALWAYS lie, so on the rare occasions they do get caught, they need to be held accountable.

True. But what exactly are you going to hold him accountable for? Instead of "We got him because of our and the Pakistani's intelligence" he said "We got him because of our intelligence". That's what this article basically comes down too. And apparently the Pakistani gouvernment had this deal that the US would tell a lie anyway and tell he was killed with a drone. So... that's it? That's the big lie every one is shaking his head in discust for?
That's politics. Behind the curtains of politics it's all deals, compromises, image, influencing the masses, secret information and intel, etc. What exactly is it going to matter? Are you going to start a revolution just like you guys did when Bush said the started a war because of the WMD's and it turned out not to be true? Now THAT's what I would call a lie and be very outraged by. And are you going to march on the capitol? Or are you going to be a tough guy on the internet and create an angry post in this thread while shaking your fist: "god dangit he must be held accountable for that lie!"?

Once again: does it matter?

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I always said Bush and Cheney should have been tried for what they did, as far as nobama, he's done enough in my book to stand trial for treason, I say impeach the fucker. What ever it takes to take him, and the rest of the liars down. We've let them all get away with to much, for to many years. It has to start something, at least I want it done, you seem to have a "why bother, fuck it" sort of thing going on. To many people feel like it's a waste of time, and that's why they get away with the shit they do. There is no good reason, why any politician shouldn't be held accountable for what they do, and punished as harshly as any other citizen. I most certainly don't have all of the answers, but I say lets try and find some.

 

[GodsEmbryo]

[...] at least I want it done, you seem to have a "why bother, fuck it" sort of thing going on. To many people feel like it's a waste of time, and that's why they get away with the shit they do. [...]

Can't argue there. Apart from the fact that I'm doing some change in some areas, but to many people are just talking. Alas, when it comes to politics I'm one of them...

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

Lying definitely matters. The more and bigger lies you tell the more and stronger evidence you will need to provide the next time you claim something. The bigger the claim the more compelling the evidence will have to be. The 2 politicians I admire(d) the most are(were) Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich who were very different as far as ideology but are both decent men who seem to care about Americans. Both of those honorable fellas finished at or near the bottom of the heap in their parties when they ran for President. Too much honesty gets you eventually cast out of political life. We've allowed ourselves to get pat on the head by our servants for far too long confusing them into thinking they're our masters. So far I don't see anybody on either side worth crossing the street for to vote for in 2016. I'm sure they'll come to my neighborhood begging for money though.

 

[sean miguel]

Meanwhile, there's a Pakistani doctor rotting away in prison.