OBAMA: "We donated a $60 million helicopter to this op. Could we not afford to buy a tape measure?"

[kpete]

In the White House Situation Room on Sunday night, the president and his national security team watched a soundless video feed of the raid.

When bin Laden’s corpse was laid out, one of the Navy SEALs was asked to stretch out next to it to compare heights. The SEAL was 6 feet tall. The body was several inches taller.

After the information was relayed to Obama, he turned to his advisers and said: “We donated a $60 million helicopter to this operation. Could we not afford to buy a tape measure?”



http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/death-of-osama-bin-laden-phone-call-pointed-us-to-compound--and-to-the-pacer/2011/05/06/AFnSVaCG_story_2.html

[slampoet]

1. Putting a known object for scale is just as good after all, what is a tape measure but a known scale

[Orrex]

2. But a tape measure is a more *generally* known scale

When we see the "6" on it, we know what it means.

When the guy lies down next to the late bin Laden, we have to ask "yeah, but how tall is that guy?"


Sure, the tape measure itself could be skewed, but as a measuring device, it's more immediately familiar to people than is a guy of unknown height.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. Plus how many 5'11" guys do we all know in our lives who say they

are 6 feet. :)

[emulatorloo]

4. LOL n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Hey! I'm 5'11 and 3/4!

Who are you, my wife?

;-)

:rofl:

[Snoutport]

9. me too!

[undeterred]

10. How many terrorists who are really 6'2" say they are 6'4" so they seem scarier?

:shrug:

[unblock]

13. putting a known object such as a person is often BETTER than a tape measure

they could easily make a tape measure and put markings at any intervals and claim they're inches or centimeters or whatever you want.

a bit harder to fake it with some other things, such as actual people.

[MindPilot]

5. Couldn't decide if it should be English or Metric, Sir.

So we used a SEAL.

[iwishiwas]

6. I imagine it is not something a soldier carries around in

pocket?

Yet, it would have been prudent for Identification means to have one on hand--or in a pocket.

[izquierdista]

8. Cubits

Since he was a religious fundie, he should have been measured in cubits.

[elocs]

11. I'm 5 years older than OBL was and I'm sure not as tall as I used to be.

I'm now back down to the height I was when I was 14 or 15. I'm betting that OBL was not as tall as he once was either.

[fob]

12. Tape measure! What is it in Danzigs!

http://hudsonhongo.com/danzig/

[bluetex]

15. seals shoulda' brought their wives...

One of 'em woulda' had one in her purse. Along with breath mints, a brush, chap stick, stamps, 3 bills she forgot to pay, the extra set of keys....:hi:

[B2G]

14. Wait. What?

I thought there wasn't a video of the raid itself?

"In the White House Situation Room on Sunday night, the president and his national security team watched a soundless video feed of the raid."

[liberalla]

16. SIXTY million dollar helicopter!

Damn!

But yes, that's a good line from the President. :)