General Discussion
Showing Original Post only (View all)Obama vs Hersh [View all]
As a general rule, I prefer non-violence to violence. Yet, I cannot honestly say that I felt bad when US forces killed Usama bin Laden. I wasnt happy about it, either.
I did think that it was important for President Obama. Not just because if the mission had failed, the general public would have elected President Willard Romney. But that was part of it.
That he would not tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when informing the American people does not offend me. No US President is going to make public all aspects of things that, in one way or another, involve national security. Nor, for that matter, are informed US intelligence folks. Despite what I might think about the risk that bin Laden posed at the time of his death, I would not expect President Obama to tell 100% accurate information at that time -- any more than I would expect an intelligence officer, active or retired, when speaking to a journalist.
This is especially true in regards to any action that involves relations with one or more other nations. Friends or enemies. More so in a volatile region of the world. That would simply be unrealistic.
The operation to kill Usama bin Laden clearly involved, directly and indirectly, numerous individuals. Both American and foreign people. What most of these knew was limited by the compartmentalization of such operations. Hence, if two dozen of these people were to honestly say what they knew for sure, we would have exactly twenty-four separate stories. There would be areas where their stories overlapped, and areas where they were distinct.
If each of the two dozen people involved were to fabricate, rather than be totally honest, that would result in their stories being far different than the others. This is the very nature of human communications.
I do not believe that either President Obama or Seymour Hersh, or any of their sources, know everything involved in the planning or execution of the killing of bin Laden. This alone would make it difficult to believe that either was telling the whole truth. President Obama could not, even if he really wanted to; Hersh wants to, but cant -- because he doesnt know, and cant know.
I do not believe that the circumstances call for me, or anyone, to identify one as good and honest, and the other a fool or liar.
Peace,
H2O Man