A new version of truth

I believe everything out of Brennan's mouth has been a lie and Paneta has told the truth. IIRC he said they had a live feed of the men rappelling into the compound but no feed after that except for the "Geronimo" communication which told them OBL was killed.

I think the fluffing was to hide the fact that the situation room photo was a fraud if it was meant to convey to viewers that those there were actually watching the raid. Even he professional perjurer Hillary said she "couldn't recall" what they were looking at when she was asked after Panetta blew the whistle.

Why is it screwed up? Because they went Full West Wing in their approach to disclosure, and ignored exploitation, and the fact that all of us would have been just fine wiht a much more operationaly oriented approach. Here's the announcement we should be getting in three days:

"Two weeks ago, US forces killed Osama bin Laden and some of his terrorist fighters in a raid on his compound in Pakistan. Teams of dedicated soldiers, sailors and Marines have been sent out all around the world to kill and capture members of bin Laden's network, and the law enforcement and intel agencies of our allies, have been busy as well, rounding up the bin Laden network, seizing them from their beds, capturing at their jobs, and where necessary, using force against them. Now that all the perishable intelligence captured in the raide has been exploited, and we've struck a crippling blow against the network, security permits us to discuss this triumph of our military men and women with you. Here is General _____ to brief on the details of the operation, after which the Attorney General will brief you the war crimes trials that a select few members of Al Qaida will receive..."

Unfortunately we got a Sorkin-esque press splash.

Joe has it right above.

Failing to do that, which I think is criminal, the WH should have said:

"Yesterday, US forces, acting on solid intelligence executed a raid on OBL's compound. In the course of the operation, OBL was killed. All of our troops are reported safe and are being debriefed. At 1500 today, Admiral xxx will conduct a press conference at the Pentagon where he will provide further details of this successful operation. I will take no follow-ups." end.of.statement.

I should add that the Bush WH made these sort of hand-offs to the Pentagon seem routine. This WH seems only to hand-off failures. Successes, it briefs from the WH podium and in every Starbucks in NorthWest DC. With Rahm gone and Cheney retired, the WH clearly lacks an enforcer who can rein in the senior staffers with threats of castration. Dailey clearly doesn't have the nads to threaten the nads of the rest successfully. You can blame the President for not empowering him to keep the aides on the reservation.

ding-ding-ding The Drill SGT wins a prize. All the bum gouge comes from first-timers wanting to talk tough and sound like they are more in-the-know than they really are. One of the first things a recruit learns is how to say "Sir, this recruit does not know but will find the answer, Sir!" instead of trying to bullshit or big-talk your way around it.

Why are the stories coming from this administration so conflicting? Maybe it's because all of those people who were photographed in the White House Situation Closet were completely out of the loop from Day 1. Maybe only the Boots on the Ground in Abbottabad really know what happened. As far as I'm concerned, what happened in Pakistan, should stay in Pakistan.

All very well and good. Except for Brennan's extremely explicit statement Monday -- including responses to questions -- which not only specifically described the Situation Room group as watching the entire operation in real time, it mentioned absolutely nothing about any Rose Mary Woods 25 minute gap in the tape. Go back and check it -- the transcript's available. Brennan's lying, Panetta's lying, Obama's lying, take your pick.

Considering how this administration has acted since day one, I'd say all of them are lying.

Working hypothesis:
"Team Obama" is partial to, and expert in,relying on multiple narratives, for the same factual occurrence, for the purpose of frustrating critical examination of WH actions and policies by consuming the time and credibility of interested parties.
Viewed in this way, the multiplicity of different stories should be seen as a “feature” of this Administration’s modus operandi rather than as a “bug”.
(see writings by Cass Sunstein: Internet rumors and the reasons, and means to conteract them http://visibility911.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/SSRN-id1084585.pdf )

Your review and analysis is the keenest to issue to date. Though I've still to review parts one and two. Why the U.S. admin has been all over the map in detailing how the mission went down IS the item for clear scrutiny. Intentional purpose to confuse the 'propaganda' material would be the first aim -- that purpose being to signal terrorist factions that anything and everything is now on the table in response to oncoming terrorist acts against internationals.

Have you mentioned that the primary signal COULD BE further assassinations are in the works against Arab genocidal dictators. Syria comes to mind. The fact that terrorist regime spokesmen delayed many days in issuing responses to the targeted assassination of bin Laden, would mean they're gobsmacked in now viewing their own tactics deployed against their brother in arms, so to speak.

Consider word from the 'caravan' (mainstreeter Pakistani citizens) expressing to Nick Robertson, CNN, that it was widely known that bin Laden was incinerated at Tora Bora. A CBC radio report at the time of the mountain caves bombing broadcast that the Canadian military's assignment was to probe the scene with the intention of collecting any human DNA left behind. So, what if the assassination is a propaganda fabrication altogether now confirming bin Laden is indeed dead. That it was supposed to have happened May 1st doesn't really matter.

Why wouldn't the body have been subject to an autopsy on U.S. soil? Deference to the sensitivities of cultural burial rights is hardly an explanation. Neither the potential for creating a shrine worshipping situation. If anything a land burial would provide opportunity to keep track of extremist adherents.

Cinematography can recreate anything at all. So, work it from that angle. A total propagandist figment to divert from the cascading financial, physical infrastructure mounting crises?

Also, the widows and surviving compound inhabitants would be complicit in hiding, aiding and abetting the mass murderer. They should already be in U.S. custody and they are not. Peculiar is the fact that thee one photo I.D. and/or passport of the alleged youngest wife was released from the outset of scenes from the compound. Is it likely a supposed passport document would be visible at the outset??

It's all looking to be a total scam on the unfortunate American public, particularly the 9/11 victims' families.

But, what's clear, your dedicated, patriotic, loaded service background is determined to get to the bottom of the truth here. And you're detailed.

Thank you for your past service and KUDOS to your detailed analysis. what's clear is that it's working its foiling of the murderous terrorist agenda. Perhaps it will reduce this projected 100 year war plan against Islamism's insane ideology and agenda.

I've never seen an administration with as many people "off the record." Apparently, Barack Obama takes names and holds grudges, and everyone in his white house is afraid to put their name on the record. When the Obama administration took over, the number of "unnamed White House sources" in newspapers "who were not authorized to speak to the press" skyrocketed, even on the most mundane of matters. No one had any authority to talk on the record, or everyone was scared of talking on the record, so everyone started talking off the record.

A good administration will have a handful of top staff; people who jump out in front of every story, and give interviews, where they not only tell the press and public what they want the public to know, but also make it clear what they don't want to talk about. Then all the lower level staff know what they are and aren't supposed to talk about.

In this administration, the cabinet officials are mostly figureheads, who seem to exist for no other reason but to fill the seat, while Obama's collection of "czars" wield the real power behind the scenes. This has created an informational power vacuum that has been filled by every low level official willing to meet with a reporter off the record.

As a result, our national security is blown wide open. Seal Team 6 was supposed to be a big secret. Instead, everything about the mission has been blabbed out in every version in every direction.

Who would have thought that a man with no executive experience would make a lousy chief executive?

There is another blog somewhere that says it was actually Panetta and not Obuma that gave the go ahead on this.
In any case, this ability of the mudheads back in DC to interfere in ongoing operations scares the hell out of me.
Remember how Johnson and McNamara stuck their noses in almost every operation conducted in 'Nam? Would would they be doing if they had today's technology.
I feel sorry for ever soldier, marine, seaman and airforce member in the military today with the ridiculous micro-management of everything.
Next they'll be taking virtual tours of the various bases to tell our men and women when they can go to the bathroom!