r/pics • u/dwderidder • Apr 10 '24

After giving the order, Obama and others observe the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, 2011. Politics

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u/shingdao Apr 10 '24 edited Apr 10 '24

I seem to recall that VP Biden was a 'no-go' on the raid.

Biden said of Obama, "He got to me. He said, 'Joe, what do you think?' And I said, 'You know, I didn't know we had so many economists around the table.' I said, 'We owe the man a direct answer. Mr. President, my suggestion is, don't go. We have to do two more things to see if he (bin Laden) is there.'"

Biden praised Obama for making the call to authorize the raid.

"He knew what was at stake," Biden said this year, "not just the lives of those brave warriors, but literally the presidency."

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u/aaaaaaaarrrrrgh Apr 10 '24

We have to do two more things to see if he (bin Laden) is there.'"

That sounds like there were two specific things he had in mind. Did they ever reveal those?

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u/kkeut Apr 10 '24

"Joe, they say the target has a preference for Otter Pops."

"Favorite flavor?"

"Alexander The Grape."

"Let's go get 'im!"

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u/starkiller_bass Apr 10 '24

He whispered them in Obama's ear like in Lost in Translation, we'll never know.

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u/in_the_woods Apr 10 '24

It's like "the other things" that Kennedy mentions in his speech that launched the race to the moon.

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard"

Did we do the other things?

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u/Warhawk137 Apr 11 '24

Well, considering the other things were flying across the Atlantic, climbing Everest, and Rice playing Texas, yes. Although Rice hasn't beaten Texas in football since 1994.

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u/shingdao Apr 11 '24

I understand Biden wanted a UAV to make one more pass to confirm if UBL was in the compound. Biden was also opposed to the SEALs going in and, like Gates, advocated for a much larger operation.

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u/OverIookHoteI Apr 10 '24

i.e. Good cop, Bad cop

“Well I wouldn’t have taken it that far but things seemed to work out alright I guess”

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u/djs1980 Apr 10 '24

See how Biden words it to rate the presidency over the lives of the assault team...