Monday, May 02, 2011

Waiting bin Laden out

Late last night, as we stayed up late soaking up the details of the death of Osama bin Laden, I started thinking about the value of waiting.

One thing I've learned in my job is that the key to understanding someone isn't fancy writing or clever questions. It's watching and waiting. Most people aren't real when they first talk to a reporter -- they want to please, or they want to put up a front of some kind. But if you hang around long enough, eventually the mask drops. At some point people go back to being themselves.

I'm sure the people who lead our military and intelligence operations have a much more profound understanding of that. They are used to waiting.

Osama bin Laden was born into a billionaire family that owned the largest construction company in Saudi Arabia. He transformed himself into an Islamic radical and terrorist, but his roots were among the elite. By age 15 he had his own stable of horses. He grew up living in mansions, not caves.

A cave is where most of us figured we'd find him someday, maybe already dead -- there had been reports for years that he was suffering from kidney disease. But it has been nine and a half years since the 9/11 bombings he was responsible for. Think about running for nine and a half years. Think about knowing that the most powerful country on Earth would never stop trying to catch you.

So bin Laden ended up back in a mansion, this time in a wealthy section of a Pakistani city. Based on the pictures this morning, it wasn't an especially elegant home. It's also a place that was bound to draw attention -- the compound is several times bigger than any other homestead in the area, and it's surrounded by a high wall and barbed wire. It's almost like a sign: SOMEBODY BAD LIVES HERE.

But it's the kind of place you might live if you're used to being the richest man in town.

We had to wait nine and a half years. But Osama bin Laden finally came out of the cave. He had to go back to being himself. And that's when we killed him.

24 comments:

tarhoosier said...

A commoner gets her prince on Friday and the worst man in the world goes on a deep dive. This is the best weekend ever.

Anonymous said...

No mention of how Barack Hussein Obama was instrumental in being the first Black President to rid the world of this evil Islamic Radical? Tommy, you are not giving credit where credit is due to our President, doing what George W. Bush was unable to do. Be more respectful Tommy, and election is coming soon.

Anonymous said...

Barack Hussein Obama wanted to pull out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Only his incompetence in executing his own strategy prevented him from screwing up this mission.

You should tip your hat to Bush, who put the plan in place for this whole operation.

Anonymous said...

So they just found "bin Laden" when Obamas (who looked like a dumb comedian Sat nite mocking Trump) latest birth certificate has now been officially proven a fake by experts? Diversion?

Why did they bury his body at sea and erase the evidence? How convenient. Now they erase all evidence if he really ever existed. Looks like America has been bamboozled again.

cltindependent said...

I'm happy for the military and their Commander in Chief. Did 9:35 am miss the fact that President Obama INCREASED troops to Afghanistan? People that blindly hate won't even admit when he has a success. I also appreciate the fact that the U.S. respects traditions of others even when they don't respect ours. I'm sure we will see photographic evidence of the body soon.

Shanna said...

I agree with cltindependent re: burial. Plus, can't people just be happy for one minute? How sad is our society that we have to go straight to doubt and ridicule. No president deserves honors for this and if one does it's DEFINITELY not Bush. The intelligence officers and soldiers over the last 10 years get all the accolades.

Additionally, if this was some type of stunt don't you think the speech would have happened 'round primetime? Or first thing this morning? Reality: 11:45 p.m. on a Sunday night most of us were (or should have been!) asleep! If he was doing it for good PR he should have waited! lol

Anonymous said...

The big O waited until he could pre-empt the last 10 minutes of Celebrity Apprentice.

Anonymous said...

Why are these moronic socialist dimwits always calling others "hater" when any take the opposite position or even question anything that they hold dear to their beliefs? What a joke.

Do you have brain to think and reason logically? Apparently not.
Its matters not because your mindwash lunacy cant control others.

So after 10 years and 10 trillion with millions of deaths and injuries they just quickly disposed of his body and all evidence? Total crock.

Either Obama is lying his ass off or being told lies. The timing is just too close for the media to smoke and mirror the public again and that is what has occured.

These hypocrites damned Bush and others for 8 years yet now when the shoe is on the other foot they do a 180 because they guy is in the WH? You dont even bitch about these outrageous gas prices wither. Stop your hypocrisy and looking so ignorant. Noone is fooled.

This is a CON and Obama is doing the conning. Face reality. This is nauseating. And ditch the black race card ... He has done nothing exceptional except run up 1.5 trillion annual debt for going on 3 yrs now.

... and WTC building #7 just falls perfectly ...

Anonymous said...

Un freakin real. Another photoshopped image.


http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/Osama-Bin-Laden-comp.jpg

chupacabra said...

Wow some people on here really hate America.

chupacabra said...

Oh and that bit that Obama did about Trump at the correspondence dinner was hilarious. Trump looks like even more of an idiot now.

I remember the one W did where he pretended to look all over the WH for WMD's. That was sad and pathetic especially considering how many lives were lost in Iraq.

Anonymous said...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-photo-fake?CMP=twt_fd

Unknown said...

Bin Laden, SEAL Team Six and covert operations covered by...Tommy Tomlinson?

Tommy -

Stick to your usual schtick. "What's with Grapenuts Cereal? No grapes. No nuts. What's up with that?"

Stuff like that.

Anonymous said...

Can we simply honor what this means to people who have lost loved ones to these terrorists?

Why waste so much emotion, and even more, on the politics? Folks, we are duped a lot, regardless of whether the administration is conservative or liberal. And common people have fallen for that for the entire existence of governments.

Politicians are not as different as we are led to believe. It's just rhetoric to incite the masses, simple minded and those proned to blame others for their problems.

Remember that before 9-11, Bush was probably less popular than Obama was. Then "W" became a hero after it, was re-elected and promptly led us into the worst economic situation in 65 years. But he returned to Texas with record gas prices and money pouring into his home state and the pockets of friends and relatives.

Now Obama has his career defining event. Let's see how he benefits.

Wake up. Politics is about power, not right and wrong.

Give Bush some credit if you want, but he had almost 8 years and the job was not finished. Do you honestly believe he was the mastermind to any strategy?

Dr. Horrible said...

Hey, Tommy, I'm looking for your article urging patience in military matters when Bush 43 was Prez. I just can't seem to find it, though. Can you help me out with a link?

Kim said...

I am always amazed at the need to find fault with triumphs in our country; seems like most everyone is so polarized. I hope there with be a day when we can celebrate as AMERICANS our successes, our very brave soldiers, and astute presidential decisions. Tommy writes to make us think; he is not a political consultant or pundit.

tommy tomlinson said...

Dr. H, there's no room to post a full column here, but I wrote this on 5/23/08:

We have good reason to fight in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden attacked our country from there, and as far as we know he is still hidden and protected, and he should never sleep a peaceful night until he faces justice.

Anonymous said...

Re: tommy t 6:08. That paragraph sure does look photoshopped to me!

tommy tomlinson said...

And I tried so hard to get the font right...

Anonymous said...

I am glad to see that bin Laden in gone, but mixed have mixed feelings over the "celebration". Kudos for Tommy to getting it right and giving credit to all of our leaders, past and present.

Anonymous said...

Most people want Obama to get the credit but I say the only people who deserve credit are the SEALS and the intelligence operatitives who tracked him down. I watched Obama's speach last night and the one thing that bothered me was his statement that Osama wasn't a muslim leader but a mass murderer of muslims. No mention of being a mass murderer of Americans, why would he not mention that?

Anonymous said...

This one was DEF faked. Great timing too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s9StxsFllY&feature=player_embedded

Anonymous said...

This timing had nothing to do with Mr Obamas Libya war bomb killings of three of Khadaffi small grandchildren ages 2,4,5 and his youngest son did it?
Heroic? Maybe Mr Khadaffis 3 small grandchildren were of lesser importance than say Mr Obamas offspring? Incredible hypocrisy for sure.
The media seemed to forget all about this. Strange indeed.

Anonymous said...

3 small grandchildren and younest son of Colonel Quadafi plus 2 of bin Ladens unarmed wives.

According to WH reports the 3 small murdered grandchildren under age 5 were all armed and dangerous and had to be disposed of.