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Vice President Biden claimed Friday that Leon Panetta was the only member of the inner circle who definitively urged President Obama to green-light the raid on Usama bin Laden's compound, as Biden discussed new details about the behind-the-scenes deliberations.
Biden, speaking to the House Democratic Issues Conference in Maryland, candidly admitted that he told the president not to go forward with the mission. Biden said at the time he thought the administration should do more to find out whether bin Laden was actually inside the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Describing the scene when Obama sought the advice of his top officials on whether to go ahead, Biden said most advisers -- aside from himself and Panetta, the defense secretary who was CIA chief at the time -- didn't offer a clear opinion.
"He went around the table with all the senior people. ... Every single person in that room hedged their bet except Leon Panetta. Leon said, 'go.' Everyone else said 49, 51 (percent in favor)," Biden said.
Quote:
The official said many in the room were worried about losing their jobs should the mission go wrong. The official added that one of the reasons Panetta came down on the side of approving the raid was he had met with his intelligence team -- and even one of the most pessimistic analysts put a high percentage on the likelihood that bin Laden was indeed in that compound.
Only ONE of Obama's advisers had the balls to recommend an attack on bin Laden? He needs to pick advisors that think more about the country and it's people than their own careers. Makes it even more amazing that he gave the go-ahead.
Only ONE of Obama's advisers had the balls to recommend an attack on bin Laden? He needs to pick advisors that think more about the country and it's people than their own careers. Makes it even more amazing that he gave the go-ahead.
You're adding "facts" which do not exist. Panetta was the only one in the room who had most of the relevant information, and, therefore the rest of the group would rely upon his recommendation. A good leader surrounds himself not only with yes men, but with people who offer the broad spectrum of opinion. While there was probably agreement that Osama should be attacked, the rest of the folks in the room ... if Biden's recollection is accurate ... were urging information they could be convinced by. At the end of the day it's the President's decision, and Obama, unlike Bush II, wasn't afraid to make the decision to go forward. The military action was fraught with risk, political risk to the President and loss of life risk to the military. Bravo to the President for doing the right thing.
Biden is a joke. He is a liability to team obama and everyone knows it. Why do you think there has been so much talk of dumping Biden at the convention and taking hillary on? Believe me....when it comes to election time and it's close...you will likely see that move.
As to what Biden has to say about anything that happened in the white house?? I wouldn't believe anything he had to say.
Presidential decisions are not a majority vote. Panetta may have been the only one recommending a "go" and the President went with him. The only vote that matters is the President's.
You're adding "facts" which do not exist. Panetta was the only one in the room who had most of the relevant information, and, therefore the rest of the group would rely upon his recommendation. A good leader surrounds himself not only with yes men, but with people who offer the broad spectrum of opinion. While there was probably agreement that Osama should be attacked, the rest of the folks in the room ... if Biden's recollection is accurate ... were urging information they could be convinced by. At the end of the day it's the President's decision, and Obama, unlike Bush II, wasn't afraid to make the decision to go forward. The military action was fraught with risk, political risk to the President and loss of life risk to the military. Bravo to the President for doing the right thing.
Then why were they there if they didn't have information germane to the issue?
I don't see what the big deal is. OBL is dead, but lets complain about this fact.
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