SAY NO MORE

Some more thoughts on Abbottabad

The ISI supposedly didn’t know about the Bin Laden residence – and they didn’t know about the CIA safe house either. : - )

The Archbishop of Canterbury -  I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t get it.  This is an act of war, whether you agree with it or not. Can you imagine his predecessor in WW2 saying, well Winston, I’m not sure about all this, we might hurt the German people’s feelings…  There’s no difference in practical terms between a UAV launched Hellfire missile killing a minor terrorist leader in the tribal areas, and this, other than this way has less chance of others getting killed too. I don’t recall the Archbishop speaking out against the hundreds of times the UAVs have rightly assassinated people in the hills. Mind you, a bit of moral hand-wringing from the CofE is about all you could expect.  One of his other predecessors won an MC at Arnhem I seem to recall. I’d politely suggest the Archbishop get of his hassock and go and visit some of his parishioners, currently serving in Helmand. He’d look good in a tin hat and flak jacket.  If he doesn’t fancy that, take a shorter trip to Headley Court and hear what they have to say.  Time for some muscular Christianity I say!  Can you imagine the cost in lives it would take and the expense of putting Bin Laden on trial - and the political turmoil that would cause globally?

Actually I’m pretty amazed Bin Laden was only shot with two bullets.   I’d have thought there would be a whole line of Navy SEALs lined up waiting to empty an entire magazine into him, one after the other – then they could all say ‘I shot him!” and I'd still say they did the right thing.

To show the photos or not show the photos? My view is that the US administration shouldn’t pander to the world’s media. Just shrug and say we killed him, if you don’t believe us, don’t believe us, we don’t care.

My one criticism of this…. Guys, get your media relations tightened up. Dripping out different versions of the incident is pathetic and weakens the whole gig. Do it this way:

A. Announce the deed is done, and say “details to follow”.

B. Get the facts of the story you are prepared to release, verify them, make sure they say what you want to say across all the departments – White House, DoD and Agency

C. Say it.

D. Say no more

And E. STILL SAY NOTHING MORE