it'll be interesting to see how the wingnuts will spin this one. i'm their creativity will reach a new level.

meant to say i'm sure their creativity will reach a new level.

Maybe I'm being overly cynical...obviously this a good development, but my initial reaction was to be reminded of the countless number twos killed or captured during the Bush Administration and how they always conveniently occurred after a poll showing waning support.

If I'm not mistaken, a poll released this week indicated waning support for the Afghanistan war...

Nah, I'm just being tin foily. Right?

I've found it interesting that in many of the recent national polls, the president's approval rating is strongest on foreign policy, which were told during the campaign, isn't supposed to be his principal strength as a leader.

The thing is, foreign policy is the realm in which the President is most free to act. Domestically he is highly constrained normally, and right now he faces a Republican Party prepared to obstruct any and everything he tries to do. Those realities are being reflected in Obama's public polling.

doubtful,

and I'm still wondering what motivated the Obama admin to release intel about the Russian sub....

this, if accurate

Exactly. Let's at least wait for the DNA results.

Killed a bad guy. Check.
Confirmed first female Hispanic to SCOTUS. Check.
Job numbers show positive signs. Check.
Two more billion for the Clunker Program. Check.
Two journalists freed from North Korea. Check.

Pretty good week's work, eh?

(Hold the mail, newspapers, ask the VP to walk the dog and water the garden- we're off for a well earned vacation. . .)

The only reason BHO has been successful is because he has inherited a strong military from President Bush.

If rumors of his demise haven't been exaggerated (as the man says), then this is probably a helpful thing, most especially for the people of Pakistan. But this is just one guy. Someone (at least one someone) will spring up in his place to continue the jihad -- if not right away, then probably not too far from now. It's best not to get very excited about these things.

I do not believe ISI does not know where bin Laden, Mullah Omar, and Al Zawahiri are. We tell them that we want to know where they are now, or there will be no more US military aid to Pakistan.

Time for the Left to button it...

Nah, I'm just being tin foily. Right?

Yep. But worse.

We've got a good and decent president who is being denied his humanity by a increasing vicious and violent minority. They are calling him a socialist, a racist, an illegal alien who wants to euthanize old people.

How long do you think until some right wing loon takes a pot shot at him? Tomorrow? Next week. They have created a climate rife with the possibility.

I stopped my criticism of Obama's Treasury Dept. well over a month ago. I foresaw the right wing ghouls climbing out of their crypyts. It is time to button it up and present a solid pro-Obama force. We can all find fault and pick this good man apart when things are going swimmingly.

But critique him now? Hell no and heads up! We got 28% of the population hoping he gets shot dead tomorrow. Aim your fire and your wrath and your passion at those fucks. They will stop at nothing. Do not abet them one centimeter by tearing down Obama....

The only reason BHO has been successful is because he has inherited a strong military from President Bush.
Posted by: Al on August 7, 2009 at 5:31 PM

Thanks for the set-up, Al:

Ditto the Bush inheritance from CLINTON. . .

"The only reason BHO has been successful is because he has inherited a strong military from President Bush."

You mean the one W took close to the point of breaking it?

koreyel, if progressives stop trying to pull Obama to the left, half the wingnuts' job is done.

[...] my initial reaction was to be reminded of the countless number twos killed or captured during the Bush Administration [...] -- doubtful, @@ 16:51

Yeah, but this one is supposed to have been number one, not number two; the big cheese himself :) Of course, even if the rumour is correct, the Hydra won't stay headless for very long and, Hydra-like, may grow two new heads in the place of the one that's been cut off. Still... A tad of respite should be welcome.

These unmanned predator planes have made a sea change in fighting terrorists. Guerilla warfare in wilderness, desert or jungle will never be the same.
Solar powered predators, launched from aircraft carriers, will combat pirates on the high sea.

Once located faction leaders will be hunted down mercilessly. Many terrorists and innocents will die during the pursuit. People will avoid the targeted individual out of personal safety, which will diminish his effectiveness as a leader.
A predator will be built that can deliver a small atomic bomb. I hope an American is controlling it. This is one area of the defense budget that pays its own way.

So what are the terrorists doing to defend themselves from predator attacks? What can be done? The answers to these questions contain a good portion of the future of warfare during this new century.

The Poncho Villas, Che Gueverras and Osama Bin Ladens of the world have nowhere to hide. What will they do now?

Whoops, should read:

If a predator is built that can deliver a small atomic bomb, I hope an American is controlling it.

Predators and unmanned flying weapons are one area of the defense budget that pays its own way.

The only reason BHO has been successful is because he has inherited a strong military from President Bush.

A strong military is useless if you don't use it correctly. And by you, I mean Bush.

Funny Al should mention Bush. Thursday marked the eighth anniversary of the PDB titled Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US and, based on what happened thirty-six days later, apparently ignored.

I wonder how many women, children, wedding parties, etc we had to blow the shit out of to accomplish this feat? Hundreds, thousands? Is it worth it? How do we factor human costs versus the killing a Taliban leader. How shall we measure the impact on the Taliban in that area. Will attacks on US/Nato forces drop? Will there be a dramatic diminution of IED's? I'm with doubtful, a previous commenter. My trust in these assessments has little or no credibility with me.

Hey Andrew. What does it pay to post payday loan links?

I really want to sit at one of those cool video consoles in Florida piloting a predator and only taking a break when I land to rearm.

Put some of those in the local malls (with monitors) and military recruitment will soar. We'd kill OBL in 36 hours and Vegas could make millions on the pool.

""This is a major setback for the Taliban in Pakistan. He was the leader. The successors are all non-entities." Shah added that the U.S. strike will "weaken" the Taliban "quite a lot."

This may or may not be true. Only time will tell.

One thing that is sure, though, is that a country whose foreign policy depends on boogeymen for its justification will never suffer a shortage of boogeymen.

Update: It has been noticed (e.g. by Sullivan) there is little mention of Obama's smackdown of the Taliban leader on Instapundit, RedState, Fox (at least, beyond just saying it happened when it did), etc. Yet they are pumping the petty issue of Obama wanting to stop using the phrase "war on terror" (I wish he'd keep it, but that isn't the point - it's a minor issue by comparison.)

Sully says, ~ now that the WOT is not a tool for the Right, they don't care anymore. BTW jm, real booegymen do exist in the World, it's a matter of knowing which are which. The real Taliban are one of them, and our domestic admirers of their fundamentalism, fervor, contempt, and tactics are another.

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