Killing Osama bin Laden was a big victory for the U.S., but how exactly the raid went down is another story – and another, and another.
The contradictory statements seem certain to raise suspicions about the White House’s version of events, given that no independent account from another source is likely to emerge. The only non-U.S. witnesses to survive the raid are in Pakistani custody.
First we heard that Osama was shooting at US soldiers and using his wife for a shield!
At a Pentagon briefing earlier in the day, a senior defense official said bin Laden used a woman as a human shield so he could fire shots. “He was firing behind her,” the official said.
And…
The Al Qaeda leader took his wife as a human shield during the firefight in Abbottabad, (Obama’s chief counter-terrorism adviser, John) Brennan told reporters at a White House briefing.
“Here is bin Laden, who has been calling for attacks, living in a million-dollar-plus compound, hiding behind women put in front of him for a shield,” Brennan said.
It wasn’t just Brennan saying it.
A senior defense official gave a similar description to reporters at a Pentagon background briefing, saying bin Laden and other male combatants at the compound “certainly did use women as shields.”
Osama had a gun! He was shooting at our soldiers! He used his wife for a shield!
Bin Laden was not armed and did not employ one of his wives as a human shield, the White House said Tuesday.
And so what if they got every detail wrong? It’s an honest mistake! “Fog of war, yada yada” said Jay Carney.
And now back to you, John Brennan, to wrap it up!
“Thinking about that from a visual perspective, here is Barack Obama*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…” Brennan said.
“I think it really just speaks to just how false his narrative has been over the years.”
*Or did he really say…
Here is George W. Bush*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…”
*Or did he really say…
Here is Hillary Clinton*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…”
*Or did he really say…
Here is Rush Limbaugh*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…”
*Or did he really say…
Here is Dick Cheney*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…”
*Or did he really say…
Here is John McCain*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…”
*Or did he really say…
Here is Tom Friedman*, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front…”
*And he could have named any one of thousands of fat cats who live multi-million dollar compounds, far removed from the front, and call for more and more and more and more and more attacks, and the details don’t really matter.