A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

[kristen999]

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and members of his national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House. A classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured.

Comments

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Apparently they had been working on rounding him up since last August.
I would imagine there will be more disclosures as time goes moves on not only in photo ops but in areas which are not classified.
I am also glad the burial site is classified.
I imagine if it was not, somebody would rush out there to set up some sort of shrine.
When I heard burial was at sea, my imagination immediately wandered to a Navy sub taking the remains out to sea and using one of the torpedo tubes....
>:-)
I figure just desserts given he ordered the hit on the USS Cole that killed 17 and wounded another 39 Navy personnel.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Burying him at sea was the best option so there is no shrine made to the man.

As much as I find this man to be pure evil, I'm glad we did not desecrate his body. A) to show the world we're above that and B) to not inflame tensions.

Good decisions made all around.

momentous

[(Anonymous)]

Very intense. I can only imagine how stressful (not a good enough word) it must have been to watch our Navy SEALS on their mission as it was happening, especially when one of their helicopters was compromised. Thank goodness they all got out safe and were able to complete their mission. Whoohoo! And awesome call by President Obama. - Diane

Re: momentous

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

I'm still amazed by this and the picture really captures the tension.

[mischief5.livejournal.com]

Bold move on Obama's part and well done by the SEALs. I'm not dancing in the streets but I'm very proud of our people in uniform and the Commander in Chief, not to mention all the folks in Intelligence.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

It was a very well played operation, every step meticulously planned. Gusty move.

[ninja007.livejournal.com]

I heard that photo was taken before they were informed the helicopter was blown up purposely and had to men lost in it.

Still...a photo for historical archives.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

it really captures such a tense moment.

[sirona-gs.livejournal.com]

How much do I love the fact that Obama isn't even sitting at the table, like Bush would have done, but is instead sitting off to the side, so his people can actually get their work done? I <3 you, Obama. Also, I really like that none of them are celebrating. However nasty a piece Bin Laden was, the jubilation on the streets after his death made me really uncomfortable. So well done, you guys, on showing you're all sensible people. I feel really reassured, seeing this pic.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

This was a huge gamble and bold move, but Obama made all the right calls down to the burial. This was the second time he's used the SEALs for a risky operation that we know if. The first one was target against the pirates where a sniper took out his target on a moving boat over a mile away.

Blows my mind.

[a-pilgrim-soul.livejournal.com]

Absolutely fascinating photograph, an insight into a moment of history really. I can't imagine the pressure of the decision making involved in this, the tension in that room must have been unbearable.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

It captures just an incredible moment in time. From Obama's serious concentration, to Hilary's hand on her face.

[sgafan.livejournal.com]

Obama and I may not agree on other things, but I believe in being fair. This was a gutsy move by the president and the absolute right one to make. The mission, while risky, ensured that Bin Laden was there and that we got him one way or another. Job well done and the world is a bit better place for it.

[coolbreeze1.livejournal.com]

What an amazing moment captured here. It's hard to believe that almost 10 years have passed since 9/11/01. That day seems to live with us always and there are moments to me when it feels like it just happened. I think Bin Laden's name will always be slightly painful, even when the news about him is good, but hopefully his death will allow us to put a little bit of closure on our experiences of 9/11.

I went down to the Pentagon Memorial last night. That is such a quiet, serene place. It was a nice moment to reflect on what had happened and remember those who were lost. My deepest admiration and respect to the intelligence community, the military, and the President who worked together, made the difficult decisions, and carried out the operation successfully. Thanks for posting the picture!