Kudos to the United States Military for carrying out the operation to kill OBL. The operation was planned and executed flawlessly, with the exception of the helicopter mishap. Every possible event was planned and rehearsed. Every possible contingency was mapped out and addressed, including the possibility of mechanical failure that would have resulted in American servicemen dying in Pakistan. What if?
I have previously written that the CIA Director, Leon Panetta, showed tremendous political courage in resisting the Leftist Meme that Waterboarding and enhanced techniques had no effect whatsoever on discovering the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. I have also speculated that President Obama was dragged kicking and screaming into the Situation Room where the Operation Geronimo was underway. What, then, would have happened if disaster struck and two helos collided over the compound in Abbottabad?
As they say, "Success has many Fathers; Failure is an Orphan." What was put in place to take the blame for the operations possible failure? You know that Carter's failure in Desert One during the Iran Hostage Crisis weighed heavily on everyone in the room, (except perhaps Hillary). I believe that CIA Director Panetta would have fallen on his sword for the President had the mission failed. It was, after all, a mission involving the Agency and the DEVGRU (Seal Team 6).
Have you ever seen a football game where the running back goes about 80 yards, and then, just as he approaches the end zone, he turns and flips the ball to a teammate so he can score the touchdown?
Courageous? Present-dent Obama? No, the adult in the room was Leon Panetta, who ran this show up to the very end, giving the ‘Little Boy in the Situation Room’ a free pass if things went badly in the operation. Once the mission success was guaranteed, Captain Courageous, Leon Panetta, tossed the Poseur the ball.
Now that’s why Lil O didn’t want to spike the ball.
