Loose Lips Sink Ships

Years from now, when we look back at the Obama administration, there will be one brief shining moment in the years of his presidency.  It will of course be the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.  OBL or UBL as he became known, was the murderous leader of the terrorist group al Qaeda, that changed all of our lives forever.  Since the sneak attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the plane which was diverted to a deadly crash in a Pennsylvania field, many of us have learned lessons that will stay with us for a lifetime.  The most important lesson of all is that a great majority of Muslims hate America, in spite of the fact that they come to our shores to study, work and live, most do not assimilate, and regard us with hatred and scorn.

On May 2, 2011, when the news broke on television that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan, some Americans went out in the streets to rejoice, others were perplexed and dumbfounded.  How could the world's most wanted terrorist, with a $25 million bounty on his head, have hidden in a compound in Pakistan, undetected for seven years?

The covert operation  carried out by United States Navy SEALs and CIA operatives was also kept as a secret, and surprisingly, none of the information about it  was leaked until after the mission had been successfully accomplished.  However, with the completion of the mission, the secrecy seemed to have ended as well.

Just yesterday, Secretary of Defense Gates divulged that the White House National security team had agreed to maintain the secrecy, yet "it broke silence within 15 hours after the agreement was made."  Back in 2008, then Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel,  said as the country's economic situation grew grim:   "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."  This was a sign of what we could expect of this administration, and in the case of Osama bin Laden's capture, their philosophy has most likely been:  "You never let a good victory go to waste either." 

Neither Obama, who is seeking reelection, nor his staff, nor the Democrats for that matter,  wasted any time in taking credit and profiting from the event.  One forgettable Democrat (whose name escapes us) said on FOX News, "Obama did in two years what Bush couldn't do in seven."  We believe that what proves to be the most significant difference between the two Commanders in Chief, is the way they announced their individual accomplishments in the War on Terror - the capture of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden." 

George W. Bush speech after the capture of Saddam Hussein:

The success of yesterday's mission is a tribute to our men and women now serving in Iraq . The operation was based on the superb work of intelligence analysts who found the dictator's footprints in a vast country. The operation was carried out with skill and precision by a brave fighting force. Our servicemen and women and our coalition allies have faced many dangers in the hunt for members of the fallen regime, and in their effort to bring hope and freedom to the Iraqi people. Their work continues, and so do the risks. Today, on behalf of the nation, I thank the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate 'em.

Barack Obama speech after the capture and killing of  Osama bin Laden:


And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network. Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan . And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan .

We don't need to highlight the differences in the speeches.  One is humble and gives credit where it is due.  The other is arrogant and takes the credit of the operation.  Our readers can discern the difference.

The fact is that Barack Hussein Obama did NOT capture Osama bin Laden.  The United States Navy SEALs captured, and executed the world's most murderous terrorist.  The CIA operatives provided the necessary intelligence to complete the mission successfully.  It is a tribute to the American Armed Forces and to the American Intelligence services that this despicable creature was eradicated from the face of the Earth.

Yes, Obama has gotten his much needed bump in the ratings and more than enough details about the operation have been revealed.  In actuality, too much has been exposed.  The Navy SEALs involved have had to ask for protection for their families, and do we really need to know all the mechanics of the operation?  The result achieved is what is of importance to us all.

We simply do not understand why any American would "leak" information which is of utmost concern to our national security.  Speaking on "Meet The Press" on Sunday, Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said:  " I think anybody in our--in the, in the national security apparatus has, has got to take full cognizance of their responsibility for the safeguarding of classified information."  There is a reason for the information to be classified, and we don't feel that the civilian public has to know every detail leading to covert operations which insure the safety of the American people.

During World War II as soldiers entered the battle area, they were given a booklet that said, "Loose Lips Sink Ships"  it's meaning was simple:  THINK! Where does the enemy get his information -- information that can put you, and has put your comrades, adrift on an open sea: information that has lost battles and can lose more, unless you personally, vigilantly, perform your duty in SAFEGUARDING MILITARY INFORMATION?   We face enough dangers with hackers like Julian Assange and those who work for Wikileaks and like programs without helping them along.

 We call on all Americans, including ambitious politicians, to safeguard the well being of our troops and intelligence agencies. It is they, not the politicians, not the pundits,  who put their lives on the line in their daily work to keep us safe from harm. It is they, our Military Forces and our Intelligence Agents, who bring  to justice, whenever possible, those whose chief goal is to destroy America. 
Two Sisters