President Obama on the raid that killed bin Laden

The Special Forces mission that killed Osama bin Laden was extremely difficult not just because of its operational complexity and the uncertainty of the intelligence. It was also complicated by the location where bin Laden was finally discovered - not far from Pakistan's capital and right under the noses of the Pakistani army. There have long been doubts about the commitment and trustworthiness of America's chief ally in the fight against al Qaeda, and Pakistan was kept in the dark

about the assault against bin Laden. Now the relationship between the two countries has never been worse.

KROFT: You didn't tell anybody in the Pakistani government or the military...or their intelligence community?

OBAMA: No.

KROFT: Because you didn't trust them?

OBAMA: As I said, I didn't tell most people here in the White House. I didn't tell my own family. It was that important for us to maintain operational security.

KROFT: But you were carrying out this operation in Pakistan.

OBAMA: Yeah.

KROFT: You didn't trust 'em?

OBAMA: If I'm not revealing to some of my closest aides what we're doing, then I sure as heck am not going to be revealing it to folks who I don't know.

KROFT: Right now, it certainly...the location of the compound just raises all sorts of questions. Do you believe people in the Pakistani government, Pakistani intelligence agencies knew that bin Laden was living there?

OBAMA: We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan. But we don't know who or what that support network was. We don't know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that's something that we have to investigate, and more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate.

And we've already communicated to them, and they have indicated they have a profound interest in finding out what kinds of support networks bin Laden might have had. But these are questions that we're not going to be able to answer three or four days after the event.

Pakistan's incompetence or duplicity in failing to locate bin Laden has already sparked a debate over whether the U.S. should continue to supply the country with billions of dollars in military aid. But good relations with Pakistan are still vital to U.S. interests. Most of the supplies for U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan must move through Pakistan, and President Obama says it remains a valuable source of information.

KROFT: When you announced that bin Laden had been killed last Sunday, you said, "Our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden in the compound where he was hiding." Can you be more specific on that, and how much help did Pakistan actually provide in getting rid of bin Laden?

OBAMA: What I can say is that Pakistan, since 9/11, has been a strong counterterrorism partner with us. There have been times where we've had disagreements. There have been times where we wanted to push harder, and for various concerns, they might have hesitated.

And those differences are real. And they'll continue. But the fact of the matter is that we've been able to kill more terrorists on Pakistani soil than just about any place else. We could not have done that without Pakistani cooperation. And I think that this will be an important moment in which Pakistan and the United States gets together and says, "All right, we've gotten bin Laden, but we've got more work to do. And are there ways for us to work more effectively together than we have in the past?" And that's gonna be important for our national security.

But the U.S. won't have to rely exclusively on Pakistan to investigate bin Laden's support network inside that country: The U.S. has had bin Laden's compound under surveillance for months, checking the comings and goings. And there is all that material that was confiscated from his lair during the raid. A video released over the weekend shows bin Laden watching himself on al Jazeera - a novelty item compared to the documents, files and computer drives that are expected to yield valuable information about his contacts in Pakistan and around the world.

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[carolhill814]

I just wish one day I wouldn't see this man's ugly face on the internet all I am asking for is just ONE DAY.

[Greg_J]

When are you 350 MILLION GENTILES AMERICANS going to DEMAND that is reality of today's America is ended forever, through making it illegal for any minority to make political donations, and offer directorships in their companies. How can any self-respecting people and country tolerate this >>

"We, the Jewish people control America, and the Americans know it".

SHAME ON YOU LOT. GET REAL! STOP threatening all other countries bar ISRAEL, the only Terrorist Entity in the Middle East, costing hundreds of $ Billions to the tax-payers, and thousands of American lives, making the Americans most hated all over the world.

[Greg_J]

It is good to know your enemies from your friends.
--------------------------------------------------

It looks like after over 60 years Pakistani Rulers have come to realise that USA rulers are not their friends, but enemies, in the pockets of Muslims declared enemies, the Jews, who are the USA's proxy rulers. USSR leaders had threatened to wipe Pakistan off the map after the Pakistani rulers at the time were allowing the USA to fly their spy planes over the Soviet Territories, using Pakistani airfields. Americans would not and did not help Pakistan have a steel mill, which the Russians helped Pakistan with in the end.


USA imposed sanction on Pakistan for nuclear activities, but have never uttered a word about or against Israel's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons activities.


Over one million Afghans, including the Taliban, and Muslims from various nation sacrificed their lives for USA's proxy war against the Soviet Union. Soviet invasion and then carpet bombing by the Americans after 9/11 had sent over 3 million Afghan into Pakistan tribal areas. After the Soviet withdrawal, Americans, along with their other Western allies just walked away from Pakistan, leaving millions of Afghan for a poor country like Pakistan to take care of, and create problems within Pakistan.


Even now, grudgingly, and with so many conditions attached, they are given $7.5 billion blood money over 5 years to this country of 180 millions, fighting America's war against Muslims, with over 34,000 lives have been lost in Pakistan so far, and the economy has suffered a loss of $16 BILLION, because of USA's war. Yet, the American rulers continue to deposit direct into Israeli Treasury Account $5 billion each year of American Tax-Payers money even in this dire financial strait at home, and giving FREE military aid, some time giving the new weapons to the Israelis which are not even issued to the American forces. This is the stark reality in the USA, in its sham, a fraud democracy, where a tiny number of Jews own and control American rulers. Or, give me some MORAL reasons why the USA has not and does not STOP Israeli state terrorism against the Palestinians, and end the blocked of the biggest Concentration Camp, Gaza, (Vatican), and illegal settlement building in the occupied land for over 60 years.


I am delighted to know that the Pakistan President has gone to neighbouring Russia on a 3 day visit, while the Prime Minister is in China for a 4 day visit, the most loyal and steadfast friend Pakistan have had for decades. Obama should NOT be invited to come to Pakistan, this murdering most evil half-white scum.

[lucifersshadow]

First, I thought Obama would be a good president, and I am from the LEFT, not the right. However I cannot buy this 55/45 BS. He acts like this was a huge decision and that they really did not know if it was Bin Ladin in there or not. But do you honestly think that with today's technology, we had a team on the ground near the compound and they still did not know it was Bin Laden in there? That is plain rubbish, he just wants to get re-elected.
Obama has completely lost credibility with me, have you noticed how his stance on the war changed? We may as well have Bush in there still. Instead of following his campagn pledge to extract troops, that everyone heard, he allowed himself to be convinced by the military industrial complex that he should send more troops. He was going to let the tax cuts for the rich expire, see how he let that happen? He was going to close Guantanamo, see how he closed it? While the cards fell in Mubarak's favor, Obama was all for supporting Mubarak and sending American dollars to him. When the outcome of the Egyptian revolution was uncertain, Obama waffled. When the crowds finally won over, he then supported them. Why would anyone take him seriously when all he does it talk BS?

[pauldia-2009]

Obama's gone from not spiking the football to Dirty Harry in three three weeks.Soon he'll be getting a "Don't tread on me" tattoo and a NRA lifetime membership.

[k2mn]

Regarding the debt: For 8 years, the GOP held the credit card. And just like immature teenagers, the GOP ran the credit card bill up to its max. Then Obama came along and took the credit card away from the GOP. As Obama tried to deal with how to pay the credit card bill, realizing that he had to spend money to make money (bail outs), the GOP blames Obama for THEIR spending sprees. Just like spoiled teenagers, the GOP say, "I didn't do it, HE did!" (Although when Obama relieves the world and kills bin Laden, the GOP say, "HE didn't do it, WE did!) Teenagers think they know everything and revolt against authority. Teenagers screw up and have a knack to find a twisted way to always blame someone else for their own actions. Teenagers also think the world revolves around them, and if they don't get their way, they make life miserable for authority. This is how I see the GOP acting...the teenagers who weren't responsible enough to hold the credit card, and until they grow up, they will blame everyone else except themselves.

[k2mn]

It's not terrorism, the economy, or the other huge stack of serious problems on President Obama's desk that scares me so much - it's the GOP! Go to/on any blog and read the deep, seething hatred the GOPers are spewing about our President and the Democrats...many of them even seem to be upset that bin Laden was killed! Then flip over to FOX and listen to them take credit for, brag about, and even encourage more torture! Any success President Obama gives to us and our country, past, present, and I'm sure in the future, he will be harshly criticized, unfairly judged on twisted, made up GOP lies, and heavily insulted on his race, background, and even on his family. It's OK to disagree - I've even disagreed with some of President Obama's decisions, and I've written him and my senators about it. But it seems like the GOP's fight goes way below the belt, and the hatred they continue to stir up, along with their FOX friends, is bordering on a fine line of being dangerous. Please, may we all grow up and act like American adults instead of American enemies?

[FugginSuggin_com]

The alleged death of Osama Bin Laden is being used to justify this never ending "War on Terror," as well as the further reduction of the rights of American Citizens in the name of security. People are so eager to believe the story of his death and scoff at those who don't trust the fable. Check out the below link to understand why so many people don't believe the U.S. government's story of the death of Osama Bin Laden.


http://www.fugginsuggin.com/2011/05/why-many-people-dont-believe-osama.html

[Birdman04]

Only conspiracy theory freaks and fruitcakes buy into that nonsense. Any truth to the rumor that Elvis is alive and well living with Bigfoot in Vegas?

[avigil2]

It's pretty clear to me that no matter what Obama does (and he's done quite a bit during his administration) some people will never be happy. During his tenure, one of the most wanted men in the world was located and killed... and that was exactly one week to the date that he proved his citizenship to those naysayers (HELLO... you can't be President of the United States if you're not a U.S. citizen). Those people need to move on or get out!

[forsanity1]

It is a very small percentage of Americans that absolutely refuse to accept any positive aspect of the Obama presidency.

It does seem that many of them have a lot of time on their hands and we see them posting all over the internet. The number of posts mean nothing -- just here on CBS, one person posts this kind of drivel under no less than seven different screen names.

The Republic is secure, the POTUS is doing as good a job as anyone could in the current US situation... fear is a wasted emotion -- if the thing you fear is real... well bye-bye.

Interesting to note: gas prices are going down. I saw it with my own eyes.

[1pheasant1]

by fairtax71 May 9, 2011 10:47 PM EDT

Mr. Cain will be nailing the President and his teleprompter in the 2012 debates.

================

Republicans will never give him the chance. I'm sure most want to see his birth certificate first! All others get a free pass.

[forsanity1]

1) Nobody uses teleprompters in debates.

2) Cain hasn't got a chance in the ongoing GOP primary race. Frank Luntz's focus group is not a viable bellwether...