Dispatches from the Flying M

The OBL Death Photo

There's a lot of debate now as to whether the government should release a photo proving Osama bin Laden's death. So far there don't seem to be a lot of people making the claim that he's still alive, but it's likely that people will--jihadists trying to use his notoriety for recruitment purposes, and trying to claim that the weak, pathetic USA could never catch such a genius, and home-grown conspiracy theorists looking for one more nonsensical claim to use against President Obama. Of course, releasing the photo will still not settle the crazies, because they'll claim PhotoShop or theatrical special effects were used.

I propose using the photo to make one T-shirt. The T-shirt will be given to the brave and mighty Koran-burning Pastor Terry Jones. Whenever there's a group of radical jihadists who insist on proof of OBL's death, Pastor Jones will be sent into their midst, wearing the T-shirt, to provide that proof.

Really--it's win-win.

Getting bin Laden

Not everybody agrees with me--that never happens--but the mission that resulted in the killing of Osama bin Laden is a perfect example of why I believe President Obama's decision to move Leon Panetta from the CIA to Defense Secretary, and General David Petraeus to CIA is a stroke of genius. Given the threat that we face, we need more than ever for the military and intelligence people to understand each other, to communicate, and to work together, as they did here.

Under Bush we had Rumsfeld, Condi, George Tennant and Colin Powell feuding and miscalculating, sending us to Iraq, which had nothing to do with al Qaeda or the war on terror. Bush brought in Gates, but by then the damage was done. Obama put together the team of Gates and Hillary Clinton and Mike Mullen and John Brennan and Leon Panetta, and in two years accomplished what Bush couldn't do in almost eight. Because these people are a team, they're smart, they're driven, and they understand cooperation. And the smartest guy in town is at the head of the team, calling the shots.

A couple of decades ago I knew Richard Marcinko, who was the first commander of Seal Team Six, the elite, deadly bunch of Navy Seals who went in and got bin Laden. I liked him, enjoyed his company, and respected his service and his abilities. Sending those guys into Pakistan to get bin Laden-who they were pretty sure, but not 100% positive, was there--was another stroke of genius. It worked, and the world is rid of one of its worst mistakes.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone at the CIA and JSOC and Seal Team Six, everyone in the White House and the foreign policy and intelligence establishments who've worked so hard, behind the scenes, usually in anonymity, to arrive at this outcome.

Our national security is in the hands of as good a team as has ever been assembled for that purpose. There will always be threats--but if anyone can deal with those threats, they can.