President Obama is no Vice-President Cheney

When I read on May 1, 2011 that Bin Laden was killed, I wondered at first why the New York Times reported the roles of the CIA and SEALs, noting when President Obama "gave the final order for members of the Navy Seals and C.I.A. operatives to strike."

Is this too much information, "too many details of [special operations' missions being] leaked to the press," as John Miller [who worked with the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence], said on "CBS This Morning" (February 8, 2012).

The loudest criticism [seen in the video below] is coming from a Christian Dominionist, Maj Gen James Vaught who also said a few years back: "Only Christian [is a] soldier is a good soldier. We know we (Christians) are not the enemy so you figure out who is."

It seems improbable that elite units such as Task Force 20 [whatever incarnation it operates as today]—a shadowy multi-service Special Forces unit reportedly composed of Marine Force Recon, Navy Seals, Army Delta Force and Rangers, and Air Force Special Operations personnel—would have their superiors speaking publicly on the composition and tactics of this combined services missions that take down high-value U.S. military targets like Osama Bin Laden, and rescue Hostages in Somalia, as in January.

Which is why I think reports of the composition and details of risky, spectacular successes are misinformation, and critics like Maj Gen James Vaught are likely off-target in a CBS News report in this video, as a new Poll finds broad support for Obama’s counterterrorism policies.



(CBS News)

Saddam caught by Task Force 20

Adm. Bill McRaven, the nation's top military officer for special operations forces like the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, came under some not-so-friendly fire Tuesday, facing criticism that too many details of his troops' missions are leaked to the press.

Informed personnel say American media reports and even books on Task Force 20 and other special forces operations generally are rife with cover stories and misinformation.

In other words, when it comes to reports on special operations missions, don't believe too much beyond what appears obvious.

Like Maj Gen. James Vaught, as a good American, I don't want to know details of special forces operations anymore than I want public the exact route of President Obama to a public event. But I don't believe I do from press reports, even after a mission is completed.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members
of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against
Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011.
Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. “Brad” Webb,
Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command;
Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough;
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley;
Tony Binken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason
Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan,
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Speculating, Gen. James Vaught's loud complaints sound a lot like part of a political black flag operation (a covert false flag operation) carried out by shills to deceive the public for an unspecified objective. In this case, this objective is to take the shine off the successes of President Obama in his role as commander-in-chief.

Does Gen. Vaught really believe President Obama is giving away secrets?

Vaught speaks his mind often: "Only Christian soldier is a good soldier. We know we (Christians) are not the enemy so you figure out who is." “Now is not the time to be politically correct.” (Nov. 3, 2003)

I worked for President Obama's campaign; I criticized President Obama; I voted for President Obama and will again, and believe me President Obama is no Vice-President Cheney.

I should note that I did wonder why a couple of days before bin laden was killed, my traffic on a high-traffic story on Task Force 20 and Islamophobia suddenly jettisoned into the number one piece for highest traffic of the week on my blog, in which the publicly viewed "Popular Posts" section indicated the movement.

Whatever happened in the April-May 2011 days prior to killing Osama Bin Laden, a lot people may have suddenly become interested in Islamophobia or some people were monitoring the Internet closely to see what showed up when entering "Task Force 20."

I did wonder: What's up?

CBS concludes in their report this morning:

What generates the kind of pressure that McRaven faced Tuesday is when classified information is leaked by congressional or White House staffers who can't tell which details are of tactical value, Miller said. Of course, with special operations forces carrying out missions at a rate of four or five a day for the past two years, the details of which don't come to light, McRaven's missions largely stay true to his troops' nickname of "the quiet professionals."

That seems true, and I think another political strike at President Obama just went up in smoke.