Beloved character actor Osama bin Laden, star of TV's "Fox News", dies age 54

[metallicat]

That makes it even worse.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by T@T

Yeah this one is puzzling.hard to believe this day in age they can still hide a weapon that big from the geeks who like to snoop!

This tail rotor doesn't look like anything anyone has seen before.


I was kind of shocked when they cancelled the Comanche because of costs considering they had no problem building 160+ units of $200 million F-22's. The rig looked bad assed.

It looks far to large to be part of an attack chopper so maybe this thing is just a modified Black Hawk or Sea Hawk.

Heh, nice to know I'm not as out of touch with modern war equipment as I thought, since I instantly thought that thing looked weird

Although I'm taking this with a couple of pinches of salt.

First, unnamed "aviation experts" is not exactly a source.
Second, there's that somewhat reliable twitter report from that IT guy (or what ever, some random civilian) from Abottabad who said he heard a helicopter, but didn't comment that it sounded weird or muffled in any way.

Or maybe there was another helicopter, related or not.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Itse

Heh, nice to know I'm not as out of touch with modern war equipment as I thought, since I instantly thought that thing looked weird

Although I'm taking this with a couple of pinches of salt.

First, unnamed "aviation experts" is not exactly a source.
Second, there's that somewhat reliable twitter report from that IT guy (or what ever, some random civilian) from Abottabad who said he heard a helicopter, but didn't comment that it sounded weird or muffled in any way.

Or maybe there was another helicopter, related or not.

These "stealth" helicopters flew into Pakistan with two very unstealthy Chinook helicopters.

So maybe the Chinook's actually had permission to be going where they were going - even as they were carrying elements of the Seal team - as cover for the invisible Stealth helicopters.

Risking the stealth technology probably had a great deal to do with its low noise profile in dropping in on Osama with little notice, the Chinook's arriving a little later with the bulk of the assault force.

Stealth helicopters travelling with the obnoxiously obvious Chinooks always looked a little odd.

Cowperson

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

These "stealth" helicopters flew into Pakistan with two very unstealthy Chinook helicopters.

So maybe the Chinook's actually had permission to be going where they were going - even as they were carrying elements of the Seal team - as cover for the invisible Stealth helicopters.

Risking the stealth technology probably had a great deal to do with its low noise profile in dropping in on Osama with little notice, the Chinook's arriving a little later with the bulk of the assault force.

Stealth helicopters travelling with the obnoxiously obvious Chinooks always looked a little odd.

Cowperson

That is one thing I thought of, perhaps the sound of a helicopter in the yard wasn't a rare event judging by the slow response of the people inside. As far as I can tell from the limited info I know. If they were used to a chopper landing in the compound who's chopper had they seen before.

[SeeBass]

sorry but I had to put this in here as well as the funny pic post

[worth]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

That is one thing I thought of, perhaps the sound of a helicopter in the yard wasn't a rare event judging by the slow response of the people inside. As far as I can tell from the limited info I know. If they were used to a chopper landing in the compound who's chopper had they seen before.

From the guy's twitter stream who posted about the raid without even knowing it, helos are a very rare occurrence.

[metallicat]

Mostly because I don't want this thread to die yet, here are a couple of cool articles:

"The Situation and the Story: Press Corps Parties While White House Makes History"

http://www.observer.com/2011/situation-and-story?page=0

"Hot Damn! Behind the Young Rummy Aide Who Broke Bin Laden's Bust"

http://www.observer.com/2011/media/h...m=partial-text

[puckluck]

Anyone know if they're going to replay that 60 minutes episode with Obama?

[metallicat]

I don't think they do replays of 60 Minutes, but there are occasional re-runs on Sunday evenings. Is it not viewable on their website, or is it blocked to Canadians?

[metallicat]

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/60_minu...page&play=true

[puckluck]

Thanks, didn't know they replayed it on their site.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Brooklyn, NYC, USA

The hasids in Williamsburg are one sensitive bunch with this stuff, so it's not surprising. A while back they were complaining that girls biking through their neighborhood were dressed too sexy, and demanded the city remove bike lanes in the neighborhood (and got their way).

Meanwhile many of their men frequent prostitutes and treat their own women like crap. A few years back one family offered to "buy" my friend as a wife for their son because he had an asian fetish.

I live pretty close by to their neighborhood, and honestly, I've yet to meet a more xenophobic, sexist, and hypocritical group of people.

[Zevo]

Hasidic Jews are pretty bad. Most Israelis don't even like them.

Extremism in any religion is never a good thing.

[HPLovecraft]

Pakistan and the US had signed an agreement a decade ago that allowed the US to conduct raids on Pakistani territory if they believed Bin Laden was there, and then Pakistan would agree to protest it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...-pakistan-deal

Also, Obama made the Bin Laden strike team large enough so that it could fight its way out of Pakistan, if necessary:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...stile-pakistan

This stuff may or may not have been in the 60 minutes interview; I haven't listened to it yet.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Also, Obama made the Bin Laden strike team large enough so that it could fight its way out of Pakistan, if necessary:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...stile-pakistan

Those 80 or so Seals might be bad ass but they're not going to fight their way past 130 million Pakistanis.

The worst case scenario is they'd have to surrender and then the USA negotiates their release amid much humiliation.

The details in the story don't actually describe a "fight our way out of Pakistan scenario," only a scenario of "hold the fort until help arrives to take us out."

Cowperson

[Crazy Bacon Legs]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Pakistan and the US had signed an agreement a decade ago that allowed the US to conduct raids on Pakistani territory if they believed Bin Laden was there, and then Pakistan would agree to protest it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...-pakistan-deal

Also, Obama made the Bin Laden strike team large enough so that it could fight its way out of Pakistan, if necessary:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...stile-pakistan

This stuff may or may not have been in the 60 minutes interview; I haven't listened to it yet.

The secret pact story is a perfect example of why many of us do not accept wide-ranging conspiracies as anywhere near possible. Someone will inevitably leak something to the press. This took, what, a week after the act for an "anonymous US official" to leak the information?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Crazy Bacon Legs

The secret pact story is a perfect example of why many of us do not accept wide-ranging conspiracies as anywhere near possible. Someone will inevitably leak something to the press. This took, what, a week after the act for an "anonymous US official" to leak the information?

You must realize the "secret pact" story is probably baloney.

However the premise of your point is true. There is, in fact, no such thing monolithic obstacle as "the government."

Instead, "the government" is, in fact, a stupendous collection of individuals and most of them, if they're ordinary, love to blab to at least one other person.

Cowperson

[Crazy Bacon Legs]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

You must realize the "secret pact" story is probably baloney.

However the premise of your point is true. There is, in fact, no such thing monolithic obstacle as "the government."

Instead, "the government" is, in fact, a stupendous collection of individuals and most of them, if they're ordinary, love to blab to at least one other person.

Cowperson

Yes, my comment was more general than anything. One report certainly does not necessarily guarantee the truth; my response was more in line with exactly what you're saying.

If there's a big story to report, it can pretty much be guaranteed that someone will anonymously some forward and report it. The more convoluted and secretive, the more likely someone will open their mouth at some point.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The hasids in Williamsburg are one sensitive bunch with this stuff, so it's not surprising. A while back they were complaining that girls biking through their neighborhood were dressed too sexy, and demanded the city remove bike lanes in the neighborhood (and got their way).

Meanwhile many of their men frequent prostitutes and treat their own women like crap. A few years back one family offered to "buy" my friend as a wife for their son because he had an asian fetish.

I live pretty close by to their neighborhood, and honestly, I've yet to meet a more xenophobic, sexist, and hypocritical group of people.

Hmmm, all your complaining sounds like regret to me... Sold her too cheap didn't you?

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Those 80 or so Seals might be bad ass but they're not going to fight their way past 130 million Pakistanis.

The worst case scenario is they'd have to surrender and then the USA negotiates their release amid much humiliation.

The details in the story don't actually describe a "fight our way out of Pakistan scenario," only a scenario of "hold the fort until help arrives to take us out."

Cowperson

If there were military or police forces that responded to the fire fight at the compound, the Seals were ready to return fire against them, and thus "fight" their way out of Pakistan, or, if you'd prefer, the surrounding area. Obviously the sub-title of the story (which I was quoting) doesn't mean they were ready to fight 130 million Pakistanis. The details in the story describe this type of situation.

Asked about their rules of engagement, one official said: "Their instructions were to avoid any confrontation if at all possible. But if they had to return fire to get out, they were authorised to do it."