Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Did Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton force Obama to act on Bin Laden?

Caution! Grain of salt alert!

There are some aspects to this story by “Washington Insider” that strain belief (Professor Reynolds is skeptical, as is Steve Green). Nevertheless, given Obama’s well-earned reputation for vacillation and disengagement from the details of governing, it’s not as if it doesn’t fit the profile. A sample:
I was correct in stating there had been a push to invade the compound for several weeks if not months, primarily led by Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, David Petraeus, and Jim Clapper. The primary opposition to this plan originated from Valerie Jarrett, and it was her opposition that was enough to create uncertainty within President Obama. Obama would meet with various components of the pro-invasion faction, almost always with Jarrett present, and then often fail to indicate his position. This situation continued for some time, though the division between Jarrett/Obama and the rest intensified more recently, most notably from Hillary Clinton. She was livid over the president’s failure to act, and her office began a campaign of anonymous leaks to the media indicating such. As for Jarrett, her concern rested on two primary fronts. One, that the military action could fail and harm the president’s already weakened standing with both the American public and the world. Second, that the attack would be viewed as an act of aggression against Muslims, and further destabilize conditions in the Middle East.
(H/T: Captain Heinrichs)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jarret must have pictures of Obama, with goats.

Retread

JeffS said...

I did read that article, Paco, and I have to say, it sounds true. But if it's fiction, it's VERY good fiction.

Like the good Professor, however, I see the the sourcing as questionable. Someone could have written it with the critical buttons for the anti-Obama crowd here in the US. For example, it paints Obama in a very bad light, and portrays Jarrett as the power behind the throne. On the other hand, it offers a very reasonable explanation as to how OBL was killed, given how feckless President Present is.

But lacking confirmation, it's fiction. It describes what amounts to a coup, with foreign affairs being taking over by a triumvirate: Gates, Clinton, and Panetta. A two way struggle between Obama and the triumvirate would be inevitable, which I find difficult to believe that the cracks aren't already showing. OTOH, I wouldn't know what those cracks might look like.

The one thing that bugs me is the timing. This report came out QUICKLY after OBL was whacked. If it's fiction, the author is really really good, and a fast typist to boot.

But for now, it's an unconfirmed, unlikely rumor to me.

Merilyn said...

Vulture over at Tizona has also put up an interesting article, where it said "The President's role was minimal".
The most amazing part of this successful operation [and I will say it again] is that there were NO leaks.

Minicapt said...

My reaction, when the announcement was made, was that a packaged mission had been assembled by the Military/CIA. This had been presented to the President with a couple limits: this is the window of opportunity, this is the last possible time to decide for commitment. And it was followed by a warning that if no mission is undertaken, the news of OBL's presence will be in the news by end year.

Cheers

bruce said...

I always had the feeling that making Mrs Clinton SoS was much more than 'gracious', but an admission that the Clinton camp were right and BO needed someone to take on the hard foreign policy issues which are 'above his pay grade'. Jarrett got his ear for a while, but then...'ok whatever'. It's not a coups but a response to a vacuum. Isn't OB a Gen Xer, for whom these hard decisions were what the 'big guys' did for them? Many Xers with cosy lives do not see themselves having to make hard decisions, in contrast to their parents and grandparents.

RebeccaH said...

We won't know what really happened until Obama is gone and the tell-all books start coming out. I'm hoping for late 2013 or early 2014.

Anonymous said...

Ironic that Hillary didn't push Bill to take out Bin Laden when he had him in the cross hairs. Perhaps it is a case of "lesson learned".

It was an act against one Muslim, not the lot. The Middle East is already unstable. When were these people not riled up?

Deborah Leigh