OPINION:
After listening to all the information released since the news that our brave military had killed Osama bin Laden, I am left with a few questions.
First, why did the president choose to announce this to the nation and the rest of the world the very night it happened? It seems to me that waiting several weeks before announcing bin Laden’s death would have provided valuable time for us to analyze and act upon information taken from his compound. Silence and patience can be valuable tools if used correctly. Why immediately reveal to your enemies that you have intelligence of their inner workings? If you were al Qaeda, wouldn’t you immediately be on the run, covering your tracks in damage-control mode? Had we remained mum for a time, we could have left al Qaeda guessing about the extent of its intelligence exposure.
If you were al Qaeda, whom would you fear more: a president who runs to the podium to tell the world about killing your top dog the day he did it or one who waits for the best possible time to release this information?
The constant changes to stories of what happened on that night are also troubling. How can members of the administration not be on the same page with what they reveal to the public? This shows a lack of organization to our enemy. I would feel much better if I believed the constantly changing stories were planned for some strategic or tactical advantage, but I don’t believe that’s the case. In the end, this was a tremendous victory for our nation that was accomplished with the finest military the world has ever seen. President Obama deserves credit for allowing the trigger to be pulled to get bin Laden, but whether he acted in our favor in the aftermath is another matter.
JACK YOCUM
Orange Park, Fla.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.