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NM politicians react to bin Laden’s death
Osama bin Laden
Upon learning of the death of Osama bin Laden late Sunday, New Mexico politicians expressed pride in America, gratitude to the military and intelligence agencies, and a sense that justice had been served.
“After years of searching for Osama bin Laden, the hard work of our intelligence officials and armed forces has paid off,” said U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. “I hope this news brings a measure of closure to the families whose lives were irrevocably changed by bin Laden.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., agreed.
“I am proud of our men and women in the military,” he said. “It has been nearly 10 years of dedicated, disciplined effort.”
“Al Qaeda’s forces are widely dispersed, so the value of this news can easily be overstated, but it is an important factor any time an enemy loses its top leader,” Pearce said.
U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., who is seeking to replace Bingaman in the Senate next year, said, “justice has been served.”
“The death and capture of bin Laden is a tremendous victory for the United States, our intelligence community and for every serviceman and woman who has been fighting al Qaeda on the front lines since September 11, 2001,” he said. “Let this be a warning to anyone who would consider harming Americans at home or abroad.”
Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., who is also seeking Bingaman’s Senate seat, said U.S. forces “have been relentless in their determination to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden.”
“Today, the thousands of Americans who have played a role in this effort deserve our gratitude,” she said.
“While the relentless pressure of American power made it more difficult for bin Laden to operate freely, he continued to inspire followers with a twisted ideology of mass murder,” Wilson said. “His death is an important accomplishment in the defeat of Al Qaeda.”
The fight doesn’t end here, Wilson said.
“Killing bin Laden creates disruption, sparks communication, and leads to reorganization and rivalries for power within al Qaeda that can be detected and acted upon by U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism forces in the months to come,” she said. “Now is the time to keep up the pressure on al Qaeda and its affiliates so that we can capture or kill those who will seek to carry on its murderous agenda.”
State Auditor Hector Balderas, a Democrat and also a U.S. Senate candidate, said the killing of bin Laden is a “momentous development in our country’s fight with terrorism.”
“For all New Mexicans and Americans who suffered personal losses in the devastating attacks, this action further demonstrates our country’s resolve to stand together in our most trying times,” he said.
“While attacks may crumble our buildings, American values are impenetrable, and our principles enduring,” Balderas said. “As President Obama made clear tonight, the death of bin Laden is a significant moment, but we must remember that al Qaeda is an organization with deep roots, and our obligation to defeating it must not waver.”
Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales said justice “has been served.”
“Under President Obama’s direction the United States carried out one of our most successful missions in our history,” he said. “This is a great day in America.”
Update, 7 a.m.
From U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.:
“For nearly a decade U.S. forces were relentless in their pursuit to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, and yesterday those efforts resulted in a significant victory for the American people. I applaud President Obama and the brave efforts of our military and intelligence personnel, and I hope this will bring solace to all those who lost loved ones in the heinous attacks of 9/11.”
Update, 5:30 p.m.
Bingaman made this additional statement:
“This news has been a long time coming, and was made possible through the tireless efforts of our intelligence officials and armed forces. The fact that Osama bin Laden is no longer operating al Qaeda or pursuing terrorist acts against our country is a relief to all of us. I hope this news brings a measure of closure to the families whose lives where irrevocably changed by bin Laden.”
From U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.:
“Osama Bin Laden epitomized the terror that gripped our nation on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, citizens across the globe share in a sense of relief and justice with the Americans who lost loved ones at his hands. Our heartfelt congratulations belong to the intelligence personnel, military forces and commander-in-chief for bringing this long manhunt to a close. Moving forward, our nation must remain vigilant in our efforts to confront radical extremism, but today we share in this momentous achievement.”
From Gov. Susana Martinez:
“Osama bin Laden’s death marks an important and extraordinary victory, nearly 10 years after tyrants and murderers chose to kill thousands of innocent Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 and target freedom-loving people across the world with violence. It is appropriate for us to celebrate this moment of great consequence today, but we must remain steadfast in our efforts to keep Americans safe, confront terrorism, and support the members of our Armed Forces whose life purpose is to protect and defend us.”
“The sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform who have bravely served in the pursuit of our nation’s greatest enemies will not be forgotten. I am particularly honored to recognize the efforts of the state’s National Guard and New Mexicans who have served or who continue to serve in our military. Today, they can embrace a sense of pride and gratitude that, through their perseverance and sacrifice, they have brought to justice the man behind the worst terrorist strike in American history. We are grateful. We are blessed. And we are thankful for their service.”
From Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Monty Newman:
“As Americans we observe, with enthusiasm, the death of Osama bin Laden. We now turn our thoughts to the families that lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001 at the hands of this man. We also remember those that lost their lives in the attack on the U.S.S. Cole and the other attacks carried out by his terror network. Our hearts and prayers are with you now and forever.
“To the men and women in our military and in the intelligence community, our deepest respect and gratitude for the sacrifices that you make in order to protect our freedom. Your commitment to our security is unwavering and as a result we thank you and your families everyday.
“We must always, as a country, be vigilant against those who would seek to destroy our way of life. This is a great day for America and the protection of freedom worldwide.”
From Janice Arnold-Jones, a Republican who has formed an exploratory committee as she consider running for Heinrich’s seat:
“On Sept. 16, 2001 President George Bush said, ‘My administration has a job to do and we’re going to do it. We will rid the world of the evil-doers.’ The news of a Navy Seal team ridding the world of Osama bin Laden has indeed done exactly that.”
“This is a day to be proud of our military. As a nation, however, we must remain vigilant and strong. We must be ever mindful there are hundreds, if not thousands, of fanatics who are like-minded followers of bin Laden. It is our vigilance and the strength of America as a nation, as a people, that will ensure the cause of freedom and diminish the fanatical oppression prescribed by the followers of bin Laden.”
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I am glad he is gone. That said, does this not have the “feel” of how the Colombian drug king pins lived out theeir lives during a time of death and destruction in that country? I sense that having substantial financial resources allowed for many comforts for Bin-Laden. At the end of the day the long arm of the law caught up with him. Amazing how corrupt some countries are. We do still have a rule of law in the USA…Not perfect but still there…at least for now.
artiofab says: “What I think breaks the “national unity and pride around this event ” is people who refuse to admit that it happened”. Indeed artiofab, you mean like this:
http://www.facebook.com/cindyssoapbox/posts/128596820550958
However, I don’t follow you when you say this: “The US armed forces, however, are paid for by our tax dollars. Media in the Islamic world is in no way as educational as ours, but the average Joe over there knows that fact. They know that we elect our leaders and therefore they are under the impression that military actions on behalf of US citizens are ordered by us, the people. So, yeah, they have a hard time distinguishing between innocence and guilt when all of us are helping the war machine.”
Are you saying some Muslims would blame all workers in the World Trade Center, random passengers on a flight, etc. for whatever they think the U.S. Military forces have done? Maybe they do, but again I would say that is irrational, but even so, the Americans (some on this blog) who also seem to morally equate celebrating OBL’s death to the celebrations of the thousands of innocents who died on 9/11 are equally irrational.
Oh, one other thing.
but really, how can you compare celebrating the death of a known mass murderer who killled thousands of innocent people to the celebrations of the killings of those innocent people, that’s irrational
UBL made it clear that he was acting as the leader of an organization independent of any one country. Al-Qaida wasn’t serving the interests of Saudi Arabia, it wasn’t working for the benefit of Afghanistan, it wasn’t plotting jihad in order to directly improve Pakistan. If anything it wanted to destroy those countries in order to create a new political Wahhabi-friendly state.
The US armed forces, however, are paid for by our tax dollars. Media in the Islamic world is in no way as educational as ours, but the average Joe over there knows that fact. They know that we elect our leaders and therefore they are under the impression that military actions on behalf of US citizens are ordered by us, the people. So, yeah, they have a hard time distinguishing between innocence and guilt when all of us are helping the war machine.
(Of course I don’t think every person in the Islamic world believes this is true, but I do think it is a realistic statement to be applied towards at least some of the population because of the state-operated media in many countries.)
Yeah but all of those conversations are armchair quarterbacking. I think everyone including the peaceniks who think celebrating the murder of someone is a bit callous (and I’m including myself in that category) agreed that UBL deserved to be given justice. I would have preferred a court trial instead of what might have been an execution. But I wasn’t there, so my input on the process was zero.
What I think breaks the “national unity and pride around this event ” is people who refuse to admit that it happened and people who immediately use the event as justification for their political perspectives. Give the story a day or two before using it as, to pick on an example below, a piece of evidence supporting the usage of torture on detainees.
I whole-heartedly agree with your solutions artiofab, you are spot on there. I have just found all the comments around this event amazing to witness. First, we have people who are excited and celebrate, then we have those who trash them saying the celebrations are just like in the terrorist states of Palestine, etc. when 9/11 happened and we are no better morally (but really, how can you compare celebrating the death of a known mass murderer who killled thousands of innocent people to the celebrations of the killings of those innocent people, that’s irrational). Then we have people questioning and being critical of the SEALS for shooting OBL since he was unarmed, and think he should have been read his Miranda Rights and brought to the US for a trial, and fret about his burial process. And we have people wanting to love OBL as a person, but hate his actions, and they equate his actions to youthful or midlife mistakes with drugs, alcohol, or sex and the ability to change as we grow up. And now the Native Americans are up in arms for using “Geronimo” as a code name for OBL. I mean, what a wacky and crazy place we live in. No one can agree or even define common ground anymore, that is just so sad for us as a nation.
I would say the national unity and pride around this event lasted about a New York minute, what a pity.
Who do you think is more to blame for this lack of unity: conservatives, liberals, or moderates?
Is there anything then that can unite us as a people, at least for a few days?
A voluntary end to all radio, tv, print, and web political programming that has any opinion attached to it. And maybe a voluntary end of political parties. That might help too.
I think it very interesting to read the comments on this and other threads on this blog about the death of OBL. I would say the national unity and pride around this event lasted about a New York minute, what a pity. Is there anything then that can unite us as a people, at least for a few days?
ksparks, when you say “I bet Obama is still crying himself to sleep because he had to order the death of someone he holds so dear for political purposes.”, are you accusing the rightfully-elected President of the United States of having kept a terrorist mastermind alive for political purposes? If so, when are you going to arrest Mr. Obama for treason?
Mr. Sparks:
“I think some of the detainees clearly were, you know, they used these enhanced interrogation techniques against some of these detainees. But I’m also saying that, you know, the debate about whether we would have gotten the same information through other approaches I think is always going to be an open question.”
That’s what Leon Panetta actually said, during a Q&A session. There’s nothing definitive in that statement. Indeed, sources from both the current and previous administrations have made it very clear that the name of the courier whose phone call led us to the compound was something we got without torture techniques, and no matter how hard you try to rationalize it, President Obama’s administration did in twenty-eight months what his predecessor failed to do in eighty-eight. That it was part of a longer-term operation is something that us “leftists” (which to you is apparently either a) anyone to the left of Rand Paul or b) anyone with an even basic grasp on reality) aren’t trying to deny. The President, himself, in fact, has been remarkably magnanimous in sharing credit; it’s only those on the extreme fantasy-based right like yourself who are trying to claim that only one administration gets the credit.
In short, Mr. Sparks, you are just flat incorrect, and your understanding of reality is lacking in maturity, consideration, and a basic grasp of logic… to say the least.
The best part about all this? In both my responses to you I have specifically used only conservative news sources to prove you wrong… and in both cases, it took me mere minutes. This is all by way of saying that you are so willing to believe only that which fits your preordained narrative that you have – by choice – ignored mountains of evidence showing that you quite simply don’t know what you’re talking about. That would, I suppose, explain why you feel the need to start every one of your comments with personal insults or amateurish sarcastic jibes that most of us outgrew when we left grade school.
ksparks, that is some of the most aberrated thinking that I had ever seen.
Alright, all you leftist “geniuses,” Leon Panetta revealed today that “some of the information gathered that provided us the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden was obtained though the so-called ‘enhanced interrogation’ techniques, including waterboarding.”
Now, Obama is trying to defend Pakistan in aiding ad abetting bin Laden. I bet Obama is still crying himself to sleep because he had to order the death of someone he holds so dear for political purposes.
wedum59, thanks for this, and artiofab, thanks for your link.
I got my chronology wrong, but both references make clear that the claim that waterboarding did the trick are dubious at best. If all investigators could get was an alias from waterboarding and a name only years later from ordinary interrogation, I would say that waterboarding not only remains wrong as a matter of national and international law, but also shows no benefits worth the costs.
Read about obtaining the crucial link here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110502/ap_on_re_us/us_bin_laden_hunt_for_bin_laden
“The revelation that intelligence gleaned from the CIA’s so-called black sites helped kill bin Laden was seen as vindication for many intelligence officials who have been repeatedly investigated and criticized for their involvement in a program that involved the harshest interrogation methods in U.S. history.
“We got beat up for it, but those efforts led to this great day,” said Marty Martin, a retired CIA officer who for years led the hunt for bin Laden.
Mohammed did not reveal the names while being subjected to the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, former officials said. He identified them many months later under standard interrogation, they said, leaving it once again up for debate as to whether the harsh technique was a valuable tool or an unnecessarily violent tactic.”
If I have my chronology correct, waterboarding had been discontinued before this piece of critical information was obtained. Even if not, I know of no evidence which establishes that the interrogation which yielded a piece of critical information used “waterboarding” to get it. I do not object to celebrating the killing of OBL, but I do regard the renewed enthusiasm for torture as reflecting sadistic impulses.
Congratulations, Mr. Sparks. You have further proven your lack of credibility by trying to spread a story about “enhanced interrogation” techniques six hours after it has been debunked… but Donald Rumsfeld.
Do you perhaps want to stop trying to use this particular tactic to vindicate an administration that, in the months leading up to the 2001 attacks, specifically told their national security team to stop bothering them about bin Laden? It’s not working so well for you.
ksparks, that is just one of the myriad of reasons it was not worth it. We sell our souls and American principles to Satan in the name of revenge.
ksparks, I was wondering who here would claim that torture produced the information needed to find UBL. You have that onerous notoriety. I will simply provide this link and let the good people here figure out whether they think that torture is worth the collective injury to our nation’s reputation.
They found bin Laden via a courier who was identified through “interrogation” in black ops of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Now we know the rest of the story…George Bush IS to thank (and Dick Cheney) because waterboarding (or the threat thereof) WORKS!!!
Obama has ALWAYS been AGAINST the tactics that revealed the information that led them to bin Laden. Had it not been for GWB and Cheney, Obama would have never had the info to order the operation against Osama. Obama is as weak as his mentor Jimmy Carter.
Ramirez:
Without making any specific statement of my position one way or the other, I am merely going to comment on your tenuous grasp of facts in your attempt to self-righteously claim the high ground on what is essentially an open plain: the President campaigned on a strategy of phased withdrawal from Iraq, not Afghanistan – where one of his first actions was to increase troop strength.
Ramirez:
Please explain how thousands of US troops in Afghanistan helped UBL get tracked down and killed in Pakistan.
I agree with dnl. Pearce politicized it by saying, “It has been nearly 10 years of dedicated, disciplined effort.” Eight years and the Bush administration accomplished nothing. Obama succeeded in ~2.3 years. The Navy SEALS performed splendidly.
Ok dnl- let’s make it political. Last week Martin Heinrich walked the left political line and asked Obama to withdraw troops. Obama campaigned on a cut and run strategy. Now both are throwing around statements that they were on board all along. Again- this is about our troops.
Really Ramirez!! If this mission have failed you and pearce would be all over our President..He did what bush could not accomplish in EIGHT YEARS!!! What’s next pearce and trump will demand a death certificate?
Wedum and Javier- shame on you for making this political. This is not about any politician, Republican or Democrat. It is about the sacrafice of our brave men and women!
Bush talked the talk and got the photo ops but President Obama provided the troops with the resources they needed to accomplish this mission. The war continues. Nearly 500 terrorists escaped from jail in Afghanistan last week.
Prefer to just hear from the ones like Heather who actually served in our Military