Obama's Decisive Role in the Bin Laden Raid

President Obama's insistence on a substantial force size for the assault team hunting down Osama bin Laden was a crucial decision that demonstrated his willingness to take calculated risks to ensure the mission's success. The administration's planning and preparation for the high-stakes operation reveal a level of sophistication and attention to detail, from assembling a team of specialists to handle Bin Laden's possible capture or death to having contingency plans in place for potential conflicts with Pakistani forces.

Key Takeaways:

• President Obama increased the size of the assault force to ensure they could fight their way out of Pakistan if confronted by hostile local police officers and troops.
• Two teams of specialists were on standby: one to bury Bin Laden if he was killed, and a second composed of lawyers, interrogators, and translators in case he was captured alive.
• The team handling Bin Laden's death did a quick forensics study, washed his body, and buried it at sea.
• The administration rejected a proposal to bring the Pakistanis in on the mission and instead opted to assemble a substantial force to avoid relying on their cooperation.
• The White House sought to downplay the divisions between the US and Pakistan, with officials emphasizing the importance of maintaining a cooperative relationship.
• Officials planned to interview Bin Laden's three widows, now being held by Pakistani authorities, to gather crucial information about Al Qaeda plots, personnel, and planning.
• The CIA director, Leon E. Panetta, will talk with his Pakistani counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, to discuss the way forward in the fight against Al Qaeda.
• Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the Pakistani Army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, to check in and maintain communication despite the tension.

Statistics:

• Two additional helicopters carrying additional troops were brought into the mission about 10 days before the raid to ensure a sufficient force could fight its way out of Pakistan.
• The US had about 90 minutes of reaction time if the Pakistanis intervened, as the initial two assault helicopters were not far from the Bin Laden compound.
• 10 days passed before the mission was reviewed and the decision to add more troops was made.
• The bin Laden compound was monitored by American surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for an extended period before the raid.
• The Navy ship where Bin Laden was to be taken aboard had capacities for interrogation and handling prisoners.

Sources:

• "President Obama insisted that the assault force hunting down Osama bin Laden last week be large enough to fight its way out of Pakistan if confronted by hostile local police officers and troops, senior administration and military officials said Monday." - Original text, no specific date provided.
• Senior Obama administration official: "Their instructions were to avoid any confrontation if at all possible. But if they had to return fire to get out, they were authorized to do it." - Original text, no specific date provided.
• The White House spokesman, Jay Carney: "We believe that it is very important to maintain the cooperative relationship with Pakistan precisely because it's in our national security interest to do so." - Original text, no specific date provided.
• Adm. Mike Mullen: "Mullen just wanted to check in with him." - Original text, no specific date provided.
• Senior administration officials: "Some people may have assumed we could talk our way out of a jam, but given our difficult relationship with Pakistan right now, the president did not want to leave anything to chance." - Original text, no specific date provided.