The Obama "To Make Important Statement" MEGATHREAD

[Pedrito]

The U.N.'s independent investigator on extrajudicial killings, Christof Heyns, said this week that there was "considerable dispute in legal circles as to whether we are dealing with an armed conflict in respect of al-Qaida in Pakistan."

Can't the UN just go away already?

Always too late 

L.

[Caliga]

Can't the UN just go away already?

America already regards the UN as its senile old uncle.  He says a lot of crazy shit and we just nod politely and go about our business.

[Bluebook]

Speaking of things...

Have you guys taken a closer look at the helicopter-wreck-debris in those pictures from Casa Bin Laden? What sort of helicopter is that? Doesnt look like anything Ive seen. Looks almost like some sort of stealth-version of a chopper...hasnt there been rumors about those for a while now.

Could be the reason why Paki-AA-defences didnt do anything.

[Caliga]

I thought it was made clear at one point earlier that they were stealth choppers, yeah.... used intentionally to avoid Pakistani air defense detection.

[grumbler]

Speaking of things...

Have you guys taken a closer look at the helicopter-wreck-debris in those pictures from Casa Bin Laden? What sort of helicopter is that? Doesnt look like anything Ive seen. Looks almost like some sort of stealth-version of a chopper...hasnt there been rumors about those for a while now.

Could be the reason why Paki-AA-defences didnt do anything.

Customized Blackhawk.  Many more blades in the rotors, so the blades can be shorter and the tips can turn more slowly and thus be more quiet (less blade tip roar).  Radar-absorbing paint, plus rounded corners and the like, to make it hard to detect by radar.  Much better heat dispersion and deeper engines, so IR sensors are less effective.  I have no idea how much they cost, except that the answer starts with "more than..."

[Valmy]

What a disaster killing bin Laden has turned out to be - if only Obama had listened!

Obama was considering taking Bin Laden to the ICC so it could slowly torture him to death Milošević style but our president has mercy in his heart.

[Bluebook]

Customized Blackhawk.  Many more blades in the rotors, so the blades can be shorter and the tips can turn more slowly and thus be more quiet (less blade tip roar).  Radar-absorbing paint, plus rounded corners and the like, to make it hard to detect by radar.  Much better heat dispersion and deeper engines, so IR sensors are less effective.  I have no idea how much they cost, except that the answer starts with "more than..."

Interesting. Any idea how effective those modífications are?

[Caliga]

Apparently, very.

[grumbler]

Interesting. Any idea how effective those modífications are?

I don't know much about the paints or IR stuff, but I know the acoustics mods were very effective.  The chopper isn't silent, but it is amazingly quiet for a helo, and more importantly it doesn't sound like a helo - more like a sports car's turbocharger.

[KRonn]

So now do we have to worry that the Pakistanis have a stealth version of a helo? And may pass on that info to nations we'd rather not help out with their stealth programs, like China, Iran?     

[grumbler]

So now do we have to worry that the Pakistanis have a stealth version of a helo? And may pass on that info to nations we'd rather not help out with their stealth programs, like China, Iran?     

The helo itself was slagged because it had hit the wall of the compound with its rotors.  The tail rotor was blown over the wall in the demolition.  Not sure how much use it will be since none of the stuff I am aware of was really all that high-tech; it was mostly engineering and expense that made it unique.

Comm gear and whatnot was all recovered.

[dps]

4 & 5 were inevitable. If Obama was the lovechild of Lincoln and TR it still would have happened.

Yeah, and 1 was probably inevitable as well.  For example, I wouldn't be surprised if even the guys on the Seal Team are really sure if he was armed or not.  As for 2, who cares?  The only real legitimate complaint is 3 IMO.  On that one, a decision could have been made ahead of time as to whether or not we'd release pictures of the body if bin Laden was killed, and then an announcement one way or the other made immediately.

[The Brain]

Obama should just keep killing until the killing's done. No fucking bleeding heart Euroweenies left standing.

[Ed Anger]

Obama should just keep killing until the killing's done. No fucking bleeding heart Euroweenies left standing.

this post gave me a boner

[jimmy olsen]

I like to imagine that Obama paraphrased this when he gave the order.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbB_HVcXpPk