While it might pain liberals to admit it, it was President George W. Bush that laid the foundation for finding Osama Bin Laden, a foundation which his successor has dismantled.

Come on my liberal friends!  I know it is hard but in the wake of the killing of Public Enemy # 1, Osama Bin Laden, it is okay to utter the words.  Just say it: “Thank you, George W. Bush.”

The man who was the figurative face of evil for the past 10 years, Osama Bin Laden, was killed in a daring military operation conducted by U.S. Navy SEALs.

The military and the U.S. intelligence community deserve a tremendous round of applause for their work in this operation and since September 11th.  Even President Barack Obama deserves credit for taking action that brought justice and, hopefully, some closure to a horrible wound on this nation.

Obama nearly broke his arm patting himself on the back during his speech Sunday night.  “I directed…” “I met…”  “I determined..”  Wow.  To listen to him and the political spin from the White House since then our president is a veritable one-man terrorist hit squad.

“The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda,” Obama said.

Certainly the victory is a huge one for sure.  While largely symbolic, it sends a powerful message to those who would do us harm.  It further helps to steel the American resolve to carry the battle forth against those who would do us harm.

But, let’s look at this a bit more.  Is this truly the “most significant achievement” in the war on terror or is that overstating it?

Bin Laden had little control over al Qaeda in recent years as we had forced him into hiding and he was essentially neutered.  Would not that very fact be more significant?  Would not the fact that we removed an oppressive, radical government in Afghanistan – the very one that sheltered Bin Laden – be more significant?  What about the fact that our military and intelligence communities have prevented any other attacks on our soil since 9/11?

Now for the dirty little secret liberals and Democrats want to turn a blind eye to: Were it up to Obama and other liberals, we would never have had the information that led us to Bin Laden in the first place.

The information that allowed the CIA to learn the name of Bin Laden’s trusted courier came from Al Qaeda leaders Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (KSM) and Abu Faraj al-Libbi.  That courier ultimately led us to Bin Laden.  KSM and al Libbi only offered up the information after being subjected to ‘enhanced interrogation’ at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and at various overseas ‘black sites’.

Both of those men were captured and the information obtained under another president’s watch – that of George W. Bush.

Were it not for the ‘enhanced interrogation’ techniques – something which Obama has since banned – neither of these men would have given us the critical pieces necessary to find Bin Laden.  Oh yes, the White House and its enablers have been careful not to acknowledge that but the fact they have not denied it speaks volumes.

Yesterday outgoing CIA Director Leon Panetta admitted as much telling NBC’s Brian Williams, “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.”

No, Mr. Panetta, it is not an ‘open question’ for anyone with half of a brain.

Jose Rodriguez was Director of the National Clandestine Service for the CIA during the time KSM and al Libbi were questioned.  He told TIME magazine this week, “Information provided by KSM and Abu Faraj al Libbi about Bin Laden’s courier was the lead information that eventually led to the location of [bin Laden’s] compound and the operation that led to his death.”

Then of course we come to Gitmo and the ‘black sites’ where KSM, al Libbi, and other terrorists have been held.  President Obama and his leftist buddies swore to close these facilities down and have partially succeeded.

Obama has failed to accomplish shutting down Gitmo, thanks in part to Republicans refusing to provide the funding to do so.  He did however shut down the ‘black sites’ where, as Colorado Peak Politics points out, KSM offered up the critical information.  Even the UK Telegraph and CNN have acknowledged this as well.

Of course were it up to Attorney General Eric Holder, these murderers would be brought to our own shores and given all the rights allowed American citizens.  How much information would KSM and al Libbi offer up after being read their Miranda Rights and given a lawyer provided by the ACLU?

Scarily enough, these systems have been dismantled by President Obama thus weakening our nation and cutting off important means of obtaining information needed to protect the nation.  This clearly endangers us but they of course do not want to admit it.

The fact of the matter is that it was George W. Bush and his administration that put in place the systems that led us to Bin Laden.  So, my liberal friends, perhaps you owe a bit of thanks to someone that you hold a great deal of disdain for.

Come on, say it with me: Thank you, President George W. Bush.

On the net:

• Morning Bell: Top Six Reasons We Got Osama bin Laden
• To get bin Laden, Obama relied on policies he decried
• Obama’s Win, Bush’s Credit!
• In Quest for Bin Laden, Continuity Triumphed
• Obama Closed “Black Site” Camps That Doomed Osama
• “Black Sites”, Gitmo Pivotal to Bin Laden Sting
• Bin Laden’s PC burial at sea
• The Intellectual Dishonesty of Nancy Pelosi

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