President Obama's Operation Geronimo Essay Example

When we look at executing military operations and the legal authority to execute them, we often seek the checks and balances between the Commander in Chief (The President) and Congress. The Commander in Chief typically will push an order out, and Congress may or may not agree with it and approve it. By law, the president must inform the leadership in Congress of their findings. In most cases, these processes are followed and Congress has awareness. In the case of Operation Geronimo, Congress had already approved the president to use armed force against Al Qaeda, including Osama Bin Laden and others. At the current time of Operation Geronimo, the president was Barrack Obama. Obama initiated the operation without informing Congress of his findings, let alone the execution of the operation. So, did Barrack Obama have the legal authority to order Operation Geronimo and to execute the plan?

Operation Geronimo, otherwise known as Operation Neptune Spear, was executed on May 2, 2011. It was a raid conducted by SEAL team six in Abbottabad, Pakistan which resulted in the elimination of the Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. The CIA had several pieces of intelligence about a courier they had been tracking for several years. Interrogators had connected the dots on information from detainees that led them to believe that the courier may be living with the Al Qaeda leader. The original plans were to use bombs to target the compound and destroy it. Collateral damage and the potential to never know if Osama Bin Laden was really in that compound and killed by the air strike were the main factors which resulted in the raid mission to be developed. The month prior to the raid, SEAL team six had been training on a compound that resembled the compound that was to be targeted. The walls surrounding the compound were 18 feet high, topped with barbed wire. Two guarded security gates were the only entries to the compound. No phone lines or internet cables ran to the property, and a seven foot privacy wall surrounded the third floor terrace. Once SEAL team six was given the green light for the execution of Operation Geronimo, they loaded their twenty four man platoon into two experimental Army helicopters, and set out to cross the Pakistan border and to the compound believed to be inhabited by Osama Bin Laden. Upon arrival, SEAL team six secured the inner perimeter of the compound, and infiltrated the main building. Once inside they advanced up to the third floor where they found the Al Qaeda leader in his bedroom, and eliminated him. 

Breaking down the morale, emotional, and logical reasonings of why Obama had legal authority to initiate this operation to raid and kill the Al Qaeda leader takes an open mindset. When the attacks on the World Trade Center happened on September 11, 2001, it was the first time in a long period that Americans came together as one. It affected us as a nation and brought out the patriotism of many countrymen and women that desired to serve our country and fight back against the terrorist acts. Knowing that Osama Bin Laden was the leader of the organization that conducted these attacks, the only fate that was fit for him the eyes of the American people was death. After years of intelligence operations conducted by the CIA, he was believed to be fostered in the compound located in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Congress had already given the green light on using armed forces against Al Qaeda. Once the operation was planned, it was initiated without Congress being given information on Bin Laden’s location. Legally, Obama had to inform Congress on where he was believed to be. Despite Obama’s legal obligation to conveying this information, the nature of the operation was time sensitive, and could very well have been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Logically, if the Al Qaeda leader was out of the picture, it would be a major impact to the terrorist organization. Intelligence operations can change in a moments notice, and having a high chance of finding and killing the terrorist leader, had to be swift. The only logical decision was to act, and to act fast. The process of informing Congress and making a decision to conduct a military operation can take time, sometimes 60 to 90 days. The president had 48 hours to notify Congress to inform them of the believed whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden. But when we take a look at the critical timeline, there could not be an opportunity for the Al Qaeda leader to potentially slip through the cracks and lose the advantage that the intelligence had given us. The president had legal authority to execute this operation due to the logical nature of the situation. Emotionally, the American people needed this to be a major headline across national news networks. This was the final closing for many people who had lost loved ones in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the war on terror. It was crucial in showing the American people that we will get justice and give the appropriate consequences to those who showed us what terrorism was. Although you can not always make drastic decisions based on emotions with a military engagement, this one felt convenient. Barrack Obama’s moral decision to strike first and overcome a potential roadblock on Congress not acting swiftly enough was justified. Barrack Obama had legal authority to execute this operation based on emotional and moral factors. 

The conclusion is that President Barrack Obama had legal authority to order and execute this mission. In lieu of Operation Geronimo, four administration lawyers had conceived rationalities that would overcome any legal proceedings. The four individuals in this team were, Stephen W. Preston, Mary DeRosa, Rear Admiral James W. Crawford III, and Jeh C. Johnson. They knew this raid would result in the elimination of the Al Qaeda leader. They created secret memos and documents that would back Barrack Obama’s decision to act on the intelligence. It was a high stakes decision to bypass Congress and not inform them. This small team of administration lawyers helped convey and justify Barrack Obama’s actions, but they needed this operation to be successful and the results to be achieved. Upon successful results of Operation Geronimo and meeting the intent of eliminating the Al Qaeda leader, it showed that decisive action can be taken with the right approach.