Are we breathing down Osama's neck?

The Times Online reports some of the details of the downed Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan and the loss of Navy Seals in a stealth operation.
Wretchard of Belmont Club is mentioned in this piece. Regular readers of Belmont Club will find nothing new in this newspaper column. But it's interesting that an influential military analysis blog is impacting the printed media in such a way.

"Its insertion represented an extraordinary risk," said the author of an influential military blog known as Wretchard. "They would be operating in an area known to be a stronghold of the Taliban, where any contact with the enemy automatically meant they would be grossly overmatched."

The SEALS and America mourn the loss of these fine men (and the search for at least one more) who were lost in pursuit of a "high value" target in the mountains of Afghanistan. Will it turn out to be Osama bin Laden? Time will tell. Due to the nature of this war, it may be years before we know.
There are many facets to this story. But one thing is certain. The notion that the war in Iraq has distracted from the Global War On Terror and pursuit of OBL is an egregious lie in some cases and an absurd naivete in others. American soldiers are laying their lives on the line every day in pursuit of OBL while fools sip their green tea.