Bowden reported that Obama told him in a later interview, “In this situation, what you started to get was probabilities that disguised uncertainty as opposed to actually providing you with useful information.” Bowden then wrote that “Obama had no trouble admitting it to himself. If he acted on this, he was going to be taking a gamble, pure and simple. A big gamble.” After listening to the widely ranging opinions, Obama addressed the room. “‘This is fifty-fifty,’ he said. That silenced everyone. ‘Look guys, this is a flip of the coin. I can’t base this decision on the notion that we have any
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