Bin Laden finally dead
Issandr El AmraniThe strike could exacerbate deep tensions with Pakistan, which has periodically bristled at American counterterrorism efforts even as Bin Laden evidently found safe refuge on its territory for nearly a decade. Since taking office, Mr. Obama has ordered significantly more drone strikes on suspected terrorist targets in Pakistan, stirring public anger there and prompting the Pakistani government to protest.
When the end came for Bin Laden, he was found not in the remote tribal areas along the Pakistani-Afghan border where he has long been presumed to be sheltered, but in a massive compound about an hour’s drive north from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. He was hiding in the medium-sized city of Abbottabad, home to a large Pakistani military base and a military academy of the Pakistani Army.
Mr. Obama called President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan to tell him about the strike after it was set in motion, and his advisers called their Pakistani counterparts. “They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations,” Mr. Obama said.
. . .Mr. Obama said Pakistan had helped develop the intelligence that led to Bin Laden, but an American official said the Pakistani government was not informed about the strike in advance. “We shared our intelligence on this compound with no other country, including Pakistan,” the official said.
Mr. Obama recalled his statements in the 2008 presidential campaign when he vowed to order American forces to strike inside Pakistan if necessary even without Islamabad’s permission. “That is what we’ve done,” he said. “But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to Bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.”
Relations with Pakistan had fallen in recent weeks to their lowest point in years. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly criticized the Pakistani military two weeks ago for failing to act against extremists allied to Al Qaeda who shelter in the tribal areas of North Waziristan. Last week, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, head of the Pakistani Army, said Pakistan had broken the back of terrorism on its territory, prompting skepticism in Washington.
Reader Comments (25)
I'm inclined to believe all of this just because the election's still pretty far away, but what I don't understand is why the US didn't release any pictures or other proof to placate the conspiracy theorists. And now his body is at the bottom of the sea?
Obama looked at the declining polls and decided to give the go ahead. Bin Ladedin was trapped for days in the compound, it was simply a matter of setting up the scenario on social media. It takes tie to choreograph "spontaneous demonstrations in front of the White House, Times Square and the WTC.
What kind of sicko says that anybody 'deserved to die'? George Bush & Tony Blair caused millions of deaths, millions more than were caused by OBL but nobody says they deserve to die. Revenge? What century are you living in?
There is proof. I saw a picture of his body this morning on TV. It was from Pakistani TV. The body is in the hands of the Americans, not at the bottom of the sea.
"George Bush & Tony Blair caused millions of deaths, millions more than were caused by OBL but nobody says they deserve to die"
Are you quite sure about this, Vinod? I think quite a lot of moral relativists say exactly that, and all too frequently. I've heard it pronounced (usually shrilly, and with an unnatractive accompianment of spittle) from the dinner tables of Hampstead to the streets of Karachi. The point is, a man who was responsible for the death of thousands of innocents (Chirstians, Muslims, Jews and others going about their daily business) has now met his own violent end. There is a sort of cosmic justice in that, don't you think? But, alas, I suspect that you don't think at all...
My kind of sicko. I can think of plenty of people who deserve to die, including George W. Bush.
Well he is at the bottom of the sea, I stand corrected. But someone took a picture of his body before they dumped him.
Well that takes care of the person who murdered the people in the 3 or 4 floors of the twin Towers were the plains struck. Now let's find out who detonated the bombs in the twin towers and demolished them, killing everyone else in there ;)
Its Shame When millions of people are dead because of USA in Afganistan and iraq no one said any thing to Bush and people of usa should be shame when these people deid they are happy .and about Osama well he died or not or died along ago he was also Americain agent so nothing change people dont follow him .
Hope Day comes when these people like bush and other come to justice and that day wiill come .
Every Soul they kill is going to take his Revenege on these people
/Agree with most of the post.
As an Irish guy certainly agree that this won't be a big deal outside the US and Pakistan. To me it always seemed like Bin Laden was a resistance leader during the 1980's who went over the deep end in similar style to Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Once he did 9/11 he was done for and all that was left was for someone to pull the trigger. So can't really gather to much interest in the news he is dead from here in Ireland (IMO the Arab Spring is still the bigger story with larger implications).
Also about Pakistan I think it is a bit unfair to blame them. Just like it is unfair to blame Mexico for the Cartels. It is a weak state and it has tried to fight Al Qaeda and just lost a chunk of the country doing it. To blame them implies they had a choice. Lets not forget Pakistan has lost more soldiers in the War than the US has in Afghanistan.
Also in reply to Vinod. Lets all just agree that Bin Laden, George Bush, Tony Blair are 3 religious fantatics who have all played a role in wars that killed millions and so all 3 deserve to die.
Also in reply to PH. I saw that photo as well and it has been debunked as a photoshopped image. See below link to story debunking it.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gruesome-photo-of-osama-bin-ladens-body-a-fake/151046-2.html
Also in Reply to Sampk2002. Agree now that Bin Laden is dead people should look to bringing George Bush to justice.
Quoting a friend of mine whom I absolutly agree with."So the thing is Bin Laden...- and millions of people and governments in the West are partying for this -how democratic to kill criminals instead of judging them, how civic to see people party for someone's killing."
Anyone who says this has nothing to do with Pakistan knows nothing about either OBL or about Pakistan. Pakistan is not some poor weak state. The Pakistani army has made a living out of playing both sides on AQ for many years now. Their people have suffered as a result.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! GOT YOU, YOU EVIL SCUMSUCKING GOATFUCKER!
These 'millions' who were killed by Bush and Blair? Millions? Billions more like. Here's a reality check for you sad delusional people. Bin Ladin is not dead, he will never die, the Americans staged the holocaust in WWII, the landing on the moon was done on a LA sound stage, the Israelis detonated the explosives in the WTC towers and Langley.
I do think it is a shame that the comments to this commendable article should be littered with the sort of "troofer" nonsense and general addiction to conspiracy theory that makes much of the Arab commentariat a complete laughing stock elsewhere in the world.
Usama Ibn Ladin led an organisation, al-Qaida, responsible for atrocities around the world, not least of which was the demolition of the New York World Trade Center and nearly 3000 innocent people. Within the last 48 hours the life of the instigator of such mass murder and mayhem has been cut short.
Can we please move past the sort of infantile conspiracy theory that passes for political commentary too much in the Arab-speaking world?
FFS, grow up.
I found it rather disquieting to see the so-called 1st world superpower celebrating the execution of OBL as if they were some 3rd world tribal culture celebrating victory over a rival clan. Similarly with the execution of Saddam Hussein, I just wonder what has happened to concepts of justice and truth in todays NATO politics. Preumably both SH and OBL had to be taken out to prevent any embarrasing disclosures from past relationships as both were in the employ of the USA for some time during the last couple of decades of the 20th century. Having just returned from Tunisia where the poor population were wondering where the tourists had gone, one man said to me - the arab countries: we are just puppets for the USA and NATO. We don't need democracy, we need strong leaders to allow economies to flourish. Democracy is a distraction for the west to play their games with our countries. Well, once the attacks on Libya kicked off under the guise of a no-fly zone, I have stopped liistening to the news in the UK. Nato, the west, and USA have completely lost the plot I'm afraid, and are now acting purely out of self-interest. Mr Ghaddafi will be next, I fear....
I don't often back the "execution" of people like Bin Laden but I hope that between the various global powers we can rid this planet of Evil Scum such as Bin Laden and his Cronies and Gadhaffi the world is better off without them, the fate of Sadam Hussain, Bin Laden and Ultimatley Gadaffi should serve as a warning to any terrorist, or dictator - YOU WILL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE
Sadam - found cowering in a hole after his brave speeches
Osama - Shot Dead Cowering in a compound he was afraid to be seen in or out of
Gadhaffi - Cowering in his compound etc shielded by his family not dead....YET
3 Cowards - 2 down 1 to go!
The East bangs on about Western interference yet it's the west that cleans up it's mess even in it's own backyard where needed. Maybe the East should try to solve some of it's own cultural issues before criticisisng the west.
however maybe the west should of thought better when training Osama in the soviet occupied era and of the support we have given gadhaffi in the past.........
@ abu - good point. UK born and bred here. UK is my home and place of birth. I am UK citizen, but at same time Muslim. We have freedom to worship and, indeed, when, felt necessary, to demonstrate (peacefully). Being of Arab parentage, I was devasted to see my mother cry for days, and days, and days, after the images of 9-11. Bin Laden was not a "leader", he was a trick-cyclist, conning other young men (and women) into performing diabolical, and almost unspeakable acts of deliberate mass murder and self destruction in (Bin Laden's twisted) idea of life immortal in Allah, his name be praised. While we should never accept pleasure in the curtailing of a life, nonetheless, where evil exists, it should be removed. The man was evil to the core, and beyond redemption. May he rot in hell (sorry, a bit of my UK environment coming through). Jahannam is not enough for such a truly evil man.
Ahmi
"Quoting a friend of mine whom I absolutly agree with."So the thing is Bin Laden...- and millions of people and governments in the West are partying for this -how democratic to kill criminals instead of judging them, how civic to see people party for someone's killing."
Wait a minute, when 911 happened, I noticed a lot of people in the middle east celebrating. They were in the streets partying for the killings of thousands while we were only celebrating the killing of ONE person. I am sorry but your friend is WRONG!
Osama was such a coward that he needed to hide behind a woman..
Osama bin Laden was a coward.
He was responsibe for killing thousands of people and then hid.
Cowards do that.
They run and hide.
Terrorists will never change things.
They are outnumbered and Allah is NOT on their side.
If there is a hell, then bin Laden is there.
So are some of his friends.
George Vreeland Hill
Bin Laden was kept on ice for ten years so that they could squeeze every last dime from the American public. That's why it took so long.
Man mustn't kill man. Man should be brought to justice instead.
"I'm a believer in revenge" – what exactly does that mean?! Are you happy, for example, for Palestinian families to avenge their loved ones by killing Israelis (or certain Israelis), for Israelis to avenge theirs by killing Palestinians? Is this a call for clan justice, revenge as a legal right? It might feel good but it's no way to run the world is it? If you're also a believer in peace, you must realise that the two don't sit easily together.