Osama Bin Laden is dead

@Eorl,

A little bit of humour.
I posted this to another A2K thread earlier.

http://images.theage.com.au/2011/05/05/2344538/moir05cod-620x0.jpg

That lying comes to Finn and the US government as easily as does breathing is new? I can't speak for everyone but common sense tells me that people want to learn about things that they don't know.

0 Replies

As a political blogger wrote: "Bin Laden died in Egypt long before he died in Pakistan."
The revolution in the Arab world will sweep aside the jihad movement in favor of a peaceful change and a rapprochement with western style democracies.

2 Replies

@panzade,

Quote:

The revolution in the Arab world will sweep aside the jihad movement in favor of a peaceful change and a rapprochement with western style democracies.

Might not we hope that that same revolution will sweep aside US/UK involvement in maintaining brutal dictatorships simply to enhance their pecuniary interests, Pan?

Do you think that those who seek revolution don't have any notion of what these western style democracies have done to them for the last half century?

Do you think that their silence on these very issues isn't because they don't realize what these western style democracies could do to them for another half century or more?

Even as the lions lie peacefully satiated [or too badly embarrassed] after gorging on a kill, even a not so bright individual would refrain from cuddling up to them.

0 Replies

@msolga,

msolga wrote:

A little bit of humour.

It's funny because all those towelheads look alike! I understand some folks have the same problem with negroes.

0 Replies

@Finn dAbuzz,

I just read about one possible solution which I think is interesting. Evidently the whole thing (raid on Bin Laden's compound etc.) was videotaped. This, like everything else, may not turn out to be true, but if so, why not release a still of Bin Laden before he was killed? It takes out the gory/ trophy aspect of it but offers the proof/ closure thing that people say they want.

2 Replies

@panzade,

I'm sure that this is a sentiment we will hear quite often from those who wish for an immediate withdrawal of our troops from the region.

Although I think there is reason to have hope in this regard, it's far too premature to assume any outcome of the Arab reform movement.

If, as we have been told so often, the vast majority of Muslims doesn’t approve of or support the jihadis, then how much does it matter that this same vast majority may now be longing for a greater measure of democracy in their lives?

If Islamist terrorist groups are such meager exceptions to the rule and we consider how much death and destruction they have caused, it would, unfortunately, seem that they do not require the support of the Arab Street to be successful. If this is the case, then I don't see how a change in the attitude of the Arab Street makes any practical difference to the threat of jihadism.

1 Reply

@sozobe,

I'd rather Obama just say (as he's done), we went in, killed him and buried him at sea. Forget trying to prove anything to anyone. To those who believe it is a fake, they are so emotionally invested in believing that that no evidence will convince them otherwise.

1 Reply

@roger,

roger wrote:

Here's another nice choice of words:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110505/ap_on_re_us/us_bin_laden

Quote:
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama ordered grisly photographs of Osama bin Laden in death sealed from public view on Wednesday, declaring, "We don't need to spike the football" in triumph after this week's daring middle-of-the-night raid.

Sometimes he gets it right.

He could gain popularity with people across the aisle with something like this, and being that he's officially on the campaign trail, I agree.

I don't need the football spiked either.

A
R
T

0 Replies

@Finn dAbuzz,

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

If Islamist terrorist groups are such meager exceptions to the rule and we consider how much death and destruction they have caused, it would, unfortunately, seem that they do not require the support of the Arab Street to be successful. If this is the case, then I don't see how a change in the attitude of the Arab Street makes any practical difference to the threat of jihadism.

All terrorist groups need the street for two things, fundraising and recruits. When one or both dry up, so do the institutions they feed.

3 Replies

@sozobe,

sozobe wrote:

I just read about one possible solution which I think is interesting. Evidently the whole thing (raid on Bin Laden's compound etc.) was videotaped. This, like everything else, may not turn out to be true, but if so, why not release a still of Bin Laden before he was killed? It takes out the gory/ trophy aspect of it but offers the proof/ closure thing that people say they want.

I read that, too...that the Seals were wearing helmet-cams!!! That same article pointed out that 25 minutes of the video were missing, though. If it was during the last part of the mission that the cameras malfunctioned, they probably don't have Osama on it at all. Otherwise, good idea!

1 Reply

@Irishk,

A 25 minute camera malfunction? My first, and probably totally unrelated thought was the missing 17 minutes in Nixon's Watergate tapes. I'm quite supportive of the operation, but this is a truely remarkable coincidence.

1 Reply

@engineer,

Quote:

I'd rather Obama just say (as he's done), we went in, killed him and buried him at sea. Forget trying to prove anything to anyone. To those who believe it is a fake, they are so emotionally invested in believing that that no evidence will convince them otherwise.

I agree.

I am satisfied that the last thing bin Laden saw was an American pointing a gun at him. I do not need to see a photo of what he looked like after the gun was fired. I do not care whether he was unarmed when the gun was fired. I am glad that he was killed in a face to face confrontation rather than in a bombing, I am glad that his death provides some closure to the awful chapter in our history that began on 9/11/01. He is dead and we don't need to prove, or justify, anything about that death to anyone. We needed him to be dead because his lingering presence in the world was a continuing affront and a threat to us. He is gone, and, because of that, when we mark the tenth anniversary on 9/11/11, our focus can be on the rebuilding of the WTC, and the memorial which will be there, and we can move on.

It was quite moving to see President Obama at the WTC site today. Just a simple wreath laying ceremony in honor and remembrance of the victims. No speeches, no political grandstanding, no gloating in triumph--just a simple and dignified tribute to those who lost their lives on that horrible day. A moment to remember those who mattered to us, and who still matter to us, as we breathe a collective sigh of relief that their murderer is finally gone from this earth.

2 Replies

@firefly,

Quote:

his lingering presence in the world was a continuing affront and a threat to us.

Sadly, you know full well that the affront was and is a much much bigger deal than the threat, yet a million or so innocents had to pay dearly, again, for this "affront" to the giant.

Quote:

I am glad that he was killed in a face to face confrontation rather than in a bombing,

Either way, it would have confirmed for him what he always knew about the US.

Quote:

I am glad that his death provides some closure to the awful chapter in our history that began on 9/11/01.

Any old excuse will do for that as long as it fits with the "info" y'all greedily suck from the great propaganda teat.

I'm sure that all Iraqis, Afghans, Vietnamese, Laotians, Nacaraguans, Guatemalans, Koreas, ... join with you in focusing their energies on rebuilding YOUR stuff. That is, of course, how it should be.

1 Reply

@JTT,

I wanna know about this "Stealth helicopter"

0 Replies

@ossobuco,

ossobuco wrote:

I did that long ago, they arrived all marked out with black ink.

So you did - long ago; but with every passing year more and more documents come into the FOIA public domain, or at least into the semi-public domain, meaning relatives, historians, museums, researchers, academics and so on. I'm certain that your late father's documents have passed that point. Try again.

2 Replies

@firefly,

Quote:

I am satisfied that the last thing bin Laden saw was an American pointing a gun at him.

Aren't you the one, FF, who has gone to great lengths to explain to Hawkeye, Bill and the like, just how important it is to see that justice is done? I know, from past experience with your great propensity to stop well short of the truth, that winding things up like this sits well with you.

But justice also entails finding out the truth about every detail of this whole sordid affair, which started some time before 9-11. Those are the things that I'm sure you're happy died with OBL.

Let me fill you in on a little secret. That's so far from anyone's concept of justice, even yours, that it's laughable, it's screechingly hilarious.

1 Reply

@High Seas,

P.S. specific details of a technical nature may still be blacked out for legal reasons (potential liability etc) but the bulk of the documents should be clear. In the city where you live is a museum devoted to this topic; they have legal counsel, trustees, experience in the field. Go talk to them, see if they can help you; sign nothing, but note carefully what they tell you. Since you already have some family papers / pictures in your possession and are entitled to lots more, see if you can work out a deal whereby you donate (better yet, sell, at least in part) to the museum whatever you (and they, via FOIA) can put together.

0 Replies

@High Seas,

Osso wrote: I did that long ago, they arrived all marked out with black ink.

You now see the importance of WikiLeaks.

0 Replies

There was a programme on Al Jazeera a couple on months back where they looked at Islamic terrorists and came to some interesting conclusions. A strict Islamic upbringing is more likely to act as a deterrent to terrorism. The Madrid bombers used to be drug dealers. They were young men, fed up with the way thier lives were going with a desire to make some sort of impact.

Job opportunities are almost non-existant, thier own political institutions are brutal and corrupt. They're looking for a way out and someone to blame. That's not a problem unique to the Arab world.

Democracy and peace gives it's own dividend. If you're oppressed you dig in. Your resolve hardens. When things look good, people want things to stay that way. If you've got a good job with a living wage, and you live in a country that has democratic respect for the law and human rights, you're far less likely to want to start blowing things up.

Northern Ireland is the case in point. The Good Friday agreement put gave Northern Ireland autonomy. The Unionists and Republicans whilst both persuing opposing goals are getting on with it. Those few terrorists that remain have been marginalised, and condemned by politicians both sides of the divide and border.

Britain's hands off approach has really improved relations between Britain and Southern Ireland. In the last World cup Ireland were knocked out of the qualifiers by the cheating French. A lot of Irish supported England, and could understand why after nearly twenty years we still moan about Maradonna's 'Hand of God.' This would have been unthinkable just five years ago.

0 Replies

Osama Bin Laden is dead

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know