OSAMA BINLADEN IS DEAD

[Apocalipstic]

I, as always, am suspicious. I wonder if Presidents really know what is going on? Do they tell them the truth? Who is they?

If indeed he is dead, I would like to see our troops come home and given the medical and mental health assistance they need to return to their lives.

[Ebon]

He's been dead for awhile. This poor lady Benazir Bhutto was murdered after this.

[Ms. Tabitha]

When Saddam was captured he was all over the news. He was hung, and the world was happy.
Osama is shot, twice. We see footage of the blood stained floor, why can't we see pictures of his body?
I think we should still see it. Just my opinion.

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by Ms. Tabitha

When Saddam was captured he was all over the news. He was hung, and the world was happy.
Osama is shot, twice. We see footage of the blood stained floor, why can't we see pictures of his body?
I think we should still see it. Just my opinion.

I completely agree, and why not show the video of the *burial at sea*

[The_Lady_Snow]

It's a somber household here, I now worry about my life long friend Dickie Padilla who's over in the middle east, our brothers, sisters, parents and children out there on the frontlines.

It's not a time to celebrate for me, I just hope they come home soon.

[Kobi]

I dont see the value of showing pictures of blood stained, dead bodies or burials at sea even if it is of public enemy number 1.

Flaunting the death of an "enemy" is ill advised, as well as grotesque.

Not creating an "enemy" seems a wiser choice.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Kobi

Not creating an "enemy" seems a wiser choice.

What she said!

[princessbelle]

IMO....

If our President was killed America would not fall. We would rise. We would get us another leader and be screaming with weapons across the skies, water and land at the ones responsible. As a few have said here ...there are hundreds that will more than likely raise their hand to take Bin Laden's place.

So, where does that leave us on this planet? IMO it leaves us with an extremely pissed off group of his followers/army who are capable of unthinkable acts of violence.

I pray for our troups and their families. I, like everyone, want them home where they belong. I am proud of them and hurt for them at the same time. I don't believe that killing Bin Laden will accomplish bringing our troups home or make us safer.

I do think he should have been captured/killed but not sure exactly it will accomplish a thing.

I am normally not a pessimist but i have a rather sick feeling about this. I don't believe this is an end to anything. As a matter of fact...it may just be the beginning.

[Novelafemme]

An interesting perspective that echoes my feelings...

http://http://truthout.org/chris-hed...ath/1304343151

...specifically this portion: "When I was in New York, as some of you were, on 9/11, I was in Times Square when the second plane hit. I walked into The New York Times, I stuffed notebooks in my pocket and walked down the West Side Highway and was at Ground Zero four hours later. I was there when Building 7 collapsed. And I watched as a nation drank deep from that very dark elixir of American nationalism … the flip side of nationalism is always racism, it’s about self-exaltation and the denigration of the other."

[Nat]

I think this is complex. I've been listening to Al-Jazeera and Npr this morning, and I've also been reading different friends' from different circles reactions.

My understanding is that many Pakistanis feel their sovereignty has been violated. Also, possibly that the command was to kill him rather than to capture OR kill. There is the hope that since he was found in a city rather than in the hills between Afghanistan and Pakistan, that maybe there can be negotiation for the drone strikes to stop now.

A Marine stationed in Afghanistan was interviewed on NPR and he stated the general mood where he was stationed was mixed relief along with the knowledge that they have at least 6 more months to go. They have not been celebrating but have been cautiously discussing the event with Afghanis, and he said the people in the area where he is have said it's good bin Laden is dead.

There is a story that bin Laden's wife threw herself in front of him and shielded him with her body - and that she was killed too - and there was a mention of how that sort of story is likely to be seen as heroic.

The fact he was buried at sea has also been discussed. Many Americans are talking about conspiracy theories or at least distrust regarding the information given. One of the interviewees on Al Jazeera said it was probably done because it was practical. That if they had buried him, his burial place could have become a shrine and that it would have been inappropriate to bring him back to the US. I suppose I like the sea burial better than having pictures of his dead and mangled body on the front cover of newspapers and on tv (like they did with Saddam's sons under Bush), but to me it seems very weird to dump his body at sea before anybody starts asking hard questions. I do hope all this means that things can become more peaceful and that the world can stop being so us-against-them for a while. (no matter which us and which them).

A girl I've know since elementary school now lives in Turkey. This was her reaction last night: A decade and a pan-Middle East genocide later, he's dead. The MOST conservative estimates put the number of civilian deaths across Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq at around 300,000. So, please excuse me if I don't join in on the jubilation.

I think it's important to remember that although bin laden was (as I see it) a villain, al qaeda's success in radicalizing young Muslims has been fed a great deal by what has been perceived as injustice toward Muslims as well.