Osama bin Laden is dead

[Flake]

And easy to answer. Islamic tradition requires burial in 24 hours. If we had not done this or had otherwise desecrated the body, it would have been taken as an affront to Islam, and not just to bin Laden.

Exactly. We got the information to nail him because Bin Laden had finally become a big enough liability to the Islamic world. We don't want to turn him into a martyr.

[aaron]

I'm driving to michigan right now so I can't really respond to the degree i'd like to, but I do have some rebuttals if someone else doesn't touch on them beforehand. I will say that I appreciate the discourse thus far, and I'm not trying to ignite a flame war here at all.

[Breetai]

Why DID they dump the body so quickly? That very question was asked on a government-run Canadian radio station earlier today. These are important questions to ask if we are to understand things.

And easy to answer. Islamic tradition requires burial in 24 hours. If we had not done this or had otherwise desecrated the body, it would have been taken as an affront to Islam, and not just to bin Laden.

That's exactly the answer I heard on the radio (burial at sea). Still, it would be nice to have something physical so we (not necessarily you!) wouldn't have these questions.

Here are other times Bin Laden has been pronounced, or thought, to be dead:

Then on December 26, 2001, Fox News reported on a Pakistan Observer story that the Afghan Taliban had officially pronounced Osama Bin Laden dead earlier that month. According to the report, he was buried less than 24 hours later in an unmarked grave in accordance with Wahabbist Sunni practices.

In September 2006, French intelligence leaked a report suggesting Osama had died in Pakistan.

On November 2, 2007, former On November 2, 2007, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto told Al-Jazeera’s David Frost that Omar Sheikh had killed Osama Bin Laden.]Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto told Al-Jazeera’s David Frost that Omar Sheikh had killed Osama Bin Laden.

There are quite a few more similar reports. None, of course, provide solid evidence that he died then. Neither has this recent announcement, for the record. We just have to trust the media and the US government.

Well, at least we can say for sure that he isn't going to be showing up alive again!

What does it mean in the long run? Nothing, really. There are still terrorists. There are still scary people out there. People still tied during 9/11 (does Bin Laden being dead REALLY provide closure? I'd say if it does, that is a very superficial reason!). People still died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that started with 9/11 being the trigger. A figurehead is dead, and interesting discussions are ensuing.

[Breetai]

Go somewhere like Alex Jones' site.

Or on the other hand, please don't.

Alex Jones is terrible...

Haha, I didn't say you had to believe what they say there. It just gives you a pretty good picture about what some "conspiracy theorists" are saying. I think he does raise some good points, BUT... he comes off as an absolute fear monger and sensationalist (which is IS).

During the Japan quake/tsunami, some of the articles there were absolutely terrible. Some of these ones about Bin Laden jump the gun a lot and make a lot of assumptions. Then again, doesn't Fox News sometimes (although on a totally different scale!)?

Him ripping on the royal family was entertaining as well. Who cares of Philip had Nazi connections? So do I. My Grandpa is pretty racist against anyone who isn't German or northern European, but he's just a product of his upbringing.

[Inazuma]

Looks like the USA will have to come up with a new excuse for having wars now.

If Osama bin Laden was actually a bad person and he is actually dead, then I am happy. I just don't know what to believe when it comes to all of this shit. I generally ignore everything that has to do with politics, wars and the government since it's all bullshit and I don't have any say in the matter.

Sadly, we can't have good leaders. Good leaders either become corrupt or they get assassinated. There are far too many evil people with too much money and power, calling the shots behind the scenes.

In other words, it's all bullshit and I don't care anymore. At least I still have good internet, for now.

[Incognito D]

Osama really shouldn't have registered his details on PSN.

[Flake]

Looks like the USA will have to come up with a new excuse for having wars now.

Oh hey, the obligatory POS post from Inazuma. Didn't see that coming. I thought that maybe we were having too many educated and rational opinions, though. Thanks for filling that inane statement quota we all look to you to satisfy.

One thing that is striking me as a real double edged sword is the decision to bury the body at sea. On the one hand, it's a smart idea as there is no reason to assume that Mohammed ever saw the sea - so there's not really anything in the Q'ran to dictate the appropriateness of a burial at sea. That's less for the Islamic extremist world to get upset about.

On the other hand...wow. Talk about fodder for the conspiracy theory crowd. I can't even blame the guys who want to see boogie monsters in the dark for latching on to that one. That's on par with NASA deleting the Apollo 11 telemetry or the Secret Service cleaning the limo Kennedy was assassinated in before forensics specialists looked at it.

[samsonlonghair]

On most days I wouldn't dream of taking pleasure in a man's death; On most days I believe in forgiveness and peace; On most days I try with all my might to follow the christian tenet: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you."

But today, fuck it; I'm glad he's dead. I know it's wrong to feel this way; I'm still glad he's dead. I know it won't end any wars; I know it won't bring peace; I know it won't bring back his victims; I'm still glad he's dead.

Maybe I'll start feeling sorry tomorrow; today I'm glad he's dead.

[dgamemuster]

Osama died around the same month as Hitler did.

[AmishSamurai]

This is AmishSamurai, reporting live from Bizarro World. LET ME OUT PLEASE OH GOD IT BURNS IT BURNS IT BURNS!