Osama Bin Laden: Dead

[Uncle Monty]

I really feel as though I've fallen down the rabbit hole, so bizarre are some of the contributions here.

I hope the following isn't too shocking to you, but here goes:-

Bin Laden was the most wanted terrorist on the planet, the man behind 9/11, the attack on the USS Cole, and the Embassy bombings in Africa, and at the very least the inspiration behind Bali, 7/7, Madrid and other terrorist atrocities carried out in the name of Al Qaeda. Directly or indirectly resposible for thousands of deaths, and the trigger behind the war in Afghanistan.

Rupert Murdoch is a businessman, the head of News International, a hugely succesful media empire. You may not like his politics, or his methods, but- are you sitting down, people?- he is not an international terrorist.

You have the advantage of me in being acquainted with rabbits' holes, but could there not be a useful debate on the question of whether Bin Laden or Rupert Murdoch has had the more pernicious influence on the world?

There is more than one way of wrecking a civilisation.

[amateur51]

and the trigger behind the war in Afghanistan.

That'd be which war in Afghanistan, Mr Pee?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/1162108.stm

Ooops! That's a BBC link!

[Flosshilde]

You have the advantage of me in being acquainted with rabbits' holes, but could there not be a useful debate on the question of whether Bin Laden or Rupert Murdoch has had the more pernicious influence on the world?

There is more than one way of wrecking a civilisation.

Yes, but Mr Pee's idea of civilisation includes summary justice by vigilantes who don't feel the need to abide by the rule of law. Not a civilisation I'd like to live in.

[Norfolk Born]

The REALLY important question - one which NOBODY has dared address yet - is this: WHO KEEPS MOVING MARY'S MOBILE HOME? At one stage I thought it might be Norris, but now I'm not so sure.....is it a group of Al Qaida supporters establishing a cell in Weatherfield, perhaps?

[amateur51]

The REALLY important question - one which NOBODY has dared address yet - is this: WHO KEEPS MOVING MARY'S MOBILE HOME? At one stage I thought it might be Norris, but now I'm not so sure.....is it a group of Al Qaida supporters establishing a cell in Weatherfield, perhaps?

Or could it be Mr Pee, trying to implicate Al Qaeda and stir up enmity in Weatherfield??

[Donnie Essen]

But what sort of moral 'equality' do you want? Reduced to the lowest, or higher up the 'justice' scale?

Pardon that delay. It sucks when you go in to work and they actually want you to do some work, instead of dicking about at the internet all day. Ol' Donnie's been doing manual labor, no less.

Regarding the moral equality thing, I was just talking about the people dancing in the streets, how the arabs and whatnots would do it, to general distaste, and now check it, the Western folks is doing it too. People ain't so different after all. People in the street, I mean. But I don't fancy any kind of moral equality between Western governments and muslim states in acts of war and the like. We, the west, should rise above it and show a better way, follow the law.

I think I would mind a lot more if a random muslim citizen was deliberately killed in custody or something, even a nasty bona-fide terrorist guy. This is a bit different, as in taking out a super-villain raises it to a level of super-coolness. The history books'll refer to it in future and it'll look like an age of heroes and vengeance and Obama kicking ass. It looks swell in the grand narrative of the nation, just as it would if it was cowboys or Star Wars or Transformers. But don't mind me on all this. I don't claim to be politically mature. But I don't want anyone to really die. I know the law has to be applied to all. It's okay to be torn about this.

Bedtime.

[Norfolk Born]

Or could it be Mr Pee, trying to implicate Al Qaeda and stir up enmity in Weatherfield??

My suspicions currently centre on Schmeichel (Chesney's dog). He doesn't say much, but HE'S LISTENING......

[Mahlerei]

i wonder how long it will take for the video of OBL being shot to hit the internet? The damage that would do is incalculable.

[Mandryka]

i wonder how long it will take for the video of OBL being shot to hit the internet? The damage that would do is incalculable.

I've been wondering this myself. It can only be a matter of weeks.

It's now emerged that OBL was unarmed when the Seals arrived. Does this alter anyone's opinion about what happened?

[Bryn]

It does look pretty much like an extra-judicial execution. I wonder which country will be the first to issue an arrest warrant for Obama on a charge of conspiracy to murder?

[amateur51]

My suspicions currently centre on Schmeichel (Chesney's dog). He doesn't say much, but HE'S LISTENING......

!!

[Mr Pee]

I've been wondering this myself. It can only be a matter of weeks.

It's now emerged that OBL was unarmed when the Seals arrived. Does this alter anyone's opinion about what happened?

Nope. Not in the slightest.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[amateur51]

Nope. Not in the slightest.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Is that a nice thing to say about Obama as he awaits trial on a charge of conspiracy to murder, as Bryn suggests, Mr Pee?

[Mr Pee]

Is that a nice thing to say about Obama as he awaits trial on a charge of conspiracy to murder, as Bryn suggests, Mr Pee?

And if you believe that's a valid charge, then you're even further away with the fairies than I thought you were.

Why don't you wrap yourself up in The Guardian and toddle off to bed. I think you're starting to lose the plot.

Again......

[pilamenon]

Feeling pleasure at anyone else's pain or suffering is about as low as you can go. It is possible that Bin Laden felt pleased at the agony suffered by those who were his indirect victims, but we don't know this. Fortunately, there is not much evidence that his own was a painful death. Those celebrating will feel pretty hollow afterwards. And I doubt this Hollywood-style illegal assassination will take away the loss or suffering of Al Qaeda's victims in the long-term.

The interview with a woman relative of a 9/11 victim by Matt Frei at Ground Zero towards the end of the Six O'Clock News last night was very moving. She seemed bewildered and certainly ambivalent. She felt no joy at what had happened, and said it brought a lot of the pain back.

I have lost all respect for Barack Obama as a result of this mission, and his repulsive jingoistic comments. With the intelligence in their possession, the USA had the chance to set an example to the world and bring Bin Laden to court for his crimes against humanity. They blew it.