He was the student of Abdullah Azzam and used his family’s fortune to help Azzam and the mujahedeen fight against the Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.
He took part in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and attacks against U.S. soldiers throughout the 1990’s in East Africa and Yemen.
He was the man behind the 9/11 attacks.
He was the leader of al Qaeda, making him one of the most infamous and most wanted men on earth.
He is dead.
Tonight crowds are standing in front of the White House and Ground Zero celebrating the death of a man who saw the United States as the ultimate enemy. Bin Laden was killed in a firefight which was carried out by CIA paramilitaries and the elite Navy SEAL Team Six in Pakistan. While addressing the U.S. of bin Laden’s death, Obama stated that exchanges with Pakistan helped lead us to his whereabouts and that no Americans were killed during the battle. bin Laden was found in a custom-built compound with two security gates located in wealthy Islamabad suburb. Three other men were also killed along side of bin Laden, including one of his sons. His remains were taken into custody and will be handled respectively to Islamic traditions
So how will bin Laden’s death affect the U.S. and the world? CNN's Nic Robertson stated that his death will “make our relations with Pakistan even more frayed and even more difficult” and that “it is unlikely to kill off al Qaeda but it is likely to have a huge psychological impact on the members of the organization.” Robertson went on to state that Al Qaeda members will mostly likely want to see proof of bin Laden’s death from the U.S. to make sure that this is not just propaganda. bin Laden’s death might even affect world markets, a Yahoo Finance article has stated “oil, gold, and silver are all trading lower as a result of the breaking news”. bin Laden’s death will also add to the list of Obama’s achievements and boost his public approval rating, most likely helping him in the 2012 elections.
What are your thoughts? Do you think bin Laden’s death will anger Al Qaeda members and inspire them to further harm the U.S.? How will this affect the 2012 elections? Will his death actually affect the price of oil? Do you think his death even matters? Are you still gushing over William and Kate and not even caring about this bin Laden guy? I am very excited to read what you all have to say!
Lazy bibliography:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/05/01/bin.laden.lok.robertson.cnn
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bin_laden
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2011/05/01/sot.obama.bin.laden.dead.cnn?hpt=C2
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/How-Will-Osama-Bin-Laden-wscheats-3248083992.html?x=0&.v=1
For kicks and giggles:
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkjvu3DjsN1qzef04o1_500.jpg
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkjveovdg01qz7by3o1_500.jpg
http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkjyrrOUEh1qcp395o1_500.jpg
http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkjwhmfnTq1qz9bwro1_500.jpg
21 comments:
Osama Bin Laden's death definitely matters in a symbolic sense because he was an icon of terrorism that many Americans and people around the world associates with terrorist attacks. Although Bin Laden has not been "pulling the strings" on operations in recent years and al Qaeda is a network, not a hierarchy, the death of Bin Laden marks a large step in the American war on terrorism. As repeated on the news, there may be retaliation and uprising from al Qaeda groups as a response to Bin Laden's death, and the U.S. must stay vigilant. I expect there to be backlash from al Qaeda around the globe.
Even if Bin Laden's death is mostly symbolic, the effect his death has on Americans and those around the world is immense. His death has brought Americans back together and has renewed America's energy. And, the energy of the people in a fighting country plays a large background role in the war itself because of the support from home.
I agree with Andrea that Bin Laden's death was more symbolic than anything, but nonetheless was important to all of the people affected by the events of 9/11 and even to the people who weren't. His death did not really have any major effect,however the death of the former Al Qaeda leader will most definitely bring peace of mind to some Americans but could also pave the way for new leaders in the Al Qaeda community. Osama Bin Laden's death can be considered by many Americans as one of the first major positive outcomes since the start of the "War on Terror."
This event will certainly affect the 2012 elections because these sorts of monumental moments in American history will sway the American people to favor Obama and the Democrats in the next election. As president, Obama is seen as a leader of the American people, and the death of Saddam Hussein connects Obama with a sense of patriotism for being in charge while taking down the major opponent of the US and liberty. Therefore, Hussein's death may also have a political benefit as the Democrats can use this event to gain more seats in Congress and retain the presidency.
I was really shocked when I heard about Osama Bin Laden's death because it just seemed so unreal. For the guy that our country was after to finally be dead...I still can't believe it. However, although the leader of Al Qaeda is no longer alive, that doesn't mean that the whole group will disappear. New leaders will come out and they might have motives that are just as deadly and dangerous towards Americans. However, Bin Laden's death certainly does give us some peace of mind (as some others already mentioned) and I guess it is a nice step forward to fighting terrorism.
What I'm more concerned with is the fact that the news photo says Obama Bin Laden. And about everywhere else I see "USAMA" and "OBAMA," and there's even a spanish news report saying "Obama hay muerto." But other than the fact that FOX is still trying to get a hold on the whole spell-check thing, I think Osama's death actually brings closure to the thousands of people he's harmed both physically and emoionally. Obama's ratings will probably spike for a short while as he's compared victorious over Bush, but now the question is what to do with the spending we don't need to look for this man? And now that Osama and many other leading members of al Qaeda are dead, the leadership is going to be scattered for a while, even though it is said another person will take over for Osama. I think its too early to tell exactly what will happen in the long run, but I can say this: Justice has been served.
I also agree with Andrea,
Bin Laden's death is symbolic because he symbolized terrorism (through orchestrating the 9/11 attacks) And like Lewis commented, it really marks the first major positive thing from the "War On Terror". However, Bin Laden's death has mostly just symbolic significance(Which causes a huge boost of American morale and patriotism). As Andrea mentioned, Bin Laden hasn't really been active in the Al Qaeda network and its operations. Most likely (as those who commented before me have already mentioned) the "War on Terror" is not going to get any easier; if anything, it's probably going to get tougher.
And in my honest opinion, I fail to understand why people gush, gossip, and make a huge deal out of Kate and Williams' wedding. I don't mean to come off as ignorant or anything. But during dinner with family yesterday, my Aunt was talking about how "Kate's hair was horrid","Her everyday look is better", "Her bridesmaids out shined her". And I hear friends talking about "Kate did her own makeup because she wanted William to see her as he would see her every day. She's the most beautiful woman alive." I mean.. these comments are really unnecessary and some come off to me as kind of "brown-nosing". It gets to the point where I'm saying in my head "Who cares?" A lot of people seem to be gushing over Kate and William because just because it's some kind of hype.
I've literally heard a lot more about the Royal Wedding than I've heard about Bin Laden's death. But as Americans, I really think we should be more concerned and interested about our "War on Terrorism".
Forget about the Royal Wedding at this point. Bin Laden's death should be the main focus for Americans since he was the master mind behind attacks that took place on U.S. soil. As for the 2012 elections, I don't know if this will give Obama the advantage. Sure it would if we were to have the elections right now, but as for the future we will have to wait a see what events happen between now and November 2012. With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 just fourth months away, I think Bin Laden's death will put the families of the victims at ease, knowing that the master mind behind the attacks is now dead and justice has been served. On another point, I was reading a Yahoo News blurb that had mentioned that April 30, 1945 was the day Hitler killed himself. I find this quite ironic that two very powerful and violent leaders died within one day of each other even if it was several years later. Even though the death of Bin Laden is symbolic, we must remember that he is only one of many terrorists out there. There are many more that have yet to be found. However that being said, I do think that just like 9/11 brought America together, this is as well. However, I am curious as to how ling this cohesive feeling will last. For now though I think the main focus should be the triumph and we can worry about the false sense of security later
~Emily Zelter
P.S. I chuckled at the extra links.
I agree that this will only exacerbate the situation. This is almost analogous to the Israel-Pakistan problem: one side shoots the other, the other shoots the first side for revenge... like a self-perpetuating cycle. I expect radical Muslims and Al Qaeda to become more resentful of the United States, not less. Unless we can kill every single one of them, this will never stop, just like how we lost in Vietnam.
Therefore, although this might be an achievement, it really is just symbolic. It might even be only temporary.
More interesting is the fact that people care more about a wedding than significant events. Is the media doing a bad job as a gatekeeper role? I mean, television medium quality has definitely degraded, and obviously the media is never really helpful in terms of analysis (except for maybe the Colbert Report or other such things).
On the same note as the other posters before me, Bin Laden's death was definitely symbolic. In a way, Bin Laden's actions have revolutionized the terrorist movement. I mean, just look at how much 9/11 has changed the mentality and state of our country. That day made people fearful of their security on airplanes, changed their perception of innocent Muslim Americans and so forth. Bin Laden is definitely symbolic of the atrocities that our country has had to deal with post- 9/11.
But now that Bin Laden is dead, I think the US should be even more vigilant and wary of future terrorist attacks that might result from bitter members of other terrorist groups. I read a comment on an article about Bin Laden's death and it read: "Just because you cut the head off of the snake doesn't mean the body dies right away." I think this definitely applies to Al Qaeda's regime and reign of terror.
First of all, lol to the "Sorry it took so long..." picture. Hilarious.
I feel like, to some magnitude, that the death of bin Laden is comparable to, if it happened, the assassination of Hitler. They are both greatly hated by most of the world and they were both head leaders of groups that sought to kill and conquer. But would the death of Hitler actually have ended the war at that very moment? Some one definitely would have stepped in place and continued to run the family business but probably not as effectively. As with al Qaeda and bin Laden's death, the organization will not stop. It is only hindered, but it will still continue to exist. A total wipe out is the only thing that can allow for 100% assurance of their defeat and an end to major terrorist attacks.
On another note, military spending is actually doing some work out there! Through this semester of writing my paper about defense spending, i encountered several articles stating: "why isn't Osama bin Laden dead?" And authors posting hypotheses like the U.S. isn't actually doing anything about it. WELL THEY WERE. CIA paramilitaries and the Navy SEAL Team Six??!? This would have been a great point to my thesis. The U.S. has been doing work out there. Even though the public perceives al Qaeda to not be as advanced as our military, they are much more difficult to take down than we think. That is why it took so long.
The killing is a good confidence booster to the U.S.
Yes finally after 10 years we have caught him. I saw a video that the team that brought him down was known as TEAM 6, a special terrorist force group from the CIA specifically instructed to kill and capture Osama bin Laden. Team 6was created in 1980 to confuse the Soviet's at that time. Just thought I would throw some of that info out there. And also I think that this is going to prompt more attacks from Al-Queda, cause I could only imagine that they didnt like this and that someone else is going to step up as leader. We really do need to consider our relations with Pakistan. I dont know if we have good or bad relations with them, but I heard that bin Ladens hide out was only 100 yrds from the border between Afghanistan and Palistan, so someone must of know he was hiding there and didnt think to tell us.
His death represents a glorious moment shared in American history and around the world where a man who has caused terror, grief, and pain has finally passed away. The US team that accomplished their mission of killing Bin Laden on site should also be recognized as heroes when they come back home. I remembered hearing about his death on the internet and during a Phillies and Mets game when all of a sudden, the crowd started chanting "USA! USA! USA!" after reading about what happened on the news. However, I do find it a little sketch that there were people celebrating a death right outside the White House at 1 AM. Anyway, I'm sure that we'll be hearing more and more updates about Bin Laden's death on TV and the internet for a while.
It's definitely awesome to hear that this pain in the ****** is gone, but I wonder why it took soooooooo long. He wasn't hiding in some cave in the wastelands of Afghanistan. He was in a nice, plushy city in the heartland of Pakistan. They claim to have one of the best intelligence authorities in the freaking world, and how did it slip their notice that the most wanted terrorist is cooling his heels 3 hours away from their CAPITAL?!?!?! Pakistan is going to have some problems explaining this... I hate to say this, but I feel really bad for Pakistan right now because the US did not tell this was going down and sent their military into a shoot out in a populated area, and Pakistan can't say anything because the most wanted terrorist was in their backyard!
Anyways, what's next for the War on Terror?
Bin Laden's death, like most others have mentioned before me, is more symbolic than anything else. So, how much of Al Qaeda does bin Laden actually control? He's been in hiding for the past ten years and so how do the Al Qaeda members view him?
Right now, I'm just a little bit confused as how the post mentioned that Pakistan helped the U.S. find bin Laden, yet his death will exacerbate the U.S.-Pakistan relations. Both Obama and Clinton have said that Pakistan provided crucial information in the raid, but why did Robertson say bin Laden's death will "make our relations with Pakistan even more frayed and even more difficult" is Pakistan helped the U.S. in the first place?
The other positive thing that will come out of this raid is the amount of intelligence that the U.S. will gain regarding Al Qaeda.
Well since Osama Bin Laden is dead what is left to do in Afghanistan. I understand we finally reached our goal but don't you all think someone is going to take place of him. Smart organizations have second in line commanders or kingpins to take charge if the lead lion falls.
And this stuff about being symbolic well I think it is great that he is dead to avenge 9/11 but will there be more prices to pay? I hope not.
And what is the deal that America made with Pakistan because Obama said without Pakistan we would never have gotten Bin Laden.
Osama Bin Laden's death came as a big shock to me. Maybe I am just not as in tune with the news, but I feel as though he has kind of sunk under the radar lately (especially with the Royal Wedding). However, everyone must admit what a relief this is to hear. About 10 years ago the terrorist attacks shocked the nation. As a third grader I remember being scared and just really confused. That sense of security and untouchability that many Americans felt had been shattered with the many deaths on 9/11. But as everyone has said, Osama bin Laden's death seems to be merely symbolic.
I was listening to the radio today, and the commentators were saying that they think the entire thing is fake. Because the body was disposed of right away and there is no exact proof, it was just a political move to gain popularity for Obama and a false sense of security and accomplishment for America. However, I must disagree. Although I know that there is always some lies and corruption in the government, I cannot help but doubt that the Obama administration would put together such a groundbreaking lie.
So overall, I think this is more positive than negative to say the least. I don't know how much this will really help us, as he didn't seem to be the main threat anymore, but it has obvious positive effects on the country.
LuShuang: I re-watched the video of Robertson talking about the U.S. and Pakistan, and it turns out that Roberston made that statement before Obama's speech which revealed that Pakistan helped us find Bin Laden. I'm sorry for my mistake and causing you all confusion!
Josh: I too felt a little uneasy last night when I saw footage of people chanting "USA" in front of the White House. This was a big achievement, but I don't know if its totally appropriate to celebrate just yet. I think true celebration should only come once the war is over and once we have given some solid help to the civilians of the areas we are fighting in to make sure we leave them in good condition.
Courtney: I definitely thought it was really weird that they disposed of his body right away. You would think that the government might want to hold on the body of the most wanted man in the world. Maybe the quick disposal was done to respect his Islamic traditions? Or maybe the government didn't want others to come wanting to take his body? I'm interested in hearing more about this in the near future.
Nicole: Although the Royal Wedding is old news now, Kayla and I were talking about this earlier, and we came to the conclusion that people got so excited over it because everyone loves a modern fairytale happy ending. Our lives are full of so much stress, some of us do the same old things everyday, etc, and once in a while its nice for some of us to escape that and just sit back and watch some good'ol corny happy endings and wish that we too will someday marry our Prince.
I definitely agree with many of you who have said that Bin Laden's death holds huge symbolic importance. Yes, his death has lifted the hearts of many, but I do not think it will do much to stop Al Qaeda or the War on Terror.
I agree with many people who commented before me that bin Laden's death is symbolic. I remember reading an article somewhere a while ago about al Qaeda. They talked about how bin Laden is just a figure head and if the US killed him, they would just find another person to fill his spot. I think this still holds true but the death of bin Laden gives the people in the US proof that the US is making progress.
One thing I noticed was my younger sister, who is just three years younger than me, has no idea who Osama bin Laden is. I think this speaks to the impact Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda has had on our lives. We were only in third grade when 9-11 happened but it has clearly been deeply rooted in our minds for the last ten years.
One question i would like to bring up is, is it right for people to be cheering for the death of bin Laden. I was watching the news and listening to npr and many people were cheering and waving flags for the death of bin Laden. I am not too sure what kind of reaction would be appropriate for this kind of event. any thoughts??
I agree that Osama Bin Laden's death comes as a relief to many people, but the fact that there are people that will party over the death of someone makes me lose a little bit of faith in humanity . On the flip side, the way that the U.S. respectfully followed the Muslim religion's burial rules was really honorable . I think that Osama's death will trigger Al Qaeda retaliation .
Wow Sandy, you are SO lucky you got to write the breaking news post :) Congrats for doing such a great job! Now for my commentary. I'm sure this stuff has been said in the comments, but truth be told I don't have the patience to read all of them SO:
I'm a little concerned with the amount of celebration that has been going on. I think the people who are partying it up in front of the White House or self-indulgent and impulsive. They don't realize what the effects of doing that are. Everyone's complaining about retaliation, but what do they really expect from a bunch of pig Americans celebrating the death of someone they considered a revered leader?
That being said, yes, it's a good thing because I believe justice has been served. Personally, I do not wish he was dead, I'd rather have him incarcerated. But if the choice is between him free or dead, the choice to me is pretty obvious. And if he was shooting at the SEALS, then Ok fine, shoot him.
@Charlie Pai: What's the "Israel-Pakistan problem?" I'm fairly certain that neither Israel nor Pakistan has attacked the other.
Also, to clarify some of the confusions concerning Pakistan, we must start by clearly identifying what we mean when we say "Pakistan." As it stands, Pakistan's central government (which receives aid from America and is supposedly supposed to be an ally of ours in the "War on Terror") has very little power to govern when compared to other modern democratic nations. Although Pakistan has elections, the state is, for all intents and purposes, a pseudo-military held and governed state. The military has a substantial amount of the clout and political power in the country and does not actively respond to the President or Prime Minister of Pakistan and is widely known to support terrorist outfits like Al Qaeda, the LeT, etc. In fact, Pakistan's central intelligence agency, the ISI has been known to provide various international terrorists refuge in its safe houses. Osama bin Laden's Pakistani safe house was certainly one built by the ISI and was less than five minutes away from the Pakistani equivalent of West Point. As such, Pakistan certainly did not help in the mission to kill Osama, and I don't know about you, but I'm personally very glad that Obama conducted a covert operation without the Pakistani government's knowledge because it is quite likely that Osama would still be alive today if Pakistan's government had known about our intelligence and intentions.
Post a Comment