National Post
Post Primer: Clearing up bin Laden’s capture
When the White House first released information about the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, we learned that he had died in a firefight after being shot in the head, while using one of his wives as a shield. But officials have corrected their initial reports in the past two days. Here are a few contradictory statements you might have missed.
The firefight
Background: U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the nation on Sunday night to confirm U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden during a firefight. A security official even told Reuters: “This was a kill operation,” adding, “If he had waved a white flag of surrender he would have been taken alive.”
What they say now: Maybe he wasn’t waving a white flag, but he sure didn’t have a weapon. Or at least that’s what the story is now. Obama’s statement made it seem as though bin Laden had a weapon, but on Tuesday the U.S. admitted he was unarmed.
Now the government says the killing was in “national self-defence,” and that bin Laden showed no signs of surrendering during the raid. The problem? Critics say Washington’s actions are a violation of international law.
Bin Laden used his wife as a shield
Background: In the heat of battle, bin Laden used one of his wives as a shield from U.S. forces during the firefight that would later take his life. Between the apparent gun battle and using his wife as a sacrifice, this account had the makings of summer blockbuster produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
What they say now: Carney blames “the fog of war” for misinformation, but there’s no good explanation as to why the U.S. would rush this kind of information. What actually happened, according to officials, was that his wife took a run at one of the U.S. shooters and she was shot in the leg. Another woman died, but this was because of “cross-fire.” The government has yet to confirm if bin Laden used a human shield, male or female.
Bin Laden’s fancy house
Background: Not only was bin Laden living in a populated area, the guy had the nerve to live in luxury! U.S. officials referred to his supposedly $1-million compound as “high on the hog” in Abottabad, a “sleepy” town in Pakistan known for great weather and military institutions. Quite a party.
What they say now: Abottabad does have great weather, but a report by the Guardian says that his compound is worth less than the government claims. Your house probably costs more. The paper spoke to real estate experts in the town to get a better value of bin Laden’s compound, and they say that the value is closer to US$200,000 — a big difference. While it’s not a hole in the middle of the desert, the compound isn’t exactly a lap of luxury.
This is the best quote you’ll read today, from the Guardian‘s interview with 22-year real estate veteran Muhammad Anwar:
“Asked about the American estimate, he chuckled. ‘Maybe that’s the assessment from a satellite. But here on the ground, that’s the price.’”
Pakistan knew bin Laden’s location
Background: The United States is now investigating whether Pakistan knew where bin Laden was hiding. As many point out — he was not sealed away in a remote location, but rather he was living close to the country’s capital. How could they miss him?
The U.S. also did not tell Pakistan officials their plans for the raid, because they feared bin Laden would be tipped off. Not that the Americans and the Pakistanis have been best of friends, but Washington did leverage their aid to the country back in July of 2010 to find out where bin Laden was hiding.
What they say now: This isn’t really a correction, but worth pointing out the inconsistencies between the two sides, along with Pakistan’s stance on the issue. On Tuesday, President Asif Ali Zardari wrote a piece in the Washington Post about how “Pakistan did its part.” He denies that the country gave shelter to bin Laden, and also pointed out that the al-Qaeda leader tried to kill his wife more than once. Zardari called their miss a “lapse” in worldwide intelligence.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05/04/post-primer-clearing-up-bin-ladens-capture/
For more bin Laden stories in the National Post go to:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/osama-bin-laden/index.html
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