The Guardian
Osama bin Laden dead: Arab reaction
From Cairo to Baghdad, the Arab world's reaction to news of the death of Osama bin Laden was a mixture of surprise and suspicion
By Martin Chulov in Cairo and agencies
The Arab world reacted with surprise and suspicion to the death of Osama bin Laden - whom some doubted had existed and many more had claimed was never the mastermind of the jihadi violence attributed to him.
Reaction in Cairo was initially muted, with local media outlets and early morning commuters reluctant to talk about the significance of the news before the body of the terrorist leader was displayed.
"I hope it's true, but even it it is, does it really mean that al-Qaida is finished?" said bank worker Ayman Qhadari. "There will be a million more men like him. There probably already are."
The global jihad network built by Bin Laden has significant links in Egypt. It was the birthplace of al Qaida's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is considered a leading candidate to assume command of the organisation.
Many intelligence officials in the Middle East believe Zawahiri is already acting as the group's military commander, an assertion backed by a 2009 US military assessment which concluded bin Laden had taken on more of a spiritual role.
"You don't see T-shirts of Bin Laden in Egypt anymore," said Ragheb al-Masri, as she made her way to work in central Cairo this morning. "That was four years ago. But this group called al-Qaida now has many faces."
In Iraq, which suffered devastating violence at the hands of Sunni groups initially inspired by Bin Laden, some intelligence officials believe that the killing in Pakistan will have a significant effect in Iraq, but others were less optimistic.
"Al-Qaida is not one person anymore," said Major General Hussein Kamal from the intelligence division of Iraq's interior ministry. "I don't expect that the killing of Bin Laden will finish al-Qaida here or in other countries. It will affect their morale, for sure. But it won't end their organisation."
On Baghdad's front lines, soldiers said the deaths of two senior local al-Qaida leaders had done little to quell the insurgency. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by a US air strike in 2006, and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was tracked down and killed in April last year but neither death brought an end to the killing.
"Things are still fragile in Iraq. The danger of al-Qaida will not stop after the killing of their leader," said Sergeant Ala'a Salem at a checkpoint in the west of the city. "We should know, we can look to our experiences after the killing of Zarqawi and al-Baghdadi. We are also worried from revenge attacks. We have had orders today to increase our security measures."
Nearby, shopkeeper Samir Hadi, said. "Killing him makes al-Qaida in Iraq weak. But they have their own leadership and organisations these days. There are many regional and external agendas to destabilise things here. This won't end the fight for Iraq."
In the West Bank, the western backed Palestinian Authority welcomed Bin Laden's death. "Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods - the violent methods - that were created and encouraged by Bin Laden and others in the world," PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib said.
In Ramallah, the PA's view was shared by Ahmed Saleh, a 58-year-old retired Palestinian. "The world is better without Bin Laden. It has removed a pillar of evil from the world," he said. "His heinous actions were exploited to allow hostile policies towards the Arabs and Muslims."
But Umm Mohammed, a veiled woman, said she hoped news of Bin Laden's death was a lie. "God willing, he will continue to conquer the west," she said.
There was no immediate reaction from Hamas, which governs the Gaza strip but now faces a challenge from alQaida-inspired groups that consider it too moderate.
Abdel-Qader Abu Shaaban, a 53-year-old Palestinian from Gaza, described Bin Laden's killing as "a very criminal act".
"This is not a victory. If they assassinated bin Laden, there will be others stronger than him: politicians and military people," he said.
Across the other side of the Arabian peninsula in Yemen, which is battling an al-Qaida-inspired insurgency of its own, a government official hailed the development as "extremely important".
"We welcome the news, it is a truly historic moment," he said. "Millions of people will sleep in peace tonight."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-arab-reaction
Monday, May 2, 2011
China: Bin Laden coverage
Xinhua
For complete coverage:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/special/2011-05/02/c_13855027.htm
For complete coverage:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/special/2011-05/02/c_13855027.htm
Australia: News of Bin Laden on Twitter
The Sydney Morning Herald
How Osama bin Laden death story unfolded on Twitter
Before US President Barack Obama confirmed that Osama bin Laden had been killed, Twitter was abuzz with speculation and subsequent confirmation from officials and news outlets.
On Facebook, the group "Osama Bin Laden is DEAD" had attracted 250,000 "likes" within hours of the news filtering through social media.
Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-osama-bin-laden-death-story-unfolded-on-twitter-20110502-1e4jn.html
How Osama bin Laden death story unfolded on Twitter
Before US President Barack Obama confirmed that Osama bin Laden had been killed, Twitter was abuzz with speculation and subsequent confirmation from officials and news outlets.
On Facebook, the group "Osama Bin Laden is DEAD" had attracted 250,000 "likes" within hours of the news filtering through social media.
Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-osama-bin-laden-death-story-unfolded-on-twitter-20110502-1e4jn.html
UK: The Death of Bin Laden
The Independent
US forces kill Osama bin Laden
By Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich in Islamabad
Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the attacks of September 11 and the man who ever since has remained an elusive, shadowy presence at the centre of perhaps the world’s greatest manhunt, has been killed by special forces troops at a compound two hours outside of Islamabad.
The al-Qa’ida leader was killed on Sunday during an operation north of the Pakistani capital led by helicopter-borne US special forces. A Pakistan government official told The Independent that it was a joint operation, led by the US but with crucial Pakistani involvement.
The killing of Bin Laden - his death apparently coming after the CIA had for months tracked two couriers who worked for the al-Qa’ida leader over many years – immediately raises as many issues as it does provide answers. Where had he been hiding all this time; who within Pakistan knew about his presence; what now for the relationship between US and the country it insists is a vital regional ally?
As President Barack Obama delivered a televised address, revealing the news, crowds of Americans gathered to cheer and celebrate, not only outside of the White House but at Ground Zero in New York, the place that will forever be associated with Bin Laden and his network. “Justice has been done,” the president said. “His death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al-Qa’ida will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant.”
Officials briefing in Washington told the Associated Press that a small team of special forces troops killed Bin Laden in a firefight on Sunday in the town of Abbottabad and took custody of his remains. American officials were quick to stress they were being handled in accordance with Islamic tradition. They are also performing DNA tests on his remains to confirm his identity.
The remarkable end to the hunt for the world’s most elusive person – an operation that for many years appeared to have been sidelined - came just months before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centres and the Pentagon, orchestrated Bin Laden’s al-Qa’ida organisation, that killed more than 3,000 people.
Former President George W Bush, who was in office on the day of the attacks and who later vowed to track down Bin Laden and catch him “Dead or alive”, issued a written statement hailing his death as a momentous achievement. “The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done,” he said. For many years, Bin Laden had taunted Bush by his ability to evade capture.
President Obama said he ordered the operation after receiving undisclosed intelligence information. Senior administration officials said Bin Laden was found inside a custom-built compound with two security gates. They said it appeared to have been constructed to harbour one high-value target and that for undisclosed reasons, officials became convinced that it was that of Bin Laden. There was no word on the whereabouts of his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri.
The fact that Bin Laden’s was found in Abbottabad, home of a major Pakistani military academy, is hugely intriguing. It is a good way from the wild tribal areas of North and South Waziristan where it was assumed for many years that Bin Laden was hiding. It is not one of the areas that have been at the centre of controversial drone attacks, which have been stepped up under the presidency of Mr Obama. Many questions will now be as to how he could have remained there undetected for so long.
A senior administration official told the Associated Press that the president gave the final order for US officials to go after Bin Laden on Friday. The raid occurred in the early morning hours Sunday.
Officials in Washington that, based statements given by US detainees, intelligence officials have known for years that Bin Laden trusted one al-Qa’ida courier in particular and they believed he might be living with him in hiding. In November, intelligence officials found out where he was living, a huge fortified compound. It was surrounded by walls as high as 18 feet topped with barbed wire. There were two security gates and no phone or Internet running into the house.
Intelligence officials believed the $1m home was custom-built to house a major terrorist. CIA experts analysed whether it could be anyone else, but time and again, they decided it was almost certainly bin Laden. Three adult males were also killed in Sunday’s raid, including one of Bin Laden’s sons, whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden’s sons, Hamza, is a senior member of al-Qa’ida.
Mr Obama spoke with Bush and former President Bill Clinton on Sunday night to inform them of the developments. Under Bin Laden, al-Qa’ida was also blamed for the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa that killed 231 people and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors in Yemen, as well as countless other plots, some successful and some foiled.
On September 11 2001, al-Qa’ida operatives hijacked planes, flew one of them into one of New York City’s Twin Towers and then in to the one. Both buildings collapsed, trapping thousands inside. A third plane slammed into the Pentagon, badly damaging the symbol of America’s military might. A fourth crashed near the town of Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers and forced it down. It was believed the hijackers planned to fly that plane into the White House or else Capitol Hill.
For more on this topic go to:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/us-forces-kill-osama-bin-laden-2277847.html
US forces kill Osama bin Laden
By Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich in Islamabad
Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the attacks of September 11 and the man who ever since has remained an elusive, shadowy presence at the centre of perhaps the world’s greatest manhunt, has been killed by special forces troops at a compound two hours outside of Islamabad.
The al-Qa’ida leader was killed on Sunday during an operation north of the Pakistani capital led by helicopter-borne US special forces. A Pakistan government official told The Independent that it was a joint operation, led by the US but with crucial Pakistani involvement.
The killing of Bin Laden - his death apparently coming after the CIA had for months tracked two couriers who worked for the al-Qa’ida leader over many years – immediately raises as many issues as it does provide answers. Where had he been hiding all this time; who within Pakistan knew about his presence; what now for the relationship between US and the country it insists is a vital regional ally?
As President Barack Obama delivered a televised address, revealing the news, crowds of Americans gathered to cheer and celebrate, not only outside of the White House but at Ground Zero in New York, the place that will forever be associated with Bin Laden and his network. “Justice has been done,” the president said. “His death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al-Qa’ida will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant.”
Officials briefing in Washington told the Associated Press that a small team of special forces troops killed Bin Laden in a firefight on Sunday in the town of Abbottabad and took custody of his remains. American officials were quick to stress they were being handled in accordance with Islamic tradition. They are also performing DNA tests on his remains to confirm his identity.
The remarkable end to the hunt for the world’s most elusive person – an operation that for many years appeared to have been sidelined - came just months before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centres and the Pentagon, orchestrated Bin Laden’s al-Qa’ida organisation, that killed more than 3,000 people.
Former President George W Bush, who was in office on the day of the attacks and who later vowed to track down Bin Laden and catch him “Dead or alive”, issued a written statement hailing his death as a momentous achievement. “The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done,” he said. For many years, Bin Laden had taunted Bush by his ability to evade capture.
President Obama said he ordered the operation after receiving undisclosed intelligence information. Senior administration officials said Bin Laden was found inside a custom-built compound with two security gates. They said it appeared to have been constructed to harbour one high-value target and that for undisclosed reasons, officials became convinced that it was that of Bin Laden. There was no word on the whereabouts of his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri.
The fact that Bin Laden’s was found in Abbottabad, home of a major Pakistani military academy, is hugely intriguing. It is a good way from the wild tribal areas of North and South Waziristan where it was assumed for many years that Bin Laden was hiding. It is not one of the areas that have been at the centre of controversial drone attacks, which have been stepped up under the presidency of Mr Obama. Many questions will now be as to how he could have remained there undetected for so long.
A senior administration official told the Associated Press that the president gave the final order for US officials to go after Bin Laden on Friday. The raid occurred in the early morning hours Sunday.
Officials in Washington that, based statements given by US detainees, intelligence officials have known for years that Bin Laden trusted one al-Qa’ida courier in particular and they believed he might be living with him in hiding. In November, intelligence officials found out where he was living, a huge fortified compound. It was surrounded by walls as high as 18 feet topped with barbed wire. There were two security gates and no phone or Internet running into the house.
Intelligence officials believed the $1m home was custom-built to house a major terrorist. CIA experts analysed whether it could be anyone else, but time and again, they decided it was almost certainly bin Laden. Three adult males were also killed in Sunday’s raid, including one of Bin Laden’s sons, whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden’s sons, Hamza, is a senior member of al-Qa’ida.
Mr Obama spoke with Bush and former President Bill Clinton on Sunday night to inform them of the developments. Under Bin Laden, al-Qa’ida was also blamed for the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa that killed 231 people and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors in Yemen, as well as countless other plots, some successful and some foiled.
On September 11 2001, al-Qa’ida operatives hijacked planes, flew one of them into one of New York City’s Twin Towers and then in to the one. Both buildings collapsed, trapping thousands inside. A third plane slammed into the Pentagon, badly damaging the symbol of America’s military might. A fourth crashed near the town of Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers and forced it down. It was believed the hijackers planned to fly that plane into the White House or else Capitol Hill.
For more on this topic go to:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/us-forces-kill-osama-bin-laden-2277847.html
Middle East: Opinion: Bin Laden's death and US policy
Al Jazeera
Opinion
Payback, Served Cold
By Clayton Swisher
There is no doubt America would have rather this day come sooner. Coupled with the phenomenal popular waves of change sweeping the Arab world, 2011 stands to be a watershed year, one that will hopefully allow more people to live their lives in dignity rather under autocratic and dictatorial rule.
Let us not forget al-Qaeda's recruiting-well of the 9/11 attacks could be found, at least in part, in the subterranean torture rooms of Egypt under Hosni Mubarak (who in a striking irony might himself become a resident of those very jails before long).
For now, a few quick thoughts on the killing of bin Laden in Pakistan by US operatives:
-Senior Obama Administration officials say a mansion had been under watch in Abbotabad since August 2010. It is clear great planning and, above all else, patience, went into identifying and attacking this target.
While the same can't be said of so many other US-led drone strikes in Pakistan, killing more civilians than most Americans will ever appreciate, one can speculate now those were less about keeping up appearances.
Anytime al-Qaeda targets were killed in the past few months, it may have been useful to see what news and messages, if any, would have been couriered to that Mansion under watch, and whether other al-Qaeda networks will later be rolled up as a result of today's operation and the extensive surveillance that went into it.
In their zeal to "kill," one can imagine other US politicians, including Republican agitator Donald Trump, jumping the gun to "show quick results."
The White House will be sure to encash Obama's handling of the raid, which is pretty much the exact opposite of what Democrat Presidents have been known for in recent memory (see Jimmy Carter's Desert One fiasco over Iran), and an Achilles heel to the Republican argument that "Democrats are weak on defense."
-One of the most important acts is yet to come: releasing pictures and forensic evidence of Bin Laden's body. Forget conspiracy theorists, who may never be convinced. The world will rightfully demand to see that America is not pulling a fast one. This is not about a trophy photo, but about bringing closure to all those who have been victimised by bin Laden, and the world's ham-handed response to him as well.
-Bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri's capture or killing, while important, is less so now for the Obama Administration for the simple reason that most Americans simply don't know who he is. It would be suicidal for Zawahiri to raise his head anytime soon, and his marginalisation will probably only continue as most understand al-Qaeda had zero to do with liberating Arabs from their dictatorships.
-Obama announced the news with grace toward all Americans involved in trying to kill bin Laden over the years, making clear this was not an operation targeting Islam or against Muslims. As reasoned as it is, going forward there is a lot more explaining that needs to be done.
During the 2008 presidential contest, Obama pledged to concentrate American focuses on the "real war," namely, to concentrate on Afghanistan and defeat al-Qaeda and take the fight to bin Laden.
He drastically increased ("surged") troops into Afghanistan promising to show effective results by the summer of 2010. And now, with American political support for the Afghan war waning (and the US clearly losing what little ground they had), the Obama Administration now has a face saving excuse to end its failed 10 year entanglement there and to stop killing innocent Muslims there.
-Since 9/11, social media has become today's platform for expressing news and views. A sign on Facebook aptly summed President Obama's political rejoinder to Republican provocateur Donald Trump: "Sorry it took me so long to get you a copy of my birth certificate. I was too busy killing Osama bin Laden." Meanwhile, on Twitter, a Pakistani in Abbotabad named Sohaib Athar (@reallyvirtual) unwittingly reported of the compound strike and ensuing helicopter crash, scooping everyone.
-Healthcare and killing bin Laden are two seminal domestic political victories for Barack Obama. But the Arab and Muslim world will look for more substantive policy changes as it is logical the US obsession with al-Qaeda should curtail and change the conversation.
It is not a "policy" to kill "terrorists." It will be for the Obama Administration to finally resolve issues that create terrorism, including the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands. To that end, Obama still has his work cut out for him if he wants to earn that Nobel Prize for acts of peace, rather than war.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2011/05/02/payback-served-cold
Opinion
Payback, Served Cold
By Clayton Swisher
There is no doubt America would have rather this day come sooner. Coupled with the phenomenal popular waves of change sweeping the Arab world, 2011 stands to be a watershed year, one that will hopefully allow more people to live their lives in dignity rather under autocratic and dictatorial rule.
Let us not forget al-Qaeda's recruiting-well of the 9/11 attacks could be found, at least in part, in the subterranean torture rooms of Egypt under Hosni Mubarak (who in a striking irony might himself become a resident of those very jails before long).
For now, a few quick thoughts on the killing of bin Laden in Pakistan by US operatives:
-Senior Obama Administration officials say a mansion had been under watch in Abbotabad since August 2010. It is clear great planning and, above all else, patience, went into identifying and attacking this target.
While the same can't be said of so many other US-led drone strikes in Pakistan, killing more civilians than most Americans will ever appreciate, one can speculate now those were less about keeping up appearances.
Anytime al-Qaeda targets were killed in the past few months, it may have been useful to see what news and messages, if any, would have been couriered to that Mansion under watch, and whether other al-Qaeda networks will later be rolled up as a result of today's operation and the extensive surveillance that went into it.
In their zeal to "kill," one can imagine other US politicians, including Republican agitator Donald Trump, jumping the gun to "show quick results."
The White House will be sure to encash Obama's handling of the raid, which is pretty much the exact opposite of what Democrat Presidents have been known for in recent memory (see Jimmy Carter's Desert One fiasco over Iran), and an Achilles heel to the Republican argument that "Democrats are weak on defense."
-One of the most important acts is yet to come: releasing pictures and forensic evidence of Bin Laden's body. Forget conspiracy theorists, who may never be convinced. The world will rightfully demand to see that America is not pulling a fast one. This is not about a trophy photo, but about bringing closure to all those who have been victimised by bin Laden, and the world's ham-handed response to him as well.
-Bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri's capture or killing, while important, is less so now for the Obama Administration for the simple reason that most Americans simply don't know who he is. It would be suicidal for Zawahiri to raise his head anytime soon, and his marginalisation will probably only continue as most understand al-Qaeda had zero to do with liberating Arabs from their dictatorships.
-Obama announced the news with grace toward all Americans involved in trying to kill bin Laden over the years, making clear this was not an operation targeting Islam or against Muslims. As reasoned as it is, going forward there is a lot more explaining that needs to be done.
During the 2008 presidential contest, Obama pledged to concentrate American focuses on the "real war," namely, to concentrate on Afghanistan and defeat al-Qaeda and take the fight to bin Laden.
He drastically increased ("surged") troops into Afghanistan promising to show effective results by the summer of 2010. And now, with American political support for the Afghan war waning (and the US clearly losing what little ground they had), the Obama Administration now has a face saving excuse to end its failed 10 year entanglement there and to stop killing innocent Muslims there.
-Since 9/11, social media has become today's platform for expressing news and views. A sign on Facebook aptly summed President Obama's political rejoinder to Republican provocateur Donald Trump: "Sorry it took me so long to get you a copy of my birth certificate. I was too busy killing Osama bin Laden." Meanwhile, on Twitter, a Pakistani in Abbotabad named Sohaib Athar (@reallyvirtual) unwittingly reported of the compound strike and ensuing helicopter crash, scooping everyone.
-Healthcare and killing bin Laden are two seminal domestic political victories for Barack Obama. But the Arab and Muslim world will look for more substantive policy changes as it is logical the US obsession with al-Qaeda should curtail and change the conversation.
It is not a "policy" to kill "terrorists." It will be for the Obama Administration to finally resolve issues that create terrorism, including the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands. To that end, Obama still has his work cut out for him if he wants to earn that Nobel Prize for acts of peace, rather than war.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2011/05/02/payback-served-cold
Middle East: Obama: "We will never be at war against Islam"
Al Jazeera
US president Barack Obama said bin Laden, the most-wanted fugitive on the US list, had been killed on Sunday in a US operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, about 61km north of Islamabad.
"Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people," Obama said in a statement.
"Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.
"We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims," Obama said.
According to New York Times, bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan and later buried at sea.
As the news of bin Laden's death spread, crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC to celebrate.
Former US president George Bush called his death a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Bush said in a statement.
According to Al Jazeeera's Rosalind Jordan in Washington, the operation had been in the making for the last nine or 10 months.
"The fact that it happened inside Pakistan, there have been suggestions that Pakistani intelligence may have been protecting them," she said.
Patty Culhane, another Al Jazeera correspondent, said the US authorities got intelligence last September and were able to track bin Laden down through his couriers. They followed them to his compound which was reported to be worth over a million dollars.
Reporting from Pakistan, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the development had caught a lot of people by surprise .
"He was considered by many as a hero, but not to the extent that people would come out on the streets. The reaction so far not likely to be strong on the streets, perhaps a protest here or there by the religious parties," he said.
'Symbolic victory'
Qais Azimy, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said Afghan officials described bin Laden's killing as a "symbolic victory", since he was no longer directly connected to the group's field operations.
"This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden"
Mark Kimmit, US military analyst
Mark Kimmit, a US military analyst, said bin Laden's death "was not the end of terrorism, but an end of a chapter."
"Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.
"This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by bin Laden, but it definitely is more than bin Laden," he said.
It is, however, a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team. Obama's predecessor, George Bush, had repeatedly vowed to bring to justice the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, but never did before leaving office in early 2009.
He had been the subject of a search since he eluded US soldiers and Afghan militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan.
While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway.
Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks - including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/05/2011522132275789.html
US president Barack Obama said bin Laden, the most-wanted fugitive on the US list, had been killed on Sunday in a US operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, about 61km north of Islamabad.
"Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people," Obama said in a statement.
"Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.
"We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims," Obama said.
According to New York Times, bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan and later buried at sea.
As the news of bin Laden's death spread, crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC to celebrate.
Former US president George Bush called his death a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Bush said in a statement.
According to Al Jazeeera's Rosalind Jordan in Washington, the operation had been in the making for the last nine or 10 months.
"The fact that it happened inside Pakistan, there have been suggestions that Pakistani intelligence may have been protecting them," she said.
Patty Culhane, another Al Jazeera correspondent, said the US authorities got intelligence last September and were able to track bin Laden down through his couriers. They followed them to his compound which was reported to be worth over a million dollars.
Reporting from Pakistan, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the development had caught a lot of people by surprise .
"He was considered by many as a hero, but not to the extent that people would come out on the streets. The reaction so far not likely to be strong on the streets, perhaps a protest here or there by the religious parties," he said.
'Symbolic victory'
Qais Azimy, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said Afghan officials described bin Laden's killing as a "symbolic victory", since he was no longer directly connected to the group's field operations.
"This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden"
Mark Kimmit, US military analyst
Mark Kimmit, a US military analyst, said bin Laden's death "was not the end of terrorism, but an end of a chapter."
"Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.
"This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by bin Laden, but it definitely is more than bin Laden," he said.
It is, however, a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team. Obama's predecessor, George Bush, had repeatedly vowed to bring to justice the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, but never did before leaving office in early 2009.
He had been the subject of a search since he eluded US soldiers and Afghan militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan.
While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway.
Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks - including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/05/2011522132275789.html
Sunday, May 1, 2011
UK: Welcome to Arizona; please shoot carefully
The Independent
Arizona choses official state gun
By Guy Adams
Welcome to Arizona; please shoot carefully. And if you really want to blend in with God-fearing locals, you may also want to be in possession of a cowboy hat, a sunburned neck, and at least one revolver, tucked into the waistband of your denim trousers.
In a move that can best be described as interestingly-timed, given tragic recent news events in the city of Tucson, Governor Jan Brewer this week signed into law a landmark piece of legislation that will give Arizona an official state firearm.
The Colt Single Action Army Revolver (also known as the "Peacemaker") will now join an eclectic list of items supposed to best reflect the unique history, landscape, and culture of the desert state. They include an official tree (the Palo Verde), breed of butterfly (Swallowtail), variety of gemstone (Turquoise), and wild-west-friendly type of neckwear (the bola tie).
Ms Brewer refused to comment on her decision to sign the bill, which was proposed by Republican lawmakers and backed by both gun manufacturers and the powerful National Rifle Association lobby group. However supporters claim it reflects the affection felt by some of Arizona's most famous natives towards Colt firearms.
Todd Rathner, a lobbyist employed by Colt, helped write the bill signed by Brewer. He told reporters that the gun is "historically important to the founding of the state and to the survival of the state." It was, he added, used by generations of Arizona Rangers.
Arizona, which has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the developed world, now becomes the second US State to adopt an official weapon. The decision to formalise its status reflects the strength of gun culture among locals. On any given day roughly 40 per cent of them are capable, to use common vernacular, of "packing heat."
The move also follows a trend. Earlier this year, neighbouring Utah became the first state to gain an official firearm, plumping for a semi-automatic pistol. Gun enthusiasts are now hoping to introduce similar measures across the nation. The National Rifle Association is vigorously lobbying lawmakers in Pennsylvania, for example, to plump for a long rifle.
Yet the growing idolisation of deadly weapons has also sparked heated debate, at a time when Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still recovering from being shot in the head during an attack which left six dead and 15 injured outside a shopping centre in Tucson.
Her alleged assailant, Jared Lee Loughner, had previous convictions for drug possession and was suffering from mental illness. He was nonetheless able to legally purchase his weapon, an automatic Glock from a local gun store. The relaxation of gun laws under George W Bush also allowed him to buy an extended ammunition clip, doubling the number of rounds he was able to fire before being subdued.
Supporters of Ms Giffords have described the creation of a "state firearm" as an insult to the victims of that attack. They also say that it is a waste of legislative time, and is providing free publicity for a private company which doesn't even boast any employees in Arizona.
"This is a free advertisement for Colt," said Democratic Senator Adam Driggs, noting that the legislature is currently facing a billion-dollar budget shortfall. "If the state is going to go in this direction, I think we should get the equivalent of naming rights."
It has further upset supporters of native Navajo Indians, who say the Colt was used as a tool of genocide by white settlers to drive them from their ancestral lands. Albert Hale, another Democrat, said it had been promoted by lawmakers "who are more concerned about their own agenda" than the impact it might have on Native American communities.
"If you want to symbolize something and shove that into the faces of the victims, this is it," Mr Hale said. "This gun symbolizes extinction and extermination. To glorify this action and act as if a John Wayne movie is real history is very disturbing."
One of the lawmakers who wrote the bill creating the official firearm is Russell Pearce, a Republican who was also behind Arizona's controversial anti-immigration bill, which was deemed unconstitutional by a court last year.
Mr Pearce did not address the controversy this week, but shortly after the shooting of Giffords he achieved fame by appearing on television to claim that "guns save lives," arguing that if only an armed citizen "prepared to take action" had been present during the shooting "lives could have been saved".
It later emerged that Joe Zamudio, one of the onlookers who helped subdue gunman Jared Lee Loughner at the scene, was actually armed at the time. Mr Zamudio came within seconds of shooting the wrong man, wrongly identifying a fellow bystander as the assailant.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/arizona-choses-official-state-gun-2277367.html
Arizona choses official state gun
By Guy Adams
Welcome to Arizona; please shoot carefully. And if you really want to blend in with God-fearing locals, you may also want to be in possession of a cowboy hat, a sunburned neck, and at least one revolver, tucked into the waistband of your denim trousers.
In a move that can best be described as interestingly-timed, given tragic recent news events in the city of Tucson, Governor Jan Brewer this week signed into law a landmark piece of legislation that will give Arizona an official state firearm.
The Colt Single Action Army Revolver (also known as the "Peacemaker") will now join an eclectic list of items supposed to best reflect the unique history, landscape, and culture of the desert state. They include an official tree (the Palo Verde), breed of butterfly (Swallowtail), variety of gemstone (Turquoise), and wild-west-friendly type of neckwear (the bola tie).
Ms Brewer refused to comment on her decision to sign the bill, which was proposed by Republican lawmakers and backed by both gun manufacturers and the powerful National Rifle Association lobby group. However supporters claim it reflects the affection felt by some of Arizona's most famous natives towards Colt firearms.
Todd Rathner, a lobbyist employed by Colt, helped write the bill signed by Brewer. He told reporters that the gun is "historically important to the founding of the state and to the survival of the state." It was, he added, used by generations of Arizona Rangers.
Arizona, which has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the developed world, now becomes the second US State to adopt an official weapon. The decision to formalise its status reflects the strength of gun culture among locals. On any given day roughly 40 per cent of them are capable, to use common vernacular, of "packing heat."
The move also follows a trend. Earlier this year, neighbouring Utah became the first state to gain an official firearm, plumping for a semi-automatic pistol. Gun enthusiasts are now hoping to introduce similar measures across the nation. The National Rifle Association is vigorously lobbying lawmakers in Pennsylvania, for example, to plump for a long rifle.
Yet the growing idolisation of deadly weapons has also sparked heated debate, at a time when Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still recovering from being shot in the head during an attack which left six dead and 15 injured outside a shopping centre in Tucson.
Her alleged assailant, Jared Lee Loughner, had previous convictions for drug possession and was suffering from mental illness. He was nonetheless able to legally purchase his weapon, an automatic Glock from a local gun store. The relaxation of gun laws under George W Bush also allowed him to buy an extended ammunition clip, doubling the number of rounds he was able to fire before being subdued.
Supporters of Ms Giffords have described the creation of a "state firearm" as an insult to the victims of that attack. They also say that it is a waste of legislative time, and is providing free publicity for a private company which doesn't even boast any employees in Arizona.
"This is a free advertisement for Colt," said Democratic Senator Adam Driggs, noting that the legislature is currently facing a billion-dollar budget shortfall. "If the state is going to go in this direction, I think we should get the equivalent of naming rights."
It has further upset supporters of native Navajo Indians, who say the Colt was used as a tool of genocide by white settlers to drive them from their ancestral lands. Albert Hale, another Democrat, said it had been promoted by lawmakers "who are more concerned about their own agenda" than the impact it might have on Native American communities.
"If you want to symbolize something and shove that into the faces of the victims, this is it," Mr Hale said. "This gun symbolizes extinction and extermination. To glorify this action and act as if a John Wayne movie is real history is very disturbing."
One of the lawmakers who wrote the bill creating the official firearm is Russell Pearce, a Republican who was also behind Arizona's controversial anti-immigration bill, which was deemed unconstitutional by a court last year.
Mr Pearce did not address the controversy this week, but shortly after the shooting of Giffords he achieved fame by appearing on television to claim that "guns save lives," arguing that if only an armed citizen "prepared to take action" had been present during the shooting "lives could have been saved".
It later emerged that Joe Zamudio, one of the onlookers who helped subdue gunman Jared Lee Loughner at the scene, was actually armed at the time. Mr Zamudio came within seconds of shooting the wrong man, wrongly identifying a fellow bystander as the assailant.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/arizona-choses-official-state-gun-2277367.html
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