Adil Najam
Late during the night between May 1 and May 2 in Pakistan there was news floating of a low-flying helicopter having blown up in the city of Abbottabad. There was much speculation, some wild rumors, but no confirmation of what had happened. Then, late night May 1 US East Coast Time (some six hours after the news about from Abbottabad had first started circulating in Pakistan), television screens in the US started flashing a notice that President Barack Obama would soon speak to the nation on a security issue. Rumors and speculation started flashing again.
(Unconfirmed – and, now, reportedly fake – photo of Osama Bin Laden’s dead body being shown on a private TV channel in Pakistan)
Soon it was confirmed that the news was that Osama Bin Laden had been killed: President Obama then confirmed that ke was killed in Pakistan, in Abbottabad, in an operation led by the US but conducted with support of Pakistani authorities (still not clear how much support, and whose). Reportedly, the US now has possession of Osama Bin Laden’s body.
This is a huge development in the War on Terror, even if Osama Bin Laden’s actual role had now become symbolic rather than operational. It is a development that also has huge implications for Pakistan, and for Pakistan-US relations.
More details are trickling by the minute. And partly for that reason it is not yet clear just what happened and which details are confirmed and which are speculation. What is now confirmed is: (a) Osama Bin Laden has been killed, (b) Osama Bin Laden was killed by US forces, (c) Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, (d) Osama Bin Laden was killed in an operation that was eventually supported by Pakistani authorities, and (e) CNN has no idea about anything that has to do with Pakistan (according to them Abbottabad is an outskirt just outside Islamabad!
As details come in and as a narrative and reactions develop both in Washington and in Islamabad, the one big – the one biggest – question that every Pakistani is thinking about is: What will this mean for Pakistan-US relations? What will this mean for Pakistan and Pakistanis? What will this mean for terrorism within Pakistan as a backlash of this incident?
What do you think?
I am smelling rats at the so-called operation. What the Pakistani military was doing? Was it involved? Otherwise it is a serious attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. Also those trying to be over friendly to Americans should know that Saddam’s sons’ bodies were kept in mutilated form for 11 days. It is a farce to think that Americans respect Muslims’ dead bodies.
The quick sea burial also gives rise to suspicions. Another amazing fact is the survival of a person for 10 years who had failed kidneys and high levels of blood glucose. It should be written in medical record books.
aik dafa pir aik din haye gy kay iz tarha aik or hazaro osman born hoy gay or america ki maa koy lol dey gay……………nver ever osman will be dead
its obvious why bin laden was buried at sea. Clearly a burial in pak or afghanistan is just going to create a martyrs tomb radicalizing more people. Any burial in the western world is probably not going to be tolerated. And end of the day which country would accept him?
One of the us spokesperson said they wanted to respect the laws of islam to bury the dead within 24 hrs. For them to say that for their most hated enemy should be appreciated.
The taliban and other jihadist outfits who seem to have a lot of support in pakistan as per the comments here just know how to kill muslims and non muslims alike. I am sorry but a lot of sympathies here are misplaced.
And The Drama Continues US GOV make their PPLZ fool :P
1st go and search ” TIM LADIN” google it and 2nd go search Ba nazir BHUTTU Interview Stating that USAMA was dead in their Gov.
How can a person live so long who has Major medical diseases.
it’s all Drama nothing else GOD know what are the AIMS behind this drama O GOD please safe Innocents from this new Drama….!
Does US really think the rest of world is fool?
now that they have officially announced that Osma’s body has been burried in the sea!!!! in a rush? why? Saddam’s hanging body was shown to the world for days and for Osama just a few hours after “Victory”!?
A series of lies has begun to cover US’s stupidity and nonsense, fully supported by US media, as usual!!