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?
This again reinforce my belief about Pakistani army generals. How come these incompetent persons did not know about OBL mansion 800 meters from Kakul Academy where low IQ high school graduates are trained to be generals. The only thing these generals know is corruption. They surrendered in East Pakistan with 100000 army. It is time for Pakistanis to get rid of the army and spend money on education instead.
I have to say though, this could not be a worse situation for Pakistan. Either the military and intelligence are exceptionally incompetent not knowing that OBL was living in the largest house within walking distance of several military academies, or they new exactly where he was and were responsible for keeping him there. Either scenario is completely unforgivable.
Yes, that S.O.B. is dead and good ridance! It is finally over the search for him though took way to long. He won’t be able to hurt anyone else and cause the hell he has been.
DNA doesn’t lie so no we are NOT takeing the world for a ride! There are more people that are glad to see him dead than to know he is alive and cause the pain and death and all he did on so many people!
@MQ very appropriate. Mukarrar Mukarrar
“Have the Americans really killed OBL or have they taken the world for a ride? ”
Actually UBL was killed by joint RAW/Mossad/ISI operation