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?
according to a small news item on the dunya news website, the surviving yemeni wife of obl told the interrogators that they moved into that compound two months ago.
you can make of it what you want.
@Meengla.
You low life. Are you a Pakistani?
If you are and if I saw you or any other Pakistani anywhere near any US base, Cent Com Tampa or other, I would deal with you just as I would with Osama!
@CDR Bill Speaks,
I agree!
PS. I have been to the US Cent Com Base in Tampa, FL a long time ago. Nice place.
Do you not agree that today the world feels like a more secure place? A man who has been responsible for killing thousands of innocent human beings, most of them being Muslims is dead. Justice has been done! Although his death comes as a great relief for many, the threat of Al-Qaida still remains. Rest assured that we will not be complacent till we bring all of them to justice and peace prevails.
Conspiracy theorists can keep weaving their web but just ask all those thousands of families who have lost love ones over the last decade and half. How they feel today. Today terrorists, wherever they are hiding, can rest assured that we will never waver from our commitment to track them down and either capture or kill them. We hope this example convinces more of them to give up these ways and join the billions of peace loving people who call planet earth their home.
CDR Bill Speaks
DET – United States Central Command
http://www.centcom.mil/ur
@M.U.Rehman,
Did you see how many people in Pakistan came out to mourn OBL in last couple of days? In case you did not, I give you a hint: They would all fit within the movie theaters of Karachi alone like the clowns they are. OBL and Talibans are not welcome in Pakistan even if they were not violent–which they were/are. They would be UNwelcomed simply because of their backward and retarded mindsets. Did you know that OBL’s legal ‘will’ says that his wives (yes, plural) may not re-marry after OBL is killed. Now, this from a guy who had multiple wives but is still denying them any life even after he is gone. That is the tip of an iceberg about OBL and Taliban mentality. As for his ‘giving up’ on luxuries, big deal. Having ideological zeal makes loons even loonier. He was not a mortal. He continued to have ‘wives’ around in a big house, in a place of comfort till his last days. So much for the ‘sacrifice’.
Now I am not denying that OBL’s message resonated with, perhaps a few million Muslims in a global population of 1+ BILLION Muslims. OBL’s message resonated and perhaps will continue to resonate in the Muslim world so long as there is no justice in the world. Too bad, idiots like G.W.Bush gave these people a lot of ‘material’ by invading Iraq. Oh, how I wish some day we have justice and people like G.W.Bush could be dragged to the Hague. But EVEN GWB is not enough of a reason for the retarded and violent ways of Al Qaida.