I'm informed, via radio, tv, emails, newspapers, and people-in-passing, that Obama Bin Laden is dead; killed by Navy SEALs after a fire fight at his allegedly luxurious compound in Pakistan.
Funny enough, I suggested just such an attack in a March 27 entry at http://tinyurl.com/3oeatkd.
Unfortunately, I don't believe it.
I have a lack of confidence in governments - plural. Government people lie when it suits them.
I told one person I want to see Bin Laden's head - preferably separated from his body in true Islamic fashion; the person's reply: "Have you ever SEEN Bin Laden?" The point was well made. Just like Barak Obama's certificate of birth, the "evidence" of Bin Laden's death could be manufactured at Langley (CIA headquarters) or other, similar, facilities.
If Israel's Mosad claimed credit for killing Bin Laden, I still would have my doubts.
I'm glad that the Powers-That-Be FINALLY realized the only effective way to eliminate Bin Laden - and others like him - is to send in small units of personnel highly trained in the job to be accomplished.
The Bin Laden exercise - according to reports I've heard - was carried out by four helicopters carrying Navy SEAL teams. One of the aircraft apparently was shot down or otherwise failed to complete the mission; so far I have heard no reports of other SEAL causalities.
While eliminating Bin Laden provides a psychological boost to those people targeted by Al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and want-to-be's, I doubt it will have much impact on his loyalists.
First many won't believe he was killed. Short of photographic evidence of Bin Laden and his closest associates lying side-by-side waiting to be doused with gasoline prior to being incinerated (burned bodies miss out on the 70 virgins), I doubt any Moslem will concede his or her leader is no more.
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Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip said "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood," he told the Reuters news agency.
This from a person whose primary goal in life if to shed Israeli blood - one child at a time.
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According to one report I heard, the Navy deep-sixed (threw overboard) Bin Laden's body; that seems very "convenient."
More than not believing their figurehead is dead, I expect there will be a surge of attacks against targets everywhere, but especially in the U.S., to "avenge" his death or for starting rumors of his death.
Now that the SEALs have proven my point (see http://yohanon.blogspot.com/2011/03/promises-vs-political-foolishness.html) perhaps Washington will rethink its military excursion policy; rather than send in thousands of reservists - the equivalent of using an elephant gun to shot a gnat - send in highly trained, mission-specific teams to eliminate a threat's leadership.
In the case of Bin Laden, I think Al-Qaeda and its look-alikes will survive; he was in power and thumbing his nose at the world for too long; he had time to develop a following that will only grow more determined in his absence.
The U.S., in addition to "targeting" the terrorists' leadership, needs to treat captured enemy as spies - they don't wear a recognized uniform after all - and shoot them; they should NOT be considered military prisoners of war or civilian non-combatants. They do NOT deserve, not should they be granted, anything beyond basic human rights - that is, a efficient execution in accordance with Islamic law (i.e., beheading). And then incinerate the bodies.
Even if Osama bin Laden is dead, his fanaticism lives on. We - the non-Moslem world - must remain alert; the jihadist threat remains.
To become complacent now would not only be foolish, it would be fatal.
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More about the Navy's SEALs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_SEALs
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