Osama bin Laden - March 10, 1957

[DeepComet5581]

BBC News

Reuters

Well... it's finally happened.

US President Barack Obama made a statement in a national Press Conference stating that the infamous leader of Al-Qaeda had been killed during an operation in Abbottobad, Pakistan.

What are our feelings?

[Jubal]

I suspect the biggest impact will be in America itself. Bin Laden was beginning to fade across most of the middle east, al-qaeda influence was becoming more restricted to already unstable areas such as Somalia or Yemen and a heartland around Pakistan and Afghanistan. I'd expect some revenge attacks, but this will overall continue the weakening of the Al-Qaeda movement.

But as I say, it's the US that will feel this most. The fact that so many families will now feel justice has been done, and probably most importantly the fact that this is probably a more powerful and effective display of American intelligence and military capability than Rumsfeld ever managed. Obama seems to have borne himself very well throughout, as well, and clearly personally has been pursuing this goal, so I'd be surprised if this didn't reflect well on him in the polls.

Pakistan has big, big questions to answer about why he was found 700m away from a major military academy though - and there are still worries that the anger at an operation which (while extremely successful) violated Pakistani sovereignty could lead to a backlash.

[DeepComet5581]

Actually, I don't see much change for much of Al-Qaeda. Cells such as the one in Yemen were fairly independent and bin Laden was more of a status symbol than a real leader. There will be reprisals, but life will continue as it has for the past 10 years.

Also, while America will feel most happy about this, don't forget about all the countries around Europe that have had significant loss of life due to terrorism and counter-terrorism(7/7, Madrid bombings, War in Afghanistan). Although one thing I see happening is Obama's re-election. In the same week he revealed his Birth Certificate to shut up Birthers (i.e. Donald Trump) he presided over no.1 on the FBI Most Wanted list being found and killed. Only Texas and Alabama will probably still dislike him when the next opinion polls come out.

Agree about Pakistan, though. They really should have caught on that someone who has bought a million dollar mansion and turned it into a fortress would be looking to get away from the US military.

[Phoenixguard09]

Can't help but think that American intelligence mustn't be all that good.  I mean, I'm just a 17 year old Australian citizen who spends way too much time on the computer, but it occurs to me that perhaps the first place to look for a man is in his fething house.

Jokes aside, I'm not sure if reprisals will occur at all.  I mean what was bin Laden to the Al-Qaeda anyway?  Really just a figurehead.  He wasn't directing operations since well just after September 11 really.  After he released his victory video, he disappeared almost completely.  So chances are, Al-Qaeda are probably tickled pink with the knowledge that for ten years the US has been hunting down a guy who hasn't been doing anything recently and therefore not commiting resources to finding the current heads of operation.  

Just my two cents,

[Goldyrulz]

He lives in a cave, high in the mountains.....

NOT!

Nice house he had, obviously not suspicious at all!

[comrade_general]

You all suck.

[Marcus]

Why so comrade?

[Phoenixguard09]

I'll admit that my comment may have been a little tactless.  If that is the reason for your anger Comrade, I apologise.  I am grateful to the American soldiers involved in the effort, and fully admire the efforts of all those who helped bring him down.  The post was simply to express another idea on the subject.

[Cuddly Khan]

The Australian dollar went up 10 cent above the American dollar but after Osama bin Laden was shot in the head the American dollar went up 7 cents above the Australian dollar. Franky I wish he didn't die at all.

[Jubal]

Again, I shall also voice my apologies if I said anything out of line. As I said above, this was an immensely impressive display of intelligence and strike operations - probably the single most impressively conducted operation in my lifetime - and analysis of the results should clearly not change the fact that this will a) make the world safer and b) has brought the most wanted man in the world to the end that it's fair to say he deserved.

And Mark, given this is a man who's responsible for basically the largest tragedy in US history, please be a LITTLE sensitive.

[comrade_general]

You guys just don't understand since you're not American, and I guess I can't hold that against you (we're not all perfect).  

The son-of-a-bitch is finally dead!

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This must have been the reaction of his terrorist friends:

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This is our reaction:

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