Three Naive Questions about the Killing of bin Laden

Americans dropped the corpse of Osama bin Laden into the sea, so as not even a trace of him would remain.

1. Did they really search for him?

You’ll have to agree it was a bit strange to learn that Americans missed Osama’s settling in the city of Abbottabad, an elite suburb of the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Missed it despite the fact that the CIA practically have Pakistan’s intelligence services in their pocket? Judge for yourself: The main population of that suburb is retired military personnel (including Pakistan’s secret service). Those people are not poor, but still the emergence of a fortress house worth a few million dollars among their mansions could not fail to raise suspicions or at least professional interest among those knowledgeable people. Triple walls, barbed wire, regular visitors, but no trace of the owner himself. Now we learn that bin Laden had been living quietly in his mansion, as heavily guarded as a presidential palace, for a whole six years (!). Did none of his neighbors, or representatives of local authorities, or the numerous agents of the all-powerful Joint Intelligence of Pakistan, inquire about who was actually living in the mansion and what he was doing there?

One explanation of that could be a terrible lack of professionalism of American sleuths (and their Pakistani assistants), but that’s hardly believable. Another explanation is a sober calculation: bin Laden had nowhere to go, he had been a sick and feeble old man for a long time, he had no particular influence on real events and could be captured and finished off at any convenient time. Could it be that Obama’s announcement about going for a second term meant that such a time has arrived? The liquidation of Osama is a “joker” in his campaign pack that no opponent can beat.

2. Was he buried according to Muslim tradition?

The U.S. claims that bin Laden’s body was buried (even if that was in water) according to the Islamic ritual. But here’s what an expert Islam researcher, Roman Silantyev, told us: “The only Muslim tradition observed at bin Laden’s funeral is that he was buried within the same day. But no funeral prayers were recited over him. And anyway, only Muslim sailors get buried in the sea. Bin Laden was, you may say, simply thrown out. It was a strange decision, even though it is understandable that they couldn’t risk making any sort of grave, in order to avoid the pilgrimage of his supporters. Americans should have at least kept his head, to be able to show it to all the doubters.”

3. Was there a terrorist?

Osama is killed. They say he was finished off by a bullet in his head. But where is the evidence? Of all countries, the U.S. is well known for making the most out of defeating its enemies. Let us recall the most detailed video footage of the arrest of the unkempt and degenerated Saddam Hussein. Show us a video or at least a photograph of the corpse of the terrorist number one, show footage of his associates or family members being questioned. Maybe they are not saying what the U.S. would like them to say, and that’s why the footage is not being shown? Instead, Obama’s triumphant statement is broadcasted. Why were they so quick to destroy the most important “material evidence”? The corpse of Osama bin Laden was allegedly thrown into the waters of the Arabian Sea yesterday so that no one could ever find it. Are we supposed to just believe that at their word?

Yesterday, reports arrived that analysis of DNA samples allegedly confirmed that it was indeed the right body, the terrorist number one, soaking in the waves of the sea. But only a few hours before that Washington stated that the analytic procedures would take several days. Why are they suddenly in such a hurry?

Perhaps we shall see the real evidence of bin Laden’s death soon. But so far all we hear is the sound of Washington’s fanfares. They sound too loud. They almost sound false.

An expert opinion.

Pavel Zolotarev, deputy director of the Institute for U.S. and Canada Studies: “I hope this event will not affect us.”

“We must, of course, congratulate the American secret services with this grandiose achievement. But on the other hand, as we see in the North Caucasus, if terrorism is rooted and is systematically fed from within, you have to expect the emergence of new leaders. And in the current situation we cannot rule out that retaliative attacks will be carried out in the near future.”

Komsomolskaya Pravda’s comment.

Rejoicing too soon?

Americans are glad that the head of the hydra of terrorism is cut off. They have not been told yet that it has other heads.

There was something childishly naive and at the same time frightening in the way U.S. citizens reacted to the news of the liquidation of Osama bin Laden. The late night jubilation of the crowds in the streets of American cities somehow smacked of savage vindictiveness, of a hedonistic rejoicing in the death of the principal enemy of the “world’s stronghold of democracy and freedom”, as U.S. citizens are used to thinking about their country. All because their president solemnly declared that an enemy of America was destroyed. The one Americans have heard so much on TV about.

These naive people who ran screaming “wow!” at the White House gates and waving flags have no idea that what happened was only a victory in one battle, not in the war with the threat called “Islamic terrorism”. They have not been told yet that the place of bin Laden has already been taken and, unfortunately, will continue to be taken by dozens of other powerful and fanatical individuals whose goal is the establishment of a “global caliphate”.

I remember that when, in 2006, our security forces in Chechnya blasted into atoms the murderer Shamil Basayev, many Russians cried from their hearts, “Serves you right, vermin!” But no one was dancing on his bones, no one made patriotic rounds around the Kremlin. Why? First, it is not in our tradition to publicly savor and praise a death. Even if it’s the death of an arch-enemy. Second, the Russians had enough wisdom to understand that the destruction of even the most ruthless warlord will not stop terrorism if it keeps being well-fed by political and social makeup. That, unfortunately, was confirmed by the events in recent years…

Fellow Americans, beware!