Osama Bin Laden dead ! Hooray !

[VEGAS]

And thats how the USA outdoes the Royal Wedding.

BTW Cheers for the comments fellas. Had good bank holiday weekend and baby Phoebe is growing every day.

[nigelb]

I have to say that news was a nice bonus birthday present. I suspect Pakistan has known for ages where OBL was hiding. Should be an interesting period in US-Pakistani relations, especially in view of the $1.5 billion the US sends them each year.

Nigel²

[cstorey]

I cannot share the enthusiasm for this act of extra-judicial killing. If it was not an act of war, then it was murder . If it was an act of war, then its effect is to legitimise reciprocal acts ofterrorism as acts of war , and arguably give any future terrorist the protection of the Geneva Convention. This is precisely what those who wish to wage jihad against us want . Whilst expediency provides some reason , but not justification , for this killing , what I cannot excuse is the egregious crowing over it which the idiotic President of the USA has indulged in, aided and abetted by our equally stupid Prime Minister

[Chris558]

I kind of concur with the last post. So he's dead...what does that prove? Only revenge, which should be nothing to be proud of.

In a few years there will be another rising to his status anyway. We might have got rid of him, but never Terrorism unfortunately.

[airboatr]

One of the questions being asked here in the US on talk radio is,
should we be joyous over the killing of a human being.

.

[FlyTexas]

A single phone call led to the discovery of his hiding place according to this article.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13512344

Brian

[NigelC]

...who said you can't take the bin out on a bank holiday??

[simondix]

I have no problem with them taking him out. In the short term the world will be a more dangerous place but in the long term a better place. What I do feel uncomfortable watching were the scenes in the USA. I can still remember the scenes of jubilation in Palestine and other countries on 9/11. The USA did not like it. It makes those people celebrating his death look just as bad. At the end of the day 5 people were killed. I have a feeling those celebratory scenes may come back to haunt the west.

[FlyTexas]

True, plenty of Bin Laden wanna-be's out there ready to avenge his blood I'm sure. I'm wondering how much of an affect Bin Laden really has on our world today. The Middle East has changed a lot since 2001. With all of the civilian uprisings (against their governments) we see these days it seems like the average man on the street is changing the world much more than Bin Laden could ever dream of.

Brian

[Paul K]

One of the questions being asked here in the US on talk radio is,
should we be joyous over the killing of a human being.

.

No less joyous than he would have been if my elder daughter had died in the attempted bombings on the London Tube on July 21st 2005. When I read the headline yesterday morning, once the surprise subsided, I felt gratification. I wont pretend otherwise.

I cannot share the enthusiasm for this act of extra-judicial killing. If it was not an act of war, then it was murder . If it was an act of war, then its effect is to legitimise reciprocal acts ofterrorism as acts of war , and arguably give any future terrorist the protection of the Geneva Convention. This is precisely what those who wish to wage jihad against us want . Whilst expediency provides some reason , but not justification , for this killing , what I cannot excuse is the egregious crowing over it which the idiotic President of the USA has indulged in, aided and abetted by our equally stupid Prime Minister

Its okay, you don't need to excuse the crowing. I'm enjoying it.

Seriously though...extra judicial ? This man has lived and acted completely outside the rule of law for decades anyway. What were the Americans to do ? Drive up in a car , knock on the door of the compound and ask if Mister Bin Laden would kindly accompany them down to the station to answer some questions ? Wait for the Pakistanis to do something while rogue elements of their own armed forces smuggled Bin Laden out of harms way to a new hideout ?

The raid was the only realistic course of action open to the Yanks. And then what ? High principles and ideals are all very well, vital even, but in a situation such as this, I'd imagine the only process of law possible was a quick shout demanding surrender - or else. If he went for a nearby gun, then the issue was settled. It was an act of armed resistance, and the outcome perfectly legitimate.

Nobody is naive enough to think Al Qaeda has been defeated by this, but neither should we shy away from our efforts to defeat them simply because we are afraid of what they might do in revenge. Any act of 'vengeance' they may perpetrate will be indistinguishable from what they always intended to do anyway, given the opportunity.