A Comment Or Two On The Death Of Usama Bin Ladin

Just a few random thoughts:
Is the world safer with him gone, probably not, but it certainly is better.

One tweater from Afghanistan stated (in effect) that he (bin Ladin) was hiding in a mansion but wanted us to live in caves.

In what I consider a bit Ironic NBC news broke in with its special report at the very minute that The Donald was going to fire a celebrity. Who's relevent now , Trump?

Let there be no mistake this was an action supervised by the President of the United States who had to give the final order to go into Pakistan and take him out.

I am sure there will be more as the day goes on.

 

Let's not let our guard down... it's not over. Yes it's a victory... but we can't let this blind our vigilance. I offer prayers to our troops and their families.

 

Agreed Bonnie but I do wonder about the public perception that he was hiding in a cave and irreverent. It is clear that the President and the National Security folks have known that not not be true for a while now. The fact that he was living in an affluent suburb less than a mile from Pakistan's "West Point" makes me wonder if he was really as detached as was the perception.

Perhaps this is a bigger victory than we know. Perhaps not but time will tell.

 

yess, he is gone, but others will come along.

 

Agreed.. there's always one more to take his place.. more strife.. more terror.. more violence.. more hatred... until we've all become the monsters we were trying to stop in the first place.

 

great post help4me

so now tell me, ( us ) , what's the solution?

 

Good news, indeed!
There's an informative news release at http://xrl.in/8xpj




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Asia Pacific





Detective Work on Courier Led to Breakthrough on Bin Laden

By MARK MAZZETTI and HELENE COOPER

Published: May 2, 2011
WASHINGTON — After years of dead ends and promising leads gone cold, the big break came last August. .......

 

I respect your opinion, however I don't agree we have become Monsters.

I am sure your opinion would change if you lost loved ones in 911.


It's OK to fight for something you believe in, but when it involves killing thousands of innocent people, then they are poor excuses for human beings.


They won't talk, reason, or negiotate. You have to deal with these murdering Thugs the only way possible and that is to take them out.

There is no alternative. At 54yrs of age bin ladin would have had many more years to cause Death and Suffering. Of course someone will take his place but he was the mastermind.

The western world is delighted at the news of his demise.

Your President handled this difficult situation supurbly, and you all should get behind him. He is a great leader.IMO.

 

On the day I was born one of history's greatest monsters was still walking the face of the earth taking salutes from his goose stepping minions. In one way I agree with Bonnie, I lived during a period where normal people were turned into monsters themselves owing, I believe, to the extreme evil that was allowed to take hold.

Ten years ago my own son was shaken for months because he had to watch his fellow human beings jumping to their deaths from the World Trade Center. I think of the Wedding invitation on my daughters desk. An invitation to a wedding that would never happen. All as a result of an evil so powerful that people can be convinced to take their own lives for the sole purpose of killing as many people as possible.

I have come to believe that from time to time evil is given the upper hand and it simply has to be crushed. The difference is not just the sick evil beliefs that they may hold but it lies with the ability to infect others with the same evil. In the end we can't always identify exactly what separates one level of evil from another or where the line is drawn.

It is simply one of those things that defy definition but fall into the category of "knowing it when we see it." At the end of the day the President made the decision that is was not enough to bomb the compound it was, instead a brave decision carried out by the bravest of the brave. I am proud of him, of them and of the decision and the result. I do not believe that there is any slippery slope to monsterousness (my word :mellow: ) Neither do I feel any guilt for how I feel.

 

great post BeeCeeBee.

I dont have killerinstincts, but you kill my loved ones or even others
it could certainly happen.

 

Who says I didn't lose loved ones??? Who says that I also didn't lose loved ones that were in the military over seas??? Who says that I don't have a loved one now that was in active duty when 9/11 occurred... who sometimes wakes up in a cold sweat... visions of real terror still in his eyes... sights that will be forever etched in his memory... things that no human should ever witness... but so many of our military personnel do so that we civilians can sleep in our own beds at night with sweet dreams.... with scars that will never go away on his body from bullet wounds? Think I would still change my opinion??? Think again!

There is a fine line between stopping evil and becoming evil yourself in order to stop that which you were fighting. I don't disagree with how this was handled... sometimes the most efficient solution is a bullet to the head. But let's not lose perspective here. bin Laden was a murderer... and now so are we. He needed to be stopped... for his murderous acts were unjustified.... a tragedy... senseless and barbaric. A plague on humanity.. the worst of what human kind is capable of. But let us not become so righteous in our judgement of what is right and wrong that we become the monster we thought to destroy. Do you understand??? Do you see what I am getting at? A good quote from the movie Dark Knight... You either die a hero.. or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

 

Kayrose... I don't know what the solution is.. part of me is glad he's dead... but another part is worried about the long term effects... waiting for the other shoe to fall so to speak.. what kind of hell will be unleashed now in retaliation... and part of me is worried that we may lose sight of what we are really fighting.. become so determined to rid the world of this kind of terror that we ourselves become the terror. Such a fine line... and I have no answers.. no solutions... I really wish I did.

 

Let's not let these very specific set of circumstances become a defining moment about who we are or what we may become. It is, however a very major occurrance in what is our continuing fight against terrorism.

Now, from every bit of available evidence Bin Ladin died in a firefight and he was a participant in that firefight. It was expected that he would resist and he did. However there is not a scintilla of evidence that the put up his hands in surrender. So lets not waste any time beating our breasts. John Brennen did indicate that they would have taken him into custody but , in fairness, did anyone expect that he would surrender?

Instead lets simply recognize that this President made a decision that could easily have ended his presidency. When you give this kind of order the American people, for right or wrong, expect it to succeed. It was a true profile in courage from a political standpoint as well as true bravery on the part of the SEALs.

 

Well said

 

Damn it's good to see you back and posting, Bonnie. I wonder if the President had that result in mind? :snckr:

 

What a weak Country you would be if you did nothing, because you were scared of retaliation.

Of course they will retaliate, and it's up to your leaders to protect you. No doubt Security is now on high alert.

In this case I feel the punishment was more than justified.

I am not a do gooder. I believe in an eye for an eye.

 

I would like to add an opinion from this side of the pond.

I heard the news early this morning on the radio, and to be quite candid, it brought a smile to my face.
It was obviously a brave decission by Mr. Obama and equally brave actions by the Navy Seals.
The world is a better place without this terrorist and I agree, it is no safer.

I cannot accept that the Pakistan authorities would not be aware that the fortress that Bin Laden was living in was not being used for some sort of illicit purpose.
What did they suppose was being built ?
Did it not cross their minds to find out what it was being used for?

What never ceases to amaze me when there is an atrocity anywhere in the world by Muslim-based terrorists, the Muslim communities rarely condem them.
The mosques have Imams who could be influencing their followers in a positive way but instead we, in the UK, have some who actively try to convert devout Muslims and radicalise them. Two of these imams ( at least ) are receiving thousands of pounds in handouts plus free housing !!
They remain in the UK because they used the Human Rights Act - what about our human rights ?
I am sure that they are not all like this.

The millions of muslims throughout the world could help to stop the terrorist actions. Instead many seem to actively support them.
The Lockerbie bomber was welcomed home as a hero! He killed 259 innocent people.

I must also state that I was not impressed with the people dancing and celebrating in the street at the news of Bin Laden's death.
This reminded me of the actions of the Muslims who celebrated 911, Lockerbie and the other atrocities throughout the world.
I have not lost anybody in a bomb blast and do not know how I would react if I had. ( We did see some people who had lost relatives interviewed and they were very dignified.)
We in the west are better than that. Let's not drag ourselves down to their level.

I have re-read this and on the face of it, it sounds as if I may be anti-Muslim.
This is not the case. We have friends who are from Pakistan and are Muslim. They even had an arranged marriage.
What I am suggesting is that practicing Muslims in general, are not doing enough to voice their disgust at some of the atrocities performed in their name.

 

I didn't say do nothing... but to not be aware of possible consequences and take those into consideration would indeed make us a weak country. Look before you leap! I did not say that the actions were not justified... or even wrong. And no.. it is not up to our leaders to protect us... it is up to each and every citizen to do their part.. that's what makes a great country. As one of OUR presidents said.. the buck stops here! We each must hold true to what our country stands for and not pass it off to those in power or those with the biggest guns to cover our arses. As for an eye for an eye... well then you're both going to be blind.

 

i wish i did too.
help4me
love
kayrose

 

I gotta tell you KenB
one of THE most sensitive, beautiful, kind, words that I have ever read.
So much dignity.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Kayrose
love