1. #31
    Bo_Nidle's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,538
    Initial reports say that he was shot in the head.

    The media are also reporting that one of the persons killed (not known who) was trying to use a woman as human shield. She died too.

    But it should be emphasised that these are all initial reports from a media with limited information ( and generally the same level of intelligence).
    Share this post

  2. #32
    I found out about 11:15 PM Sunday night EST that OBL was DOA. I found out from the K.N.N. "Knuclehead News Network". My son... affectionately known as "Da Knucklehead" had just came in from a graduation/birthday celebration for a classmate. He was doing his typical wandering around getting ready for school dance when he throws out the following on his way up to bed.

    "Hey Pops they got Osama Bin Ladin tonight, he's dead."

    "Yeah right kid, pull the other one while you're at it."

    "No seriously, I heard about an hour ago."

    I thought on this for a second, turned to CNN saw the headlines... then I got mad.

    "You knew this an hour ago?"

    "Yeah...,"

    "And you were gonna tell me when?"

    "It kinda slipped my mind."

    "Anything else you hodlin' out on me? Amelia Erhardt found? Hoffa discovered in Cancun?"

    After a while I just shook my head and watched the coverage until the wee hours. It was a bitter sweet moment for me. Bitter because my son and his mother were living and working in Manhattan that day and saw the whole thing unfold in real time. Bitter because a co-worker lost his brother in Building One that day. Bitter, because of all the people who've died that day and since due to OBL's twisted brand of Islamic Jihad. But I also feel proud and happy. Proud of the intelligence community and military who planned the operation. Proud of our President who proved that he's NOT a man you want to play poker with. And overjoyed at the spontaneous outpouring of joy expressed through out the country last night. Particularly at the Mets/Phillies game where the players stopped playing to cheer right along with the rest of us. Oh to live in such mighty times.

    Worf
    Share this post

  3. #33
    ROXunreal's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    1,068
    Is there any confirmation about the "burial at sea" BS? I don't want to sound like a conspiracy loony but seriously, they would not just drop the body of the guy on top of the most wanted list into the sea a few hours after he's killed unless they're hiding soemthing. Islamic burial? For Bin Laden? There isn't a person who deserves an Islamic burial less than the guy that did the most damage to Islam in the past 100 years at least...
    Share this post

  4. #34
    Bo_Nidle's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,538
    I have to admit that that was my initial reaction to the speed of his disposal. However I would be staggered if there was not a vast amount of visual media and forensic samples taken and they cannot exactly parade around a corpse with half it's head missing can they?

    If the US did give him a correct Muslim funeral at sea you could argue that it could be seen as "taking the moral high ground". The message "we are better than you on every level" could be a powerful idealogical message to send. On the other hand the people we are fighting do tend to regard compassion as weakness and such an action would probably not go down at all well with the US population.

    Above all I do not think the US should be seen to gloat too much in his death, although don't get me wrong, I fully understand why they would. However gloating is a sign of insecurity and that is exactly what the enemy are looking to achieve.

    I am surprised that the US have not engaged in a bit of deliberate misinformation and stated that he was found as result of information from within his own organisation. We could then sit back and watch Al Qaeda tear itself apart looking for the "rat". Perhaps a little naive on my part but it's an entertaining thought none the less.

    I suppose the most revealing evidence of confirmation will be Al Qaeda's reaction over the coming weeks.

    It is still very early days yet.
    Share this post

  5. #35
    ROXunreal's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    1,068
    So far all we have is a horrible quality image of a dead guy that looks like any other taliban. Apparently the pinnacle of technology that is the US military still have not fielded photographic equipment that can shoot images in a resolution higher than 300x200...

    I'm about as skeptical of this as I am about the alleged death of Gaddafi's son and especially the 3 grandchildren....
    Share this post

  6. #36
    Airmail109's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    8,288
    Nice one guys. You have to hand it to Americans, they are tenacious!
    Share this post

  7. #37
    stalkervision's Avatar Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    7,567
    Originally posted by ROXunreal:
    Is there any confirmation about the "burial at sea" BS? I don't want to sound like a conspiracy loony but seriously, they would not just drop the body of the guy on top of the most wanted list into the sea a few hours after he's killed unless they're hiding soemthing. Islamic burial? For Bin Laden? There isn't a person who deserves an Islamic burial less than the guy that did the most damage to Islam in the past 100 years at least...
    As I said before the Bush and Ben Ladin families are REAL tight. I bet they delivered his body back to his kin for a secret burial.
    Share this post

  8. #38
    Bearcat99's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    15,969
    Originally posted by blairgowrie:
    I have a sneaking suspicion the Seal Team were under strict orders to ensure he did not survive the assault.

    A trial would have lasted forever and would have served as a rallying point for the bad guys.
    He died the way he wanted to.. The way he said he would.

    He was buried at sea.. Smart move IMO..

    I'm wondering if someone stuck a ham sandwich and a can of Bud in there with him.... a snack for his journey to paradise...
    Share this post

  9. #39
    For the many who now can not share this moment.
    Share this post

  10. #40
    As for raising the morale of those fighting the war on terror, I guess it was a good thing but I'm afraid Bin Laden has already played his part. Several years ago. I will celebrate with those unfortunate when they bring down a queen spider. Not official leaders. They are bait, and nothing but bait.
    Share this post