US forces kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan

[Iron]

Is it just me, or should there not be quotation marks around the word 'kill' in the above BBC News website headline?

How can we be sure it was him, rather than a body double?

Surely the Americans should at very least have verified the body was Bin Laden's using DNA testing.

But as the body has been buried at sea (some might say conveniently), we'll never know...

Jeff

[to75ne]

i think they verified %100 jeff. it was a coulpe of hours from topping him to any offical anouncement.

[Iron]

Let's hope so.

It would have been better if they'd kept the body though, as it would have put the conspiracy theories to bed...

Jeff

i think they verified %100 jeff. it was a coulpe of hours from topping him to any offical anouncement.

[to75ne]

if they had kept the body, as opposed to "buring at sea"; they would have had to hand it over to his family, followers, someone. it would then have to buried within 24 hrs of death as per muslim custom.

the west would then have the problem that his grave would become a shrine. the last thing the west needs is a shrine being created in honour of the bastard.

imagine if hitler had a grave and what that would that mean to neo nazi's and the like.

[Iron]

True.

That said, people are going to build shrines to him, whether we like it or not!

Jeff

the west would then have the problem that his grave would become a shrine. the last thing the west needs is a shrine being created in honour of the bastard.

[Euler]

This action sends out a strong message to these types that they will never be safe, which is welcomed; I'll never forgot the horrors or 9/11 and ended up in the thick of the London bombings. You just don't want it to just continue to spiral over the years, there needs to be closure. However, the world shouldn't tolerant people who incite hatred to others for any reason, its just morally corrupt and not a path we should be following in the 21st century. Afterall, we are ultimately all related somehow.

[Iron]

I've read that they used DNA to verify the body. So unless Bin Laden has a relative who's a spitting image, it's him...

Jeff

i think they verified %100 jeff. it was a coulpe of hours from topping him to any offical anouncement.

[Iron]

To a point, I agree.

But given that these guys think that, if they die at the sword of the enemy, they will go straight to heaven, then it might not be much of a deterrent...

I hope they tried to take Bin Laden alive. Partly, to show that we are better than terrorists - that we don't just execute people without a trial. Partly, because of the intelligence he could have provided (albeit not voluntarily!). And partly, because, if Bin Laden were to have spent the rest of his life in prison, that would have been the best possible deterrent IMHO.

Jeff

This action sends out a strong message to these types that they will never be safe, which is welcomed;

[JollyGreen]

Well I think it's amazing and only the USA could do this. After all, how often could you get a Bin taken out on a Bank Holiday Monday!!

[gutuami]

after the news the rate went down

[Iron]

I disagree.

We've taken out 1 person - and cut off the snake's head, and another will sprout up in its place.

So it could be that the upshot of capturing Bin Laden is that Al Quaeda are just as big a threat as ever, and will be hell bent on a revenge attack.

IMHO, it would have been better if the US had let the Pakistanis arrest Bin Laden, and take the credit. That would have sent out the message that this isn't about the West vs Islam or revenge, but is about the rule of law vs terrorism...

Jeff

Well I think it's amazing.

[CaerMyrddin]

I disagree with you on this one Jeff, leadership is very important, it's like when you have a strong and a weak horse, people follow the strong one

Also Bin Laden had loads of cash that he used to finance operations. In the short term you can see some responses but in the long term it will be positive.

You do have a way of turning good news into bad news?

[Iron]

I disagree with you on this one Jeff, leadership is very important, it's like when you have a strong and a weak horse, people follow the strong one

True, but you're assuming that he won't be replaced by an effective leader.

Also Bin Laden had loads of cash that he used to finance operations. In the short term you can see some responses but in the long term it will be positive.

I imagine he made plans for his money to be transferred to his associates in the event of his demise...

You do have a way of turning good news into bad news?

I like to look at things critically, rather than just going with the crowd.

For me, the bottom line is: 'Will Bin Laden's killing result in more or fewer lives being lost?'. It's not at all clear to me that the answer is 'fewer'...

Jeff

[olligeorge]

I believe they did use DNA to confirm his ID.

[Zenyatta]

I immediately thought of the cool theme music from that American action movie classic (with Chuck Norris) 'Delta Force':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQUeQOIlcDM

Play it with the volume up when trading and going for the big wins

Also thought of the funny spoof video portraying Obama as a bad-ass rapping gangsta:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ-hPNrKdZI