US President Barack Obama announced on May 2 that the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, was killed in a pre-dawn helicopter-borne secret operation in a house just yards from Pakistan's Military Academy in Abbottabad town.
Pakistani officials claim that members of Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, were on site in Abbottabad during the operation. However, a US senior administration officer said that the Obama administration did not share intelligence information gathered with any country including Pakistan for security reasons. Only a small group of people within the US government knew about the operation at the time.
Osama's death seems to carry a lot of conspiracy theories, especially coming at a time when Obama's presidential approval ratings have dropped drastically and the ties between USA and Pakistan seemed to be strained.
Could Osama's death be a coincidence or is it a conspiracy from either US or Pakistan? After all, Osama's death is a win-win situation for both.
Is it possible that the Obama government is trying to win back the people's love and confidence, so that he gets elected for the second time around? This question comes to mind after one thinks of how George W Bush was re-elected after the 9/11 tragedy redefined America's outlook towards him.
When Osama was harboured by Afghanistan, US bombarded Afghan leaving no stone unturned. So when it comes to Intelligence reports claiming, for weeks now, that Osama bin Laden is in fact hiding in Pakistan, why was no Agfhan-like action taken? Secret operations do take a long time and do require a lot of planning (agreed) but America's change in procedure seems a little shaky. Were Obama and his administration too worried about how the world would react if they did the same in Pakistan? If so, why didn't Obama stop and think before carrying out the recent attacks on Libya?
Another point going against the US is the sudden sea burial of Osama's body. Islam religion does state that the dead should be buried soon, but if Benazir Bhutto's body could be kept for 3 days, why was the same not done for Osama? Why wasn't his body kept long enough for the world to see and be comforted by the fact that the face of terror was indeed no more?
This could also be Pakistan's way of strengthening ties with US by offering the Osama on a platter.
In recent days, it has been noted that, USA has slammed the Pakistan Intelligence agency, ISI, for harbouring high profile terrorists and has also considered the agency as much of a threat as the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
What is a cause for speculation, after the intelligence reports from US, is that Pakistan claims to have not known anything on the where about of bin Laden, while he was living in a specially-built mansion just 60 kms from the Pakistan capital. Also, Osama's 'hideaway', is in an area where high profile Pakistani officials live. How is it that no one knew Osama, the face feared by many and known by all, was residing in their midst?
Another question raised against Pakistan, is that with such a highly important operation going on by American troops, how is it that Pakistan did not notice anything?
With so much speculation, it could be possible that Pakistan did in fact harbour Osama bin Laden until they noticed that the world, or more importantly, USA was slowly going against them and it was high time they did something to regain US' trust.
When it comes to Osama Bin Laden, anything under the sun seems possible. There were hints from President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in December 2001 saying that Osama was dead. Then again in January 2002, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan announced that bin Laden was suffering with kidney disease and was most probably dead. As early as July of 2002, even the FBI's counter terrorism chief was quoted as saying; Osama bin Laden is "probably" dead.
With so much speculation going on, about Osama's life or death, for so many years, one cannot help but stop and think, is the announcement made by Barack Obama true or not? DNA reports do confirm that it was actually Osama who was shot in the US led operation, and there are pictures to back Obama's announcement. So, yes, Osama bin Laden, the face of terror, is actually dead. But, that doesn't stop one from speculation, does it?
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