The events of the past few days are hugely significant for a world steeped in the quagmire of 'the war on terror'. Bin Laden, the most influential exponent of violence in the name of God, is finally dead. His execution, shot unarmed in front of both women and children, was almost inevitable. US foreign policy has almost always resorted to 'shoot first, ask questions later'.
The execution belays the lack of imagination of US policy since 9/11. Revenge, not logic, has been the first port of call. Better a dead man than having to deal with all the complications of the prisoner Bin Laden.
The needless brutality of his execution is inexcusable. He was unarmed, defenceless. A body shot, a leg shot - use of a taser, anything could have brought this man to trial, a chance to expose the futility of radical violence. Instead, there is yet more radical violence, a bullet in the face for a man getting out of bed.
I wanted Osama Bin Laden brought to justice, so that the world could see how pathetic violent fundamentalism truly is. I wanted a forensic examination of those who supported this man, and glean more information about how Osama saw the world.
It is a good thing that his reign of terror has ended, but it is deeply depressing that it was impossible for the President of the United States to break the cycle of violence that has marred our worlds history. Bin Laden was not brought to justice, he was executed in the most cold bloodied way, as cold as his own tactics. Those who say they are opponents of violence and terrorism cannot live by the rules of the terrorist.
As has been pointed out by many a peacemaker, an eye for an eye will eventually make the whole world blind.
Poor, defenceless Osama, in his fortress-like compound. Killed in an act of cold blooded revenge, without a proper trial to even establish if he was guilty of anything or not!
ReplyDeleteUtter BS.
Had we hijacked a plane full of civilians and crashed it into Islamabad whilst Osama was spending some of his $millions at the local branch of Jihad-R-Us then I might have had some sympathy with your argument of revenge. But a military operation into an armed fortress, in a region of military conflict to kill the man who masterminded & funded the killing of 4,000 of your citizens (+God only knows how many others) - sounds a lot like justice to me. Think I'd have made it simpler and just dropped a dirty great bomb on it from a great height though.
Shame it was such a long time coming. (Think the fact that it came about at the same time as the start of Obama's re-election campaign is mighty convenient!)
Put a lot more eloquently here.