Osama bin Laden is DEAD?!

[CheerfulYank]

?!

Very true Chickens- but at the same time putting him on trial would result in him getting to be a star of a show and as he would be undoubtedly executed it could bring about the same threat of retaliation as now.

They have buried him at sea so his grave does not become a shrine.

I am glad his dead, but this isnt the end.

:/ A bit bemused by these images of Americans celebrating on the BBC.....Doesn't seem right somehow. Killing one person doesn't mean his followers will disintegrate into oblivion.....

So Pakistan was in effect 'hiding' him? In a miliion pound mansion?? hmmmm.

The conspiracy theorist inside me is itching to get out.
Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't there an election coming up in the US?
This would be pretty convenient publicity for Obama! Obama's speech was very well worded, extremely emotive.

I worry about the extremely quick release of pictures and then the disposal of the body at sea. All a little odd.

I was just watching a man on sky news explain that this would have to be a CIA operation as the US military cannot operate in Pakistan, and all of this would never of occured with the Pakistan Governement's cooperation - but it will be reported as if they did.

Of course, I hope Osama Bin Laden is dead. I really do.

Oh for god's sake, mummyplum!

What are you thinking - that it didn't happen? That it wasn't him? They have his DNA, they have photographs, they have explained where he was.

Don't you think the real Osama Bin Laden would jump up and deny this if he were still alive?

Hmm atswimtwolengths i have to agree with the denial by OSB if he wasn't dead, there is just something fishy about it all.

There will certainly be reprisals by AQ, which is obviously very worrying.

Darth, they offered him the chance to surrender and he refused it, using a woman as a shield.

Don't you think though that
a) it's like chopping the had off the hydra-there'll be dozens jumping up to take his place?
b) Al qaeda will want revenge and have a lot more support because of this killing ?
pyrric victory (sp)

I agree fingers crossed no reprisals my DP is in the middle east atm which is bad enough.

I`m afraid its a case of watch this space to see whether the extremists plot something hopefully they will be on the run

I hope its an event that will herald more peace rather than more death.

I don't feel he will be a martyr or anything much. He's just a dead old man. I don't have any contacts in that area so just my thoughts but I really don't feel there is going to be any great cult of ObL springing up now he is dead. He was popular enough in certain areas/amongst certain groups alive but now I think he is just going to be pretty irrelevant.

Of course there is no chance he is still alive! How would they get away with that?

As to whether it was them who killed him that is another story but it is unlikely we will ever know that for certain.

head of the hydra? I don't know the thing is they still ahve the money and that is the real issue I think that it is being financed with huge amounts of money. The whole thing could just fizzle out without all the money being pumped into it. Most young people actually want to stay alive and most parents want their children to stay alive - so I think that there is bound to be a finite number of people thinking it is worth their while to die whilst murdering a bunch of other people. It is an idea that just doesn't have it in itself to continue on relentlessly year after year, generation after generation.

The celebrating in the streets, flagwaving, cheering and chanting in the US puts me in mind of all the scenes we've seen from Iraq/Afghanistan/Libya, of crowds waving their own flags, burning the US/UK flags etc etc. You would be truly naive to think that now bin Laden is dead, Al Qaeda will doff their caps and say "sorry chaps, game's up". The reprisals will come, and will be horrific. This certainly isn't a time to celebrate like the scenes in Times Square and Washington.

As Ghandi said:
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

I totally agree with Deemented, the world will become a much more dangerous place.

Rejoicing in someones death will just widen the gap between nations. That is not a 'giant and welcome step forward'

I knew 3 people who died in the 9/11 attacks. The death of OBL and subsequent jubilation will not change what happened that day, and I'm afraid I can't feel any different about their deaths of feel any 'satisfaction' because someone has been killed in retaliation.

Cameron says his death will 'bring relief' across the world. Speak for yourself Cameron. I think the world is about to become a more fearful place. There are now likely to be countless attacks on the Western world in retaliation.

If the Americans had captured him alive, then I may be celebrating.

Osama been killed will just be the beginning of his rein of terror.

He wasnt working alone, now he is dead, it will just instigate his 'work force' (if you like) to carry out more deadly, terrifying acts of terrorism IMHO.

US & UK have wanted OBL dead since 9/11 - now its happened 10 years on! But whats next to come.....The White House - Somewhere in the UK, somewhere else in the US? No body knows until it happens :(

I don't think things will escalate now he is dead. He was hardly the restraining hand of Al Q was he? It won't die a sudden death but I really don't think there is a need to expect a huge retaliation now

Sadly I don't think his death will change a thing. He has been living on borrowed time for the last 10 years. In 200 years time the threat from islamic terrorists will be as great as it is now. Its not a war that has winners and losers.

There are people who want to live in a world where the values of freedom, equality and democracy are upheld and there are people who despise those values and want to live by different rules. Can the two ever live side by side in peace? I think not.

I don't care that he is dead
I don't think he was an ideological leader more of a useful figure head and not particularly respected by the more rabid fanatics

I think this is more of a psychological win for the West
and I don't think the world is any more dangerous than it ever was

It won't make a blind bit of difference.

He was a symbol to the people who followed him and who believed the things that he said.

You can't kill a symbol.

Surely they are trying to kill us all the time anyway, given the opportunity? What will happen is that more people are likely to be radicalised who were wavering before.

A part of me thinks they've known where he is for years and he's got boring now, so 'pop'