Bin Laden's Cowardly Downfall

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright May 8, 2011
All Rights Reserved.                                         

               U.S. officials scratch their heads trying to figure out how the world’s most wanted terrorist hid in plain sight only 35 miles from Pakistan’s capitol of Islamabad.  U.S. lawmaker are up in arms over the apparent complicity by the Pakistani government, allowing Osama bin Laden to live in Abbottabad, only a mile from Pakistan’s most prestigious military academy.  Many U.S. lawmakers call on President Barack Obama to suspend Pakistan’s foreign aid pending a complete investigation of how Bin Laden ducked under Pakistan’s radar.  “We think that there had to be some sort of support network for Bin Laden inside Pakistan,” said Obama to CBS’ “60 Minutes,” in an exclusive interview aired tonight.  No one doubts Bin Laden’s following in Pakistan’s tribal areas, the same groups giving aid and comfort to Afghanistan Taliban’s one-eyed leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.

            Obama believes that somewhere in Pakistan’s multi-layered military and civilian government that Bin Laden derived some backing.  Buying property and building in Abbottabad in 2005 demonstrated that someone was constructing something for a high value target.  Though Bin Laden worked through surrogates, some Pakistani knew that the compound was being built for someone living on the lam.  “But we don’t know who or what that support network was.  We don’t know whether there might have been some people inside the government, people outside the government, and that’s something that we have to investigate, and, more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate,” said Obama, baffled still how the 54-year-old terrorist and Sept. 11 mastermind managed to elude authorities for nearly 10 years.  Obama thinks there’s something fishy going on.

            When Navy Seals broke into Bin Laden’s compound May 1 and completed the job, they were surprised by ease of entry and lack of security.  Far from the one feared mastermind of Sept. 11, Bin Laden lived in a trash heap, spending his last days watching TV and managing his three young wives.  U.S. authorities want access to Bin Laden’s  widows for questioning, hoping to gain more insights into al-Qaeda operations.  While there’s been some threats on jihadist Websites, nothing has happened during the week since Bin Laden’s death.  While the White House has gone to great pains to explain how the once slippery terrorist was tracked down, no one knows for sure to whom the $25 million reward went.  Some rumors have Bin Laden ratted out by al-Qadie No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri or some other mid- or low-level operative seeking to cash in on the hefty U.S. reward.

            Describing Bin Lade as “hiding in plain sight,” the White House asked Islamabad to investigate what Pakistan calls “intelligence failures.”  That’s the same excuse given by the Bush administration when former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney blamed the Iraq War on “intelligence failures.”  No one really believes that Bin Laden simply slipped through the cracks.  Most accept that some type of collusion existed with government officials and private groups.  Harboring the world’s most wanted man should come as no surprise when you consider Pakistan’s antipathy toward America.  “America will not be able to dream of security until we live in security in Palestine,” said Bin Laden in a recent voice recording.  No one hijacked the Palestinian cause for his own purposes than Bin Laden.  “It is unfair that you live in peace while our brothers in Gaza live in insecurity.”

              Bin Laden’s rhetoric resonated with the Arab street, bashing the U.S. for its support of Israel.  Whatever operation is still left in tact, without Bin Laden at the helm spewing pernicious propaganda, al-Qaeda is a shell its former self.  It’s wishful thinking that Zawahiri or any other radical can take his place.  Bin Laden’s rage at the U.S. began when his relationship to the CIA ended after the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989.  Bin Laden’s rag tag mujahedeen holy warriors fought a bloody 10-year war with U.S. help against the Soviets.  His hatred toward the U.S. stemmed not from Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians but from failed relationship with the CIA.  Know one knows for sure what happened back then.  Duplicating Bin Laden’s hatred toward the U.S. won’t be easy.  He did a masterful job of hijacking Islam and the Palestinian cause to justify his hatred toward the U.S.

            Bin Laden hid out as long as possible before the long arm of American justice knocked on his door May 1.  Far from portraying himself as a modern-day Saladin—the ancient Islamic warrior who battled Christian crusaders—Bin Laden was more like the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, hiding in a spider hole until found by U.S. forces Dec. 15, 2003.  Bin Laden had no problem brainwashing Islamic youth, wiring them as human hand grenades to fight his guerrilla war against the United States.  When what’s left of al-Qaeda sees the cowardly way the great Bin Laden ended his life, they’ll be less inspired to die for the cause.  Without Bin Laden’s charisma and clever propaganda, al-Qaeda has little chance of flourishing.  Instead of bashing Pakistan, U.S. officials should spend more time retooling U.S. foreign policy and extricating military commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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