Osama Bin Laden is dead.

And I am relieved. While I wish he could've been captured and brought to trial for his unspeakable crimes against many many people, be they black, white, Islamic, Christian, male or female.

He is no longer a presence on our planet and while Al Qaeda will continue - it has lost a highly influential figure-head.

Ammonite I was thinking about similar issues earlier in the week.

I came across some material on federal MP Mike Kelly's role in an execution in Somalia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Kelly_%28Australian_politician%29

There was other material elsewhere where he talks about his feelings at the time.

The death penalty has some big downsides but some people are better off dead.

R0bert

R0bert

From what little I've heard it must have been something of a bloodbath in the compound in Pakistan, 20 or more Al Qaeda men were shot along with Bin Laden.

I wonder just how much of a martyr will be made out of this terrorist.

I am happy that this event took place on President Obama's watch. Will help put a lid on those Tea-Party nutters.

It will need to be very big to stop the idiot tea party.
He is dead, we are better for it.
But those who using religion as a reason to hate will do every thing they can to pay the west back.
My concern is just how much should the west trust Pakistan?

Belly

From what I understand Pakistan was involved in the build up to today's coup. The USA had help from Pakistanis.

Soon we will see where the cards fall.

The death of Osama bin Laden does not mean the end of terrorism. The impact of his death won't yet be known, DFAT is currently updating travel warnings. One man does not make a terrorist movement but his death is symbolic if that means anything at all in the whole horrible mess.

Al Quai'da and other terrorist groups remain and until the problems in the Middle East are sorted out and until democracy is the norm rather than the exception there is some way to go.