True Finns Reject Portugal Bailout for Next Government
Political parties have begun revealing their views on the next government’s programme to the leader of coalition negotiations, Jyrki Katainen. The True Finns Party has already said that it cannot in good conscience support the Portugal rescue package or the creation of a permanent bailout fund, while SDP would want the rules for the international financial system reformed.
The True Finns also oppose increasing Finland’s responsibilities in the European Stability Mechanism.
“Unfortunately we do not believe in the sustainability or the fairness of the measures adopted until now,” the answer reads.
The True Finns announce that they are ready to participate in negotiations for a National Coalition-led majority government on the basis of the election’s results.
| — Hat tip: KGS | [Return to headlines] |
Attorneys Fly in to Aid Ramona Lawyer in Fight Over President’s Eligibility
Gary Kreep will address the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena on Monday, representing American Independent Party members.
Gary Kreep says Monday will include the most important 10 minutes of his life.
The Ramona resident has practiced constitutional law since 1975. At age 60, he says he has dedicated his whole life to it.
When he steps into the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena on Monday, he’ll ask a panel of three judges for a chance to show evidence that the president of the United States isn’t eligible for the job. He’ll argue that Barack Obama wasn’t born in this country and that the plaintiffs in his case—members of the American Independent Party—didn’t get a fair shake in the 2008 presidential election.
The case was dismissed in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana in 2009, and the appeal has been on the calendar for two months, Kreep said.
Other attorneys around the country have filed eligibility related cases, but Kreep told Ramona Patch that his is different.
“It’s the only case in the country that has been allowed to proceed to oral arguments,” he said.
Others have been dismissed on procedural issues or for lack of merit, Kreep said. He said he can’t speculate why his case has progressed this far but that the appellate judges must have found merit in it.
Many Americans believe the argument about the president’s birthplace should end with the release of what appears to be his long-form birth certificate this week, according to news reports.
Kreep doesn’t agree.
“We don’t know whether it’s a real birth certificate until our forensic expert has a chance to look at the original,” he said. “All we can go by is what’s on the White House website, which looks like a combination of several documents. Computers are too good these days.”
Kreep said the issue of Obama’s birthplace was raised in 2004 during the Senate race and again in 2007. He wonders why the president didn’t release his birth certificate back then instead of allowing the expenditure of taxpayers’ dollars on legal cases like this.
Asked why he thinks an elected official might keep details of his birth hidden, Kreep said, “Arrogance, stupidity.”
Kreep is executive director of the conservative United States Justice Foundation, a nonprofit group he founded in Escondido with two other attorneys in 1979. The foundation has helped fund six similar legal cases around the country. Kreep said his average donors are “ordinary people who give about $30 each.” They send him donations from all over the country, he said.
Is the high profile and controversial issue making Kreep nervous?
“No,” he said Thursday afternoon, as he prepared to spend the weekend working with three other attorneys who are flying in to help him prepare for Monday. He declined to give their names. He did say, however, that a forensic expert in documents, Sandra Lines, will fly in from Arizona.
Kreep is representing Wiley Drake and Markham Robinson in the case. Drake was the vice presidential nominee for the American Independent Party in 2008, according to Kreep’s legal brief for Monday’s hearing. Robinson was the chairman of the party and a pledged presidential elector for the party in California in 2008.
Another candidate, Alan Keyes, represented by attorney Orly Taitz of Rancho Santa Margarita, was the presidential nominee for the American Independent Party.
Oral arguments for the two eligibility cases will be heard together Monday. Each attorney is allowed 10 minutes to talk.
| — Hat tip: heroyalwhyness | [Return to headlines] |
Frank Gaffney: Time for a Fresh Start on ‘Terrorism’
The liquidation of Osama bin Laden is a cause for full-throated national celebration. It must also be the occasion for a redirection of our efforts to wage and win what has been misnamed “the War on Terrorism.” At last, we must recognize the struggle we are in for what it is — the War for the Free World — and begin taking all the steps necessary to win it, not just some of them.
For starters, let’s consider some of the areas in which lessons can already be learned in light of what is now known about the takedown of al Qaeda’s leader:
Ferreting out bin Laden’s safe haven in Abbattabad, Pakistan is the latest affirmation of the importance of human intelligence. While various technical means of monitoring his couriers’ communications and movements played a role, in the end it appears there really is no substitute for old-fashioned spying and tradecraft. The need to correct continuing — and in some cases acute — shortfalls in this area should feature prominently in the upcoming confirmation hearings for the outgoing and incoming CIA Directors, Secretary of Defense-designate Leon Panetta and General David Petraeus, respectively.
That imperative is especially pressing when foreign “liaison” services are as manifestly unreliable as is now indisputably true of Pakistan’s double-dealing intelligence agency, the ISI. Ever since Jimmy Carter’s Director of Central Intelligence, Stansfield Turner, set about dismantling U.S. “humint” capabilities — and especially since 9/11 — America has relied to a great and unwise degree on information and agents supplied by others…
| — Hat tip: CSP | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden’s Death Victory Over ‘Evil’, Says Italy
Berlusconi warns against lowering guard on terror
(ANSA) — Milan, May 2 — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi hailed Osama Bin Laden’s death as a victory in the fight against evil Monday while warning the world not to lower its guard against terrorism.
“It’s a great result for the fight against evil, against terrorism and a great result for the United States and all democracies,” Berlusconi said after the al Qaeda leader was killed by US forces in an overnight operation in Pakistan.
“I think that we must not lower our guard as this event could provoke reactions (from terrorists).
“A killing is always a killing but when one thinks about the role Bin Laden had in the (September 11) 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers, I think this is something everyone hoped for and therefore there are grounds to be really satisfied. “The world had been waiting for this for 10 years”.
Berlusconi was speaking outside courts in Milan before he appeared at a hearing into allegations of fraud at a unit of his Mediaset broadcasting empire, one of four criminal proceedings he currently faces.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini echoed Berlusconi’s sentiments, describing Bin Laden’s death as a “victory of good over evil” for the “free, democratic world”, while stressing the need to be vigilant to the threat of revenge attacks. The Vatican said the death should not be cause for celebration and suggested Bin Laden will have to take responsibility for his actions in the afterlife.
“A Christian never rejoices at the death of a man, but reflects on each person’s grave responsibility before God and men and hopes and works so that every event is an opportunity for peace, not for another increase in hate,” said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
“We all know that Osama Bin Laden had very grave responsibility for spreading division and hate among peoples, causing the deaths of countless people and exploiting religions for this end”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden: ‘Relieved’ Spaniards Remember March 11 Attack
(ANSAmed) — MADRID, MAY 2 — The military operation carried out by the American army in Pakistan, which ended with the killing of Osama Bin Laden, is “of the greatest importance” and represents a “very serious blow” to the international terror organisation. This is according to Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, who has given his reaction to the media over the killing of the Al Qaida leader.
Rubalcaba said that Spaniards feel that they are “particularly concerned” by the death of Bin Laden, after suffering the attack of March 11 2004, in which 191 people were killed and around 2,000 injured, and added that “we now feel relief”.
“Revenge attacks cannot be ruled out and governments over the world are aware of this possibility,” the Interior Minister said, explaining that “Al Qaeda has offshoots with huge functional autonomy”. One of theses, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is “very close” to Spain. “Spain is at obvious risk,” Rubalcaba added, “but I want it to be clear that we are ready to counter this risk”. Alarm level 2 is currently in force in Spain, and was raised in October after intelligence received information of possible international terrorism operations on Spanish soil.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Hate Preacher Warns of Another 7/7 Attack as Cameron Says UK Needs to be ‘Particularly Vigilant in Weeks Ahead’
Radical preacher Anjem Choudary today warned of another 7/7-style attack in Britain following the death of Osama bin Laden.
The Al Qaeda chief was dramatically killed last night in a firefight with American special forces in Pakistan.
Choudary, the former UK leader of the outlawed al-Muhajiroun organisation who now acts as spokesman for the extremist Muslims Against Crusades group, said: ‘I think Britain is more likely to face a 7/7 today than ever.
‘Rather than dampening the spirits of those who are today engaged in jihad physically around the world… Bin Laden’s death will merely act as an incentive to prove to the world that the death of anyone will not affect them.
‘Hence in the coming days and weeks, we will no doubt see increased activities from the mujahideen and more intense fighting in the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Chechnya.’
Choudary, a lecturer in sharia law, added that supporters in the UK loved bin Laden ‘the way they care about their own parents’.
Prime Minister David Cameron has welcomed the news of Bin Laden’s death but added that Britain needs to be ‘vigilant’ after the hate preacher’s comments.
Speaking at Chequers this morning, Mr Cameron said: ‘News of Bin Laden’s death will be welcomed right across our country.
‘Of course it does not mark the end of the threat we face from extremist terrorism. Indeed, we will have to be particularly vigilant in the weeks ahead. But it is, I believe, a massive step forward.’
Mr Cameron was informed of the raid and Bin Laden’s death by President Obama in a telephone call in the ‘very early hours’ of this morning, said Downing Street.
The Prime Minister’s comments come as the Home Office website today revealed that the current threat level from international terrorism is severe, meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: ‘This is an important and significant development in the struggle against global terrorism.
‘We face a real and serious threat from terrorism. The overall threat level from international terrorism, set by JTAC [Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre], remains at “Severe” which means that an attack is highly likely.
‘There is a continuing need for everyone to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the police.
‘The threat level has not changed since January 2010 and is kept under review in the light of all the available information.’
John Gearson, reader in terrorism studies and director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College, London, said organisations across the globe were now likely to ‘ramp up’ their security.
‘I think the significance of what has happened cannot really be overstated,’ he said.
‘I would expect embassies and military bases around the world to be on high alert for some time.
‘There will be concerns that there could be some sort of retaliation, that Al Qaeda may well want to demonstrate that it is still strong and still in the game.
‘The danger is that the Americans may well lose their focus, that they will relax and that will provide an opportunity for the remnants of Al Qaeda to reform and grow stronger.
‘Al Qaeda will remain a major security concern.’
Former British Army colonel Richard Kemp, commander of British forces in Afghanistan in 2003, echoed his fears, suggesting that the Taliban could now look to Bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, for leadership.
‘I think this is not the end of Al Qaeda by any means,’ he told the BBC.
‘They will try and recover, they will undoubtedly try and strike back in some form. I don’t suppose they will manage a major attack but they will try and strike back in some form in the short term, in retaliation for the death of Bin Laden.
‘And meanwhile, others will take on his mantle. Al Zawahiri, his number two, will presumably step up to lead Al Qaeda now … this is a major blow for Al Qaeda and a lot of their supporters will now sit back and think.’
Pakistan’s High Commissioner in the UK insisted that the country’s authorities were not aware of Bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad prior to the attack.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan said that President Zardari learned of the operation after it had been carried out.
Mr Hasan told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘Nobody knew that Osama bin Laden was there — no security agency, no Pakistani authorities knew about it.
‘Had we known it, we would have done it ourselves.
‘The fact is that the Americans knew it and they carried out the operation themselves and they killed Osama bin Laden and then later our President of Pakistan was informed that the operation was successful, and that’s it.’
Mr Cameron added: ‘Osama bin Laden was responsible for the death of thousands of innocent men, women and children right across the world — people of every race and religion.
‘He was also responsible for ordering the death of many, many British citizens, both here and in other parts of the world.
‘I would like to congratulate the U.S. forces who carried out this brave action. I would like to thank President Obama for ordering this action.
‘This is a time to remember all those murdered by Osama bin Laden, and all those who lost loved ones. It is also a time too to thank all those who work round the clock to keep us safe from terrorism.
‘But above all today, we should think of the victims of the poisonous extremism that this man has been responsible for.
‘Of course, nothing will bring back those loved ones that families have lost to terror.
‘But at least they know the man who was responsible for these appalling acts is no more.’
Foreign Secretary William Hague ordered UK embassies around the world to review their security today, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Mr Hague said the UK should be ‘even more vigilant’ than usual for the threat of terror attacks in the coming days.
He added: ‘This is not the end of being vigilant against Al Qaeda and associated groups.
‘There may be parts of Al Qaeda that will try to show that they are in business in the coming weeks, as indeed some of them are.
‘So I have already this morning asked our embassies to review their security to make sure that vigilance is heightened and I think that will have to be our posture for some time to come.’
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: ‘Osama bin Laden committed one of history’s most appalling acts of terrorism and the world is a safer place because he will no longer be able to command or encourage acts of terror.
‘For the victims of 9/11 and their families, nothing can take away the pain of what happened but this will provide an important sense of justice.
‘Despite the death of Osama bin Laden, our vigilance against the perpetrators of terrorism must and will continue.’
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: ‘There will be a great sense of relief today that Osama bin Laden, a man who wrought so much destruction and who spread such a vile, hate-filled ideology, can no longer do so.
‘This successful U.S. operation is a major step forward and a serious blow to Al Qaeda but it does not mean that the struggle against terrorism is over. We will all need to continue to be as vigilant as ever in the fight against terrorism.
‘At this time, our thoughts go out to all of those in the UK and other countries who have suffered, directly and indirectly, from the violence that bin Laden inflicted on the world.’
In a message on Twitter, former foreign secretary David Miliband said: ‘A day to remember the victims of terrorism and the bravery of our troops. But also a historic chance to build for the future.’
Former home secretary and defence secretary Lord Reid warned that there should not be the ‘least bit of complacency’ following Bin Laden’s death.
‘I would caution against premature celebration. Al Qaeda have lost a major, major figure but they are not finished. It is precisely at this time that our opponents are at their most dangerous,’ he told the Today programme.
David Blunkett, another former home secretary, added: ‘I think we are at more risk temporarily today than we were yesterday. We need to be extremely vigilant.’
Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander told the BBC: ‘I think the news that Osama bin Laden will no longer be able to plan murderous attacks on citizens of this country and other countries will be welcomed by people right across Britain.
‘Today is of course a day for remembering those victims of 9/11 but it is also a day for vigilance, because it is important that we continue to take the actions that are necessary to try to keep our people safe.
‘I would agree with the Prime Minister in congratulating the American special forces that conducted this operation with bravery, but also pay tribute to our own Armed forces still working in theatres like Afghanistan and also our intelligence services who work day and night to keep the people of Britain safe.
‘It is important that we remember today, but it is also important that we are vigilant.’
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of UK Muslim thinktank the Ramadhan Foundation, said: ‘Osama bin Laden has been responsible for preaching hatred and using terrorism to kill innocent people around the world and it would have been more suitable for him to be captured alive and put on trial in an international court for the crimes he has committed.
‘Victims of terrorism by Al Qaeda should have had the chance to see him brought to justice.
‘Al Qaeda is a murderous organisation that runs totally against Islam. Their action to use terrorism around the world is not sanctioned by our faith, which promotes peace and protecting human life.
‘Every human should be held responsible for their actions in a court of law and Osama bin Laden is no different.’
John Falding, whose partner Anat Rosenberg was killed in the bombing of a bus in Tavistock Square, London, in the July 7 attacks of 2005, said Bin Laden’s death means ‘justice has been done’.
He told the BBC: ‘There is relief and there will be comfort for victims of Al Qaeda all around the world.
‘But I think also it’s a short-lived victory in a way, because we have to be on our guard.
‘I think there will be reprisals, if only so other people can demonstrate that an organisation such as it is still has potency.’
Describing his reaction to the news, he said: ‘I thought of my partner and also immediately thought of all the other victims.
‘The main focus that seems to be coming out today, and I’m very pleased about this, isn’t simply “Oh, we got him”.
‘It’s turning people’s minds back again to 9/11, to 7/7, and I also think it’s very good news for the Muslim world.’
He said it underlined the fact that ‘the majority of victims of terrorists are, in fact, Muslims’.
Mr Falding said the scenes of rejoicing outside the White House were ‘understandable’, considering so many Americans had grown up knowing about 9/11 terrorist attacks .
‘It’s so much a part of their culture. It’s like apple pie,’ he said.
He added that he will now be ‘more vigilant’ in light of heightened security fears.
David Hartley, whose wife Marie, 34, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was killed in the 7/7 attacks, said the news brought no real sense of justice.
He said he was concerned that there was no shortage of extremist leaders willing to replace him.
‘They have got one but there are more behind there,’ he said.
‘I can’t see this meaning terrorism is likely to stop there. They might try retaliating a bit more now.
‘There is no sense of justice. They have some one but there are plenty of people willing to take his place.
‘He is just one of them.’
| — Hat tip: Gaia | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Social Democrats Call for Swedish Muslim Holiday
Sweden’s Social Democrats argued on Monday for a review of Sweden’s public holidays, arguing that the country’s Muslim community should also be recognized.
“It was a long time ago that we reviewed it. Almost all of our public holidays, except for Midsummer and May 1st, have a Christian religious connection. Sweden is today a multicultural society, and it is worth looking at how it can be done,” Social Democrat party secretary Carin Jämtin said to the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) daily.
It is probable that any decision to introduce a Muslim holiday would mean the replacement of an existing public holiday.
Carin Jämtin stated that the party does not believe that it is possible to add to the current number of public holidays, but was unwilling to speculate on possible alternatives.
Jämtin was however prepared to offer a suggestion on which day could serve as a Muslim holiday.
“One could consider whether Eid, the Muslim Christmas Eve, could be a public holiday,” she said, referring to Eid-al-Fitr, the feast at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
The Swedish Humanist Association (Humanisterna) described the idea to introduce a Muslim holiday as “absurd”.
“Most people in Sweden are secularised. For example they don’t celebrate Christmas for Christian, religious reasons. It is simply an occasion to meet, eat good food and socialize. The same is the case for Muslims,” said the association’s chairperson Christer Sturmark.
“Christmas is furthermore not a Christian holiday originally. It was the day when the Romans celebrated the sun god.”
Sturmark also said that neither does he want to have a day for the secular community, instead favouring a pool of holidays which an individual can use whenever he or she so desires.
“Then you could take time off when you want. If you want to celebrate Ramadan then you could do so on one of the days from the pool,” he said.
Sweden currently has 11 official public holidays (röda dagar) — New Year’s Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1st (International Workers’ Day), Ascension Day, National Day, Midsummer’s Day, All Saints’ Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
There are a further eleven days designated as public holidays or flag days which do not carry the right to a day off from work. In practice many of these days include a half or full day’s holiday, often taken on the day before.
| — Hat tip: Freedom Fighter | [Return to headlines] |
Algeria: Kidnapped Italian, New Proof That She is Still Alive
(ANSAmed) — BAMAKO, MAY 2 — There is new proof that Maria Sandra Mariani is still alive. The Italian woman was kidnapped by Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) on February 2 in Southern Algeria and is being held prisoner in a country in the Sahel, report sources in Mali.
The most recent news of the Florence-born, 53-year-old Mariani dates back to February 18, when Dubai-based TV network Al Arabiya broadcast a message in which the woman, speaking in French, said that she was okay and that she was being held by Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden: Al Azhar: Sea Burial is a Sin
(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, MAY 2 — The body of Osama bin Laden must be buried in the ground, and throwing it into the sea would be a ‘sin’, said Mahmoud Ashour of the Al Azhar Academy of Islamic Research, the most prestigious Sunni educational institute, while speaking to ANSA.
The Al Azhar official rejected the idea of sea burial of the Al Qaida leader for “trivial motives”, explaining that even when someone drowns, the body must be searched for in order to be able to “bury it in the ground”. “They should bury it in the ground without putting anything on the grave,” explained Ashour, responding to a question about whether Osama bin Laden’s burial could become a sort of pilgrimage site.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Danish Jets Kill Gaddafi’s Son: Report
Libya accuses Nato of deliberately trying to liquidate Muammar Gaddafi
Danish F-16 fighter jets were behind the air raid on Tripoli that on Sunday killed Muammar Gaddafi’s son, according to The Guardian.
The article reads: “The attack, which according to a diplomatic source was carried out by Danish pilots — most likely in an F-16 bomber — pierced through Gaddafi’s home around 8pm on Saturday night.”
Danish military officials, however, are neither confirming nor denying the claim.
“We do not comment in detail about the individual operations,” Thorbjørn Forsberg, of the Tactical Air Command, told Politiken newspaper.
Muammar Gaddafi was also in the house together with his wife and several other family members at the time of the attack.
In addition to Gaddafi’s son, three of the strongman’s grandchildren were reportedly killed in the raid. All three were, according to The Guardian, under 12.
Libya has described the raid as illegitimate and has accused Nato of directly trying to liquidate the country’s leader.
Nato officials have been quick to deny allegations that the attack was directed at individuals. They said the sole purpose of the raid was to attack the military command structure.
British PM David Cameron has also defended the attack, arguing that the UN resolution allows attacks against “the leadership and control” of the Libyan regime.
The goal of the operation was to prevent “losses of civilian lives by attacking Gaddafi’s war machine,” Cameron told the BBC.
The Guardian reports that the death of the three grandchildren, if confirmed, would lead to increased criticism from within Nato that the mission has overstepped the mandate of the UN Security Council’s authorising the use of force.
Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, who is known to be a strong supporter Gaddafi, said in a statement from the capital Caracas: “There is no doubt that orders were given to kill Gaddafi. Who was killed does not matter. This was murder.”
| — Hat tip: TB | [Return to headlines] |
Libya: Italian, British Embassies in Tripoli Come Under Attack
Tripoli, 2 May (AKI/Bloomberg) — The British and Italian embassies in Tripoli and offices of the United Nations came under attack on Monday after Libya said an allied airstrike killed Muammar Gaddafi’s youngest son, Saif al-Arab, and three grandchildren.
Crowds assaulted the two embassies, according to government officials in London and Rome. The United Nations began evacuating its international staff from the Libyan capital, the Associated Press said, citing the New York-based international body. The UK gave Libyan ambassador Omar Jelban 24 hours to leave Britain.
Violence intensified in other parts of the Arab world, with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s military shelling a southern city to quell an uprising by protesters. In Libya, more than two months of clashes have killed thousands and helped push oil prices up more than 30 percent.
“The Vienna Convention requires the Gaddafi regime to protect diplomatic missions in Tripoli,” UK foreign secretary William Hague said in an e-mailed statement. “That regime has once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations.”
The US reserved condemnation of the assaults pending confirmation. “If true, we condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms,” said Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman.
Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Arab, was killed late Saturday, Moussa Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Libyan Foreign Ministry said in a televised press conference. Gaddafi and his wife were in the house at the time and survived the attack, Ibrahim said. He called the strike a “direct operation to assassinate” the Libyan leader.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden: Hamas Condemns ‘U.S. Crime’
(ANSAmed) — GAZA, MAY 2 — The leader of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, has condemned the killing of Osama Bin Laden as a crime committed by the USA. He called the Al Qaeda leader “a fighter of the holy Muslim war” and added that the death of Bin Laden has to be judged as “a murder”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden: All Osama’s Men
(ANSAmed) — ROME, MAY 2 — Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, the most-wanted Al Qaeda terrorist is his alleged vice, Ayman al-Zawahri, but there are several candidates in the organisation to succeed bin Laden. The most important are:
- AYMAN AL-ZAWAHRI: an Egyptian doctor, 60 years old, leader of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad before his meeting in Afghanistan with Bin Laden, who made him his right-hand man. Al-Zawahri is co-founder of Al Qaeda and has broadcast man video messages over the years. He is considered to be a good organiser and there is a bounty of 25 million USD.
- SAIF AL-ADEL: Egyptian, around 50 years old, also former member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. He is thought to be the leader of the military wing of Al Qaeda, and is wanted for the attacks on the US embassy in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998. The bounty is 5 million dollars.
- ANWAR AL-AULAQI: U.S. citizen born in Yemen, 39 years old, imam and radical preacher and probably no Al Qaeda member, though he could be linked to the organisation through his internet recruitment and preaching operations. He is believed to be hiding in his tribe in Yemen.
- FASUL ABDULLAH MOHAMMED: Born in the Comoros, around 40 years old, seen as Al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an intermediate with the Somali Al Shabaab. Also thought to be involved in the attacks in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
- ADAM YAHIYE GADAHN: 32 years old U.S. citizen converted to the Islam, internet recruiter and preacher in Arabic and English. Wanted in the U.S. for “treason” and “terroristic acts”. A 1 million USD is the bounty.
- SULEIMAN ABU GHAITH: 46 years old, imam in Kuwait, banned from preaching due to his radical views, he joined Bin Laden in 2000 and became one of his main spokesmen.
- FAHD MOHAMMED AHMED AL-QUSO: 37 years old from Yemen, believed to be one of the organisers of the attack on the battleship USS Cole in Aden in 2000. He was held in prison in Yemen from 2002 to 2007 and is now reportedly member of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
- ABDULLAH AHMED ABDULLAH: 50-year-old Egyptian, thought to be the right hand of Abdullah Mohammed in East Africa. On the FBI’s original list of 22 most-wanted terrorists. Five million dollars on his head.
- ANAS AL-LIBY: Libyan, 47 years old, real name Nazih Abdul-Hamed Nabih al-Ruqai, former refugee in the UK, also wanted for the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
- ALI SAID BEN ALI EL-HOORIE: Saudi Arabia, 46 years old, accused of involvement in the attacks in Dahran in 1996 (in which 19 US troops died). Five million dollars on his head.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden Killing Brings Anger, Relief in Arab World
BEIRUT (Reuters) — Those who revered him prayed the news was not true but many in the Arab world felt the death of Osama bin Laden was long overdue.
Some said the killing of the Saudi-born al Qaeda founder in Pakistan was scarcely relevant any more, now that secular uprisings have begun toppling corrupt Arab autocrats who had resisted violent Islamist efforts to weaken their grip on power.
“Oh God, please make this news not true … God curse you, Obama,” said a message on a Jihadist forum in some of the first Islamist reaction to the al Qaeda leader’s death. Oh Americans … it is still legal for us to cut your necks.”
For some in the Middle East, bin Laden has been seen as the only Muslim leader to take the fight against Western dominance to the heart of the enemy — in the form of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.
On the streets of Saudi Arabia, bin Laden’s native land which stripped him of his citizenship after September 11, there was a mood of disbelief and sorrow among many.
“I feel that it is a lie,” said one Saudi in Riyadh. He did not want to be named. “I don’t trust the U.S. government or the media. They just want to be done with his story. It would be a sad thing if he really did die. I love him and in my eyes he is a hero and a jihadist.”
| — Hat tip: KGS | [Return to headlines] |
Iran Says USA Must Now Pull Out of Middle East
(AGI) Tehran — Iran’s first reaction to the killing of Osama Bin Laden is that the USA and its allies should withdraw. Iran believes that there is now no excuse for troops to be deployed in the Middle East under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Mideast Shrugs Off Bin Laden Death as Revolts Sideline Al-Qaeda
May 2 (Bloomberg) — Osama bin Laden’s death may have had more impact in New York and Washington than in the Middle East.
As crowds celebrated late into the night in the U.S. cities, there was no immediate sign of celebration or protest on the streets of Arab capitals, many of them roiled this year by protest movements in which al-Qaeda and groups sharing its militant Islamist ideology have been sidelined.
Popular revolts against autocratic regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries have largely been led by pro-democracy activists. Islamist groups who joined the movements said they shared the protesters’ goals, rather than the vision of a Middle East under Islamic Sharia law that was the declared aim of bin Laden. That suggests that al-Qaeda’s ability to inspire fear in the West is no longer matched by its political appeal in the Muslim world, a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks turned bin Laden into a cult figure in parts of the region.
“He is just another name to cross off the list,” said Mahmoud Salem, a 29-year-old Egyptian activist whose online posts helped co-ordinate the revolt against Hosni Mubarak. “It’s the year of closure for the Middle East.”
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the region’s oldest Islamist group and one that’s set to gain influence in elections due this year, said al-Qaeda’s attacks on Sept. 11 had hurt the religion’s image and helped provoke a Western backlash.
‘Ideology of Violence’
“Muslims in particular suffered from the vicious media campaign that identified Islam with terrorism and described Muslims as violent,” the Brotherhood said in an e-mailed statement today. Mohamed al-Beltagy, a leading member, said in a phone interview that the group has “always disagreed with the al-Qaeda ideology and the ideology of violence.”
The Brotherhood, which was barred from contesting elections as a party under Mubarak, also criticized Bin Laden’s killing, saying the group is “against the use of assassinations and supports fair trials whatever the crime may be.” It said U.S. forces, which invaded Afghanistan and Iraq in the years after al-Qaeda’s Sept. 11 attacks, should now pull out.
Iran took the same view. “We hope that this event will end war, conflicts and the killings of innocent people and lead to the establishment of peace in the region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. “With his death, foreign countries no longer have an excuse to send troops to the region using as a pretext the war on terror.”
‘Iron Fist’
Leaders such as Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia used al-Qaeda’s threat as a justification for restrictions on religious involvement in politics, with many members of Islamist groups jailed and tortured.
“Arab tyrants and al-Qaeda needed each other,” said Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who knew bin Laden. “Osama bin Laden was to some Arabs a reaction to Arab tyrannies who had brought them to a dead end. And the tyrants needed al-Qaeda to exercise their iron fist.”
Other examples of the latter group included Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, who frequently blamed al-Qaeda for the uprising against his rule this year, a revolt that was supported by al- Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, according to statements posted on jihadist websites on Feb. 24, a week after the uprising began.
Qaddafi has warned Western countries who are carrying out attacks on his forces in support of the rebels that his overthrow will lead to an al-Qaeda presence in the country that will pose a threat to Europe. The newspaper Brnieq, which supports the rebels and is based in their stronghold of Benghazi, today reported bin Laden’s death at the hands of the U.S. as a “martyrdom.”
Hamas Condemns
In Gaza, where demonstrations of support for al-Qaeda erupted after the Sept. 11 attacks, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh denounced the killing of bin Laden as an atrocity.
Hamas, classified by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, last week reached an agreement with the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas to form a joint administration, an accord condemned by Israel. Ghassan Khatib, a spokesman for the PA, said bin Laden’s absence will be “good for peace and stability.”
To some Arabs, bin Laden’s attacks on the U.S. were enough reason to mourn him. “I am sad because he was a Muslim who was fighting against the United States,” said Osama Abolmagd, a 22- year-old security guard in Cairo. “Every time a man like Osama dies, there will be another Muslim like him who will rise and take his place.”
Terror Cells
In bin Laden’s native Saudi Arabia, the government hopes the death of bin Laden will help support international efforts to dismantle terror cells and undermine the ideology behind them, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi King Abdullah has stepped up spending on social measures such as housing to help avert the kind of protests that have rocked other Arab countries. Among the beneficiaries of almost $100 billion in stimulus spending will be the religious institutions that critics say have helped spread the Islamist beliefs that created support for al-Qaeda and similar groups.
In Yemen, the bin Laden family’s ancestral home, his death was welcomed both by the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and by the opposition movement that has held daily rallies for more than two months to demand his ouster.
The Foreign Ministry, in an e-mailed statement, called the U.S. operation “a monumental milestone in the ongoing global war against terrorism.”
Hasan Zaid, the leader of one of the six groups that make up the Joint Meeting Parties, Yemen’s main opposition, said there’s no place in his movement for the violence espoused by al-Qaeda. While more than 100 protesters have been killed by pro-government forces in 10 weeks of demonstrations, the movement continues to espouse peaceful change.
Bin Laden ‘Defeat’
“Osama Bin Laden and his followers could never be present at peaceful protests,” Zaid said. “The choice of those in the squares is a peaceful one. Peaceful revolutions are a defeat for Bin Laden’s plan.”
That’s typical of attitudes in the region as a whole, where “al-Qaeda’s narrative has not played at all in this Arab awakening,” said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Institute in Doha, Qatar.
“People want something else,” he said. Al-Qaeda’s “policy of terrorism and killing civilians and fear has backfired on them. Most people are sick and tired of that philosophy.”
| — Hat tip: AC | [Return to headlines] |
Yemen Protesters Urged Not to Raise Bin Laden Banners
SANAA (Reuters) — Yemeni activists urged street protesters on Monday not to raise banners of Osama bin Laden to avoid triggering a harsher crackdown on demonstrations seeking democratic change in the al Qaeda leader’s ancestral homeland.
Bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan on Monday, ending a nearly 10-year worldwide manhunt for the leader of the global Islamist militant network that orchestrated the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Tens of thousands of Yemeni protesters have camped out for three months in public squares across the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state to demand the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled autocratically for nearly 33 years and has long been a U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda.
“We expect Saleh’s regime to work to use al Qaeda as evidence to confront the protests demanding his departure, but we will expose attempts like this,” said Meshaal Mujahid, an activist. Another protester said he hoped the death of bin Laden would not detract from the mission of protesters.
“We are not working with al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. We have one cause and it is the fall of the regime. This is what matters to us,” said Mohammed Saad, a protester in Sanaa. “To those in the protest squares across the governorates of the republic: Do not get absorbed by the matter of the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden,” Yemeni protest organisers advised followers in a message on Facebook.
“Do not raise pictures or banners or mention bin Laden, as the (Yemeni) regime is planning now to exploit this issue for its interests,” it added, urging recipients to spread the word.
Western and Gulf allies of Yemen have tried but so far failed to mediate an end to its political crisis, which they fear could trigger chaos that would give more room for an active Yemen-based regional arm of al Qaeda to operate.
Saleh has portrayed himself to Western and Gulf supporters as his country’s indispensable bulwark against al Qaeda. But diplomats say Saleh’s record of repressive and corrupt rule has increasingly made him a liability rather than asset for allies.
GOVT’S PRESENCE FADING
Yemen, which has struggled to contain al Qaeda within its borders, welcomed the operation that killed bin Laden.
“The successful operation … marks a monumental milestone in the ongoing global war against terrorism,” the Yemeni embassy in Washington said in an emailed statement.
Saleh’s sway over Yemen, long shaky in remote provinces where al Qaeda is most active, has weakened further as protests have gathered steam, with security forces and officials deserting large swathes of several provinces.
A Gulf-mediated deal to ease out Saleh and defuse Yemen’s political stalemate looked doomed after he refused to sign on Saturday, increasing the threat of instability in the country.
“Saleh keeps playing these games about resigning, but now that bin Laden is dead, there is a chance that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula will ramp up its activities, which Saleh will use as an excuse to say that they need him to stay on,” Dubai-based security analyst Theodore Karasik said.
The Gulf pact, which had offered immunity from prosecution to Saleh and his family and aides, would have made him the third ruler ousted by a tide of pro-democracy uprisings affecting the Arab world.
Yemen’s opposition has said it still hopes Gulf states will succeed in securing Saleh’s signature. Both Saleh and the opposition, which includes both Islamists and leftists, had agreed the deal in principle.
In the wake of the political haggling, violence has escalated, especially in the south. Analysts say the government, which had long been trying to contain separatists in the south and Shi’ite rebels in the north, fears secessionists could exploit the crisis to renew a separatist push for separation.
On Monday, a young man was shot dead and a woman injured in the southern port city of Aden, hospital sources and witnesses said, when police fired randomly on protesters who were hurling rocks at them.
Security forces had been trying to clear roadblocks built by protesters out of rocks and stones to block traffic.
In more violence, four Yemeni soldiers and two gunmen were killed on Monday in clashes between tribesmen and soldiers in Yafie in the southern province of Lahej, where separatists are active, residents said. Some homes were damaged by gunfire.
| — Hat tip: AC | [Return to headlines] |
Congratulations, Bin Laden’s Dead
by Diana West
Rejoice.
But.
The turd was killed in a mansion located in a “densely populated” area called Abbottabad, 30 miles outside Islamabad — not in that dark, wet cave in the North West Territories where, it was often imagined, his only luxury would have been a dialysis machine plugged into a generator. No, the jihad kingpin was living a good life in what passes for civilization in Pakistan. As Dexter Filkins tells us, Abbottabad is home to “a Pakistani military base, a military academy, and many retired Pakistani officers.”
Is it even remotely possible everyone in town knew nothing? And have I mentioned (lately) that the motto of the Pakistani Army is “Faith in Allah, fear of Allah, and jihad in the path of Allah”?
While Pakistan supports the Taliban in its IED war on American troops, the US has, unconscionably, remained “partners” with the nuclear-armed sharia state due to its supposed help against “al Qaeda” — 100 members of which, Gen. Petraeus says, are running around Afghanistan, which surely makes the jihad haven of London, England a better candidate for ISAF occupation. Not to mention Abbottabad. But I digress.
Filkins writes:…
| — Hat tip: Diana West | [Return to headlines] |
Muslim Brotherhood: USA Must Leave Afghanistan
(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, MAY 2 — After the death of Osama Bin Laden “the American occupation of Afghanistan” must be ended “to avoid the spreading of ideas of jihad and fighting against the occupier”. This statement was made to ANSA by one of the spokesmen of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Abdel Fatah, who added that “ideas don’t die with the person”. “We must fight against ideas with other ideas, not with tanks and bombs”, Fatah pointed out. He explained that “the presence of foreign armed forces in Afghanistan is an occupation and this situation must be ended to avoid escalation”. NATO secretary-general Rasmussen has congratulated President Obama with the operation in which bin Laden was killed. He said that NATO will continue its mission “to guarantee that Afghanistan ill not become a paradise for terrorists and extremists again, but that it will be able to develop in peace and security”. Terrorism “continues to pose a threat to our security and stability”, Rasmussen added. “International cooperation continues to be the key and NATO remains at the heart of this cooperation”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Osama Bin Laden is Buried at Sea
American officials said that Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a firefight with United States forces in Pakistan on Sunday, was taken to Afghanistan, and later buried at sea.
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Osama Bin Laden is Killed. U.S. Celebrates, Fear in Pakistan
The official announcement was made by Barack Obama. Thousands of cheering young people at the White House. In Pakistan there is fear of Taliban reactions. Enhanced security measures at government offices and churches. The dollar strengthens and oil prices fall.
Washington (AsiaNews / Agencies) — Osama Bin Laden, the founder and leader of Al Qaeda was killed yesterday in a military operation in Abbottabad, around 60 km from Islamabad. The U.S. president, Barack Obama officially announced the death, saying the body of the “No wanted 1” on the U.S. intelligence terror list, after a decade of sustained effort, has been taken.”
Bin Laden was regarded as the masterminds of many terrorist attacks, particularly the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001. Obama concluded his communication enphatically stating: “Justice is done.”
At the news of the death of Osama, thousands of young Americans gathered to celebrate in front of the White House. American, European and Israeli political leaders celebrated the news as “a triumphant result.” But at the same time, the U.S. has launched an alert to all U.S. embassies around the world in fear of attacks by terrorist groups.
In Pakistan, the AsiaNews correspondent says that the population is even more cowed: everyone is afraid of violent reactions from the thousands of Taliban madrassas in the area, the result of the fight against terrorism. All government buildings were put under high security. Controls were also up in front of churches, for fear of “anti-Crusader” reprisals by terrorists.
At the news of the death of Bin Laden, the dollar strengthened against other currencies and oil prices declined by 1, 1%, after 31 months of steady growth.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Pakistan: Bin Laden Killed With Two Wives and Son, Aides Captured
Islamabad, 2 May (AKI) — By Syed Saleem Shahzad — Osama Bin Laden was killed along with his son and two of his wives and a number of his aides were arrested in the Pakistani city of Abbotabad near the Pakistan military academy after a military operation in which gunship helicopters took part. One helicopter shot down.
The American military forces transferred the Al-Qaeda leader’s body to the Bagram air base in Afghanistan north of Kabul, according to the unnamed sources. Some news reports said his body was “disposed off’ at sea.
Pakistani’s Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Adnkronos International (AKI).
Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ameer Haider Khan Hoti confirmed the military operation happened close to the Pakistani military academy, reiterrating that Pakistani forces took part in the raid.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Pakistani Security Was ‘Providing Bin Laden Degree of Cover, ‘ Expert Says.
(AKI) — Pakistani security forces knew Osama Bin Laden was living in their country, according to international security expert Bob Ayers.
“You can draw one of two conclusions: One is that the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s main intelligence agency) is incompetent and inept. The other is that they were aware of his presence and providing him some degree of cover,” London-based Ayers told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a telephone interview on Tuesday, adding that he believes in the latter hypothesis.
Bin Laden has killed in a ground operation in a wealthy neighbourhood near Pakistani capital Islamabad, Obama said in a televised announcement late Sunday.
Obama said it was “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al-Qaeda.”
Bin Laden was hiding out in a mansion around 80 kilometres from Pakistan’s capital Islamabad and about 100 metres from the country’s biggest military academy.
Bin Laden’s death has removed an important source of funds for Al-Qaeda, Ayers said but the terror group’s operational figures are still alive and guiding the group. Even dead, there is the danger that Bin Laden may become an iconic figure.
“We unfortunately may see Bin Laden t-shirts like those of Che Guevara,” Ayers said.
Commenting on reports by unnamed sources that Bin Laden’s body has been “disposed off” at sea, Ayers said that the language is important.
“You give a burial at sea and dispose of garbage,” he said, adding that it was done to so a shrine to the terrorist leader would be impossible.
Ayers said that a large scale Al-Qaed operation to avenge Bin Laden’s killing “with lots of casualties would take time and money.”
“It’s unlikely we will see anything in the near term. Is the long term there is always a possibility they will pull something off. They are dedicated and smart and will keep trying,” Ayers told AKI.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Pakistan: Christians Are an “Easy Target” For Reprisal After Bin Laden’s Death, Says Mgr Saldanha
The archbishop emeritus of Lahore calls for greater protection for his community, fearing attacks by fundamentalist groups. Christian institutions, schools and organisations are closed for fear of violence. Extremist groups reject claims that the al-Qaeda leader is dead. A former Pakistani intelligence chief calls the operation an election stunt by Barack Obama. Two more christians are victims of violence.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) — Christian institutions, schools and organisations in Pakistan have closed down today for fear of attacks. Many fear that the operation by US Special Forces that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden could spark a negative reaction by Muslims against the religious minority. Mgr Lawrence John Saldanha, archbishop emeritus of Lahore, calls for greater protection for Christians, an “easy target” for possible reprisal. Meanwhile, a number of Islamic fundamentalism groups have issued statements, disputing claims that the al Qaeda leader was killed. In Pakistan’s civil society, anger and happiness are the prevailing emotions. For their part, the government and president of Pakistan are preparing to issue a “balanced” statement to avoid stoking tensions.
According to early reports, Bin Laden died after being shot in the head. Four other people were killed in the gunfire. US Special Forces are believed to be holding the body, but a US official said the body was buried at sea “according to Muslim customs”.
Pictures released of the dead Bin Laden have been met by scepticism with many internet sites saying that are fake.
Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities denied any involvement with the Americans in the operation.
In a statement, extremist group Pakistan Tehrik-e-Taliban dismissed the operation as a sham, saying that as far as they are concerned Osama is still alive.
Retired Pakistan Inter Service Intelligence chief Hameed Gul also cast doubts about the operation and US claims, saying that in the footage shown on TV channels Bin Laden looks too young. However, “Obama is a smart person” and “this is a great start to his election campaign”.
Analysts are divided. Some believe that al-Qaeda will be weakened by Bin Laden’s death. Others fear an escalation in violation in response to the loss.
In Pakistan, local sources are saying that US and Western Embassy officials in Islamabad are examining the opportunity of closing down their respective diplomatic missions as a preventive measure.
Many Christian institutions, schools and organisation have closed for the day fearing more violence in the wake of episodes that followed the burning of a Qur’an in Florida a few weeks ago.
Controls have been stepped up in front of churches in fear of anti-crusader retribution.
Mgr Lawrence Saldanha, archbishop emeritus of Lahore, is also concerned about possible reprisals against Christians by extremist groups. For this reason, he has called on the government to do its utmost to prevent acts o vengeance.
He is especially alarmed by the fact that the Christian minority is an “easy target” compared to the United States, whose forces carried out the operation against Bin Laden. Hence, he wants the authorities to take steps to “guarantee the safety” of the minority.
Despite his p, Christians continue to die violently in Pakistan. Younas Masih, a shop owner in Faisalabad’s Chak Jhumra district, was shot dead this morning. Two men entered his business to buy cigarettes and shot him in cold blood after an argument broke out over payment.
Another man, also called Younas Masih, died in prison from the injuries he sustained in jail last Thursday at the hands of fellow inmates. He was in prison since 2005 when he was arrested on blasphemy charges. In 2007, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Inside, he had to endure threats by other prisoners.
Following his death, prison authorities denied any responsibility in the incident. By contrast, Fr Mark Lucas, a priest in Faisalabad, blames prison officials for not stopping inmates who threatened him repeatedly and for allowing some of them “to reach him”.
It also appears that Masih was not provided with proper medical care and died from an excess loss of blood on his way to hospital.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Taliban Threaten Retaliation Over Bin Laden’s Death
Taliban forces in Pakistan are threatening retaliation for the death of Osama bin Laden.
A spokesman says Pakistani leaders will be the first target and America will be the second.
The al-Qaeda leader was killed yesterday in a special forces raid on his compound in Pakistan.
Hamas has also condemned the killing.
Leaders called it an “assassination of an Arab holy warrior.”
Crowds gathered in celebration outside the White House and in Times Square last night after President Obama announced bin Laden was dead.
The CIA is warning it’s almost certain al-Qaeda will try to avenge the killing of its leader Osama bin Laden.
CIA Director Leon Panetta says while bin Laden is dead, al-Qaeda is not.
He says this makes it imperative for the U.S. to stay vigilant against all possible terrorist threats.
The NYPD is stepping up its presence throughout New York City in response to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death.
New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has advised all police commands to remain on alert as a precaution to possible retaliation from al-Qaeda.
The Port Authority is also increasing police presence as a precaution at all its facilities including the World Trade Center site.
Bin Laden was killed in a firefight at a fortified compound in Abbottabad, about 100 miles north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
A team of Navy SEALS was sent there to kill him.
A U.S. national security official says there was no intent to capture the al-Qaeda leader.
President Obama announced last night the most wanted man in the world was dead.
The President authorized the mission after receiving actionable intelligence on bin Laden’s whereabouts.
Obama added the U.S. has been tireless and relentless in hunting him down, along with other international terrorists.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says the U.S. shouldn’t have crossed into the country to kill Osama bin Laden.
Musharraf told CNN the operation threatens Pakistani sovereignty but believes bin Laden’s death is a “big victory.” He adds Pakistan had no idea bin Laden was staying inside the mansion where he was killed.
| — Hat tip: AC | [Return to headlines] |
Pirates Reject Ransom for Captive Family
Three million kroner not good enough for Somali pirates to release hostages
The Somali pirates who have been holding seven Danes as hostage since February have turned down a ransom of three million kroner.
The brother of Jan Quist Johansen, whose family was hijacked by pirates in February, has according to Ekstra Bladet newspaper headed the negotiations with the pirates.
However, the $600,000 ransom, which Quist Johansen offered them less than two weeks ago, is well below what the kidnappers are demanding. The offer was not even considered, according to one of the pirates, named Isse.
“This is not what we expected,” Isse told Ekstra Bladet. “We expected negotiations to start in the millions. Our patience does not last forever.”
When a representative from Ekstra Bladet visited the ship where the Danish hostages were held, the pirates mentioned 26 million kroner as a realistic ransom for the five family members and their two ship hands.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
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