For Those Conspiracy Nuts
Let's dispose of the idea that there is some conspiracy afoot to pass off an Osama Doppelganger. Assume for a moment that this were true. Then one of two things would also follow. One : He was already dead and his burial place would be known and remains could, at some point, be identified. Two: He is still alive and could prove to be an embarassment. Most especially if he popped up before 2012. One is led to the conclusion that he was killed as reported.
Osama's Death
While the news outlets are reporting Osama as being "killed" there is absolutely no doubt that he was, in fact, assassinated. A live Osama bin Laden would have proved to be a nightmare. He may have been kept at Gitmo but the security aspects alone would have been daunting. Everything from terrorist acts at home to kidnaps for swaps and maybe even an attempt at springing him. A trial would have provided Osama with one last pulpit and given that the U.S. is not "clean" that would have been, in itself problematic. If he was shot in the head as reported, it was an execution and not a result of some fire fight. As Obama stated "killed or captured" ... the reversal in that sequence is significant.
He was given a burial at sea, the purpose of which was not, as stated, in keeping with Moslem tradition (quick disposal), although that was a "bonus". That claim is, on it's face, false. The existence of a corpse would have been a focus for his followers. A sort of Lenin's tomb for Al Qaeda. They could not even chop his hands off, as they did in Che Guavera's case, in order to provide proof. The existence of even a fingerbone would have been too much. Further, had they attempted to bury him somewhere in secret kidnappings and other mayhem may well have followed until he was "reclaimed".
What It Means
In terms of the War on Terrorism (TM) Osama's death means almost nothing. He was largely irrelevant. He may have started the train (or A train) but once it got going it no longer required an engineer. The U.S. was all too willing to supply the fuel. Unlike Bush, Osama's mission was accomplished. Probably beyond his wildest dreams. He may well have started the downfall of an empire. George Bush basically admitted, as early as 2006, that he was no longer particularly interested in Osama bin Laden.
Questions remain, however. Osama was at large for a long time and very probably had support from the perfidious Pakistani ISI. They have been both ally and enemy of the U.S. SIMULTANEOUSLY. The assassination of bin Laden was not due to a concerted effort to comb the earth and find him. Most probably, he was given up by the ISI because he was either proving to be a liability with respect to domestic politics or Osama could no longer supply sufficient bakshish. I suspect it was the former.
It's All So Tawdry
The chest thumping jingoism shown by people in the streets (U S A! U S A ! ) reminds one of the people dancing in the streets in the Middle East after the towers fell. Yes he deserved to die for his crimes but it is not something to celebrate with a six-pack.
The poignant words of Obama, ever the speechmaker extraordinaire, when he spoke of the 3000 killed and their survivors must have tasted of ashes to Iraqis who have lost in excess of 100,000 through American violence even though they were completely, totally, entirely, innocent in terms of 9/11... and to all the loved ones of those killed and being killed through American auspices to this day. Mourn the dead but, please, spare me the rank hypocrisy.
