If you rely exclusively on the Corporate media here in the United States for your information, you’d think that killing bin Laden was an Excellent Thing. Certainly, 86% of Americans think so. Count me out of that category, though. Fortunately, we still have the Internet, which provides the other side of the story. Obama couldn’t have been pulling off a cynical ploy to boost his ratings and ensure his re-election, now, could he? Really? Nah.

Read this short piece and draw your own conclusions. It was written by a Pakistani lawyer who lives in Lahore, Pakistan. It appeared in the on-line journal, CounterPunch, on May 3.

Post-Mortem in Abbottabad

By YASMEEN ALI

The operation 1/5 deserves a standing ovation for immaculate execution. Except… some details get confusing. I am sure, my mind is slow today — too much Osama-ism I guess.

But truly, watching the still pictures of the compound where Osama was shot to death, released by a local TV Channel, I am spell bound by many contradictions.

First, the wall that encircled the compound, that was blasted through for entry, showed a humble charpoy [a bed frame] next to a water geyser & a few odd household items stacked right next to the not so gaping hole. Not a hair out of place, so to speak. A little too orderly for my lawyerly taste.

Second, the room, where a “fire fight” took place causing the deaths of Osama, a woman and some others (no Americans), disclosed very, very humble lodgings. My servant’s room is posh in comparison. No marks of bullets ricocheting off the walls. No damaged glass from the good size windows flanked on one side, the bed sheets on the two charpoys neat enough to do a hotel maid proud. Just over 250 ml of blood on the floor between the two charpoys. It looks that, less than a fire fight, Osama & Co. played the sitting duck! Wait, that’s not all. The glass is a see through white. Odd! Anyone can look in and see Osama once night falls. Remember, it’s an open area.

The downed helicopter, miraculously threw up its crew-presto! All unharmed. But oddly, the three neighbors of Osama who rushed to the site to help, all went amissing and never returned home.

And hey, where are the other dead bodies? There were some, no? And why the rush, rush, rush to dump Osama in the sea? Why not share the evidence to put a stop of rumor mongers? At least show the others.

The picture widely circulated on the net of a dead Osama was bad photoshop. Truly. Kids do a better job. Why not show the body or the DNA test results to the media, or ISI? Another silly question: now mind you, I am not a scientist, but against what would they compare Osama’s DNA test result?

A friend wrote to me, “USA is about to withdraw from Afghanistan. What better way after “Mission accomplished”? Obama is entering the re-election race. It will boost his ratings. Army and ISI caught on the back foot because of their inability to detect OBL presence ?Pakistan is on the defensive, after gaining high ground on Davis affair?

“The world once again places Pakistan as terrorist capital of the world. Another step in its balkanization/ excuse for eliminating its nukes?”

But I find it just SO hard to believe that this was not a mutually-cooked dish.
Another said, “We may be poor, we are not STUPID”.

Yasmeen Ali is a lawyer and teaches in a Lahore based University. She may be reached at yasmeen.a.9@gmail.com