The presumed death of Al-Qaeda mentor Osama bin Laden in a takedown operation can’t be the object of a Q & A session because there are no answers. Claiming security, the US government divulges nothing. What we are left are questions spawning more questions.

0. What did Osama bin Laden do, exactly?

Osama bin Laden has always been a persuasive activist supporting independence and nationalism in the Middle East against increasing involvement from Western democratic nations. In the aftermath of the dissolution of colonialism, the Occident still had (and still has) great interests in the area, interests that often come in conflict with the local states. In order to get a better view on the man himself and his views, here is a compilation some interviews given by Osama bin Laden between 1994 and 2004. How did Osama bin Laden get involved?

  • fought against the Russian invasion of Afghanistan since 1979
  • *rumored* to have started putting together Al-Qaeda in the ‘80s
  • started anti-government activities in Saudi Arabia because Saudi Arabia accepted US military presence in Middle East, in 1991
  • at the same time he moved to Sudan and started his anti-US rhetoric, demanding that the Western nations stop their involvement in local Middle Eastern affairs.
  • he and his followers opposed Saddam Hussein in the wake of his invasion of Iran
  • assumed to have assisted in the World Trade Center bombings in 1993
  • congratulated the action that resulted in the killing of 19 US soldiers in Khobar, Saudi Arabia in 1996 (however, the sponsor and organizer were Iranian fundamentalists)
  • funded and planned the attack on USS Cole in 2000 (port of Aden, Yemen)
  • involved the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. The degree of his involvement is unclear due to conflicting statements (he repeatedly denied involvement, but later statements seem to indicate responsibility).

1. Was the operation legal?

The US government says yes, without any actual arguments. Then again, when US interests are concerned, legal means whatever US officials claim to be legal, regardless of the laws of the territory where questionable acts come to happen. Overall, CIA assassination missions remain disputed with respect to international law.

2. Is Osama bin Laden dead?

The White House says so. But there is no actual evidence to support the claim. All we know is that US Navy Seals illegally entered Pakistan (as they often do) and performed an assault on a mansion. The attack was inadvertently tweeted minutes before by a Pakistani IT engineer. Both Pakistani and US intelligence officers took photos at the scene, but those released do not show Osama bin Laden. The fact that there are many different accounts of the operation released by the White House only adds to suspicion. The rest is made from rumors and unsupported claims: president Obama watched a live feed of the attack, Osama bin Laden was shot, etc.

3. If Osama bin Laden is dead, where is his body?

The White House claims Osama’s body was “buried at sea” according to Islamic customs, as they couldn’t find a country willing to house the body and due to risks a land grave could result into an extremist pilgrimage place. However, there is no such requirement in Islamic law, the only provision being that the body must be buried as soon as possible. Also, why such sudden concern for Islamic customs for a deadly enemy when US steps on Islamic customs on every occasion fueling clashes? The body could’ve been buried right there in Pakistan or brought to the US for investigation, at least.

4. Does releasing evidence of his death pose a security threat?

The White House has repeatedly denied requests to provide evidence of Osama bin Laden’s death. No action by US poses more of a security threat than maintaining occupation of two countries with cultures and mentalities so very different from the West.

5. Has this takedown secured Obama’s reelection?

Opinions are divided. Most analysts say that this won’t matter too much. This claim builds on the practices of G.W. Bush JR who used scare tactics, keeping up and prolonging wars to ensure his reelection. Without a scarecrow in sight, there can be no guarantees of any kind. However, 10 years searching for Osama bin Laden means a lot of pressure accumulated. Using this to glue his name to the most wanted terrorist’s death, Barack Obama has gone a long way to push for his reelection. There is a fair chance this will beat the economic issues, especially if Obama finds a way to alleviate the pains of the population.

6. Has the CIA funded Osama bin Laden’s activities?

There is no clear evidence that CIA has ever funded Osama bin Laden or the Al-Qaeda directly. However, during Operation Cyclone in Afghanistan, CIA did fund the mujahedeen operations, with money, training and weapons. Furthermore, the British MI6 has employed organizations connected to Al-Qaeda. In addition, conjectures made by various analysts are implying that CIA did know in advance in Osama bin Laden’s plans and activities.