Osama bin Laden is dead

[RKenshin]

The measure of increased anger from releasing photos is arbitrary and the comparison made to the soldier is NOT the same. One is a terrorist revered by FEW and the other is a soldier revered by many in our community. Muslims who support Bin Laden are not considered Muslims, they are extremists, no different than the KKK who believe they are doing God's Will by "purifying the human race, etc." They are in the minority, and chances are, they have already "joined" Al Qaeda a long time ago.

It's no wonder you feel the way you do on this, because that is an utterly false but common misconception. To say Osama is revered by few is a huge understatement; there are easily thousands if not hundreds of thousands that think of him in a positive light (if not outright worship/praise). Many of which are uneducated, poor, or raised to think that way but it still applies nonetheless. And you don't need to be educated or rich to be armed with a gun, or run into a place with a bomb on your chest.

Osama has actually given away/donated a not insignificant amount of his wealth to communities through various means in those regions, obviously with the motivation of garnering more support for his causes. But many people and children that live and grow up there see a man that stands for much of what they're taught to be/want to be like, that 'selflessly' gave money to help them. And to them, we just murdered that man.

Have you checked out any of the interviews posted with people native to Afgah/nearby countries? Not that news media portrays the frequency accurately, but it paints a very good picture of what I mean here.

[Caiyuo]

Did Osama's "martyr tape" come out yet? I saw a couple days ago they were expecting its release imminently, but never heard that it actually came out.

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I haven't heard of that, but I'm assuming AJE, if not others, too, will have it if it appears; nothing I can see there yet.

The measure of increased anger from releasing photos is arbitrary and the comparison made to the soldier is NOT the same. One is a terrorist revered by FEW and the other is a soldier revered by many in our community. Muslims who support Bin Laden are not considered Muslims, they are extremists, no different than the KKK who believe they are doing God's Will by "purifying the human race, etc." They are in the minority, and chances are, they have already "joined" Al Qaeda a long time ago.

I think to say that you'd need an extremely accurate sense of a lot of middle eastern opinion as well as the level and accuracy of the information they have and receive. I think what you're saying here is maybe a fair presumption on a fair playing field of information and opinion, but I'm doubtful that is the reality of the situation.

Re: the photo, I'm siding with the crowd of not releasing it. Whether the presumed effects are accurate or not, I think taking that chance, for any of the variety of reasons given, would be a mistake.

[Caiyuo]

Have you checked out any of the interviews posted with people native to Afgah/nearby countries? Not that news media portrays the frequency accurately, but it paints a very good picture of what I mean here.

Posted earlier but related:

[Brill Weave]

Dood. My wife is freaking out because Obama said they wouldn't show a photo of the body. I was shocked she was that pissed off. I'm actually alright with the decision to not show a photo.

[notorious bum]

You may be right that I could be marginalizing Bin Laden's impact on the whole, but what I feel is that the way Al Qaeda operates, their means of attack, is already at an extreme to where it really won't make a difference in the short-term danger.

I have no idea how much a photo could add to the act of assassination, but I do know membership is still going to increase in the long-term and only good intelligence work, abolishing torture, good police work, and gaining more confidence with their people can keep future dissidents from joining their ranks and eliminating the terrorists that prey among their communities.

Dood. My wife is freaking out because Obama said they wouldn't show a photo of the body. I was shocked she was that pissed off. I'm actually alright with the decision to not show a photo.

Yeah alot of people are according to polls. I've quickly accepted it after initial "surprise," I guess lol I'm more interested in the developments in Libya, upcoming shit in Pakistan, the Fatah and Hamas agreement, etc. etc.

[Inactive]

Ruke already said it, but there is pretty much no benefit to releasing the photos to the public, other than satisfying some conspiracy theorists etc. If there is even a 1% chance this could be detrimental to us as a country or our troops, it outweighs the benefit and they shouldn't release it. I don't see how this can even be debated, what is seeing the guys dead body going to do for you personally?

[Stumblingdrunk]

When that Florida dickhead burned the koran on video, that particular act caused roots in Afghanistan that lead to dozens of deaths.

Are you going to argue that "pissed off extremists would have rooted and killed dozens" anyway?

Don't be an idiot. Your morbid curiosity is not more important than the safety of our troops.

Isn't deciding how we act based upon threats of violence the exact definition of "letting the terrorists win"?

[Kurokikaze]

Isn't deciding how we act based upon threats of violence the exact definition of "letting the terrorists win"?

It is... but not giving a shit about how others perceive our actions may make people that aren't extremists say "Hey... Those Americans are fucking assholes. Maybe the extremists are right."

My take on this whole ordeal is just as Archi said; if theres a chance that doing something might anger people and lead to our own getting hurt or killed its probably not a good idea to do it in the first place. Although I say this, it doesn't mean that I advocate or agree with the violent responses that some Muslims seem to give - I'm just more concerned in our own wellbeing and public image. <--- This is more important that trying to prove something to conspiracy theorists who probably wont believe the photos are real anyways.

[Stumblingdrunk]

if theres a chance that doing something might anger people and lead to our own getting hurt or killed its probably not a good idea to do it in the first place.

We are either free, or we are cowards.

[Plow]

don't know if cereal

[Stumblingdrunk]

Wasn't one of our goals to protect our freedom? or were we just there because we were scared someone might hurt us?

[kuronosan]

We are either free, or we are cowards.

Ah, yes. Freedom means never exercising responsibility. No wonder the world hates us so much. Man I hate your rhetoric sometimes.

[Stumblingdrunk]

Wasn't one of our goals to protect our freedom? or were we just there because we were scared someone might hurt us?

Oh, my bad, The patriot act answered that question

[notorious bum]

don't know if cereal

Close, its a grain though

[Stumblingdrunk]

Ah, yes. Freedom means never exercising responsibility. No wonder the world hates us so much. Man I hate your rhetoric sometimes.

only sometimes?

[Plow]

Wasn't one of our goals to protect our freedom? or were we just there because we were scared someone might hurt us?

we went over there to show how much better we are than them duh

[archibaldcrane]

Isn't deciding how we act based upon threats of violence the exact definition of "letting the terrorists win"?

If I thought there was value in showing the American public photos of an asshole terrorist shot in the face, you'd have more of a point.

People want to see this photo for two reasons:

Morbid curiosity

and

Because they think the government is lying to them.

#1 is pretty fucked up and not something the govt should encourage, and #2 is fucking lol.

The "inciting violence" angle is just a more palatable excuse than "wow you're a sick fuck" or "I'm sick of proving obvious shit to you never-satisfied idiots"

Which are you?

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[Stumblingdrunk]

we went over there to show how much better we are than them duh

oh, in that case

[Xno Kappa]

Yeah.......

[Plow]

oh, in that case

^