Scratch my earlier idea about displaying Osama bin Laden's body in New York so everyone could set eyes on the uberterrorist and to erase any doubts that he is indeed dead.
The US Navy (which doesn't do "war of ideas" stuff even on a good day) gave the bin Laden a shariah-compliant burial at sea.
CBS and the Associated Press report that the US buried bin Laden at sea, adding, "US officials told CBS News that bin Laden's body would be handled in accordance with Muslim traditions, which include strict rules on burial taking place within 24 hours after death."
Not even the Saudis would accept bin Laden's body for burial, according to the report.
Yet another piece of evidence that the US military leadership is becoming more shariah compliant in the way it handles the war of ideas.
Didn't take long for you to go for the negative spin on a U.S. victory, and turn an excellent hunt-and-kill success into a political snipe.
Evidence of sharia compliance in handling bin Laden's body according to Islamic tradition? Not at all. Evidence of impressive lethality hand-in-hand with moral superiority? You bet.
Strange you wouldn't see the info op there and its value -- a one-two combination presented to the world: we kill our enemies and maintain the moral high ground (deigning to dispose of the body in accordance with the decedent's religion).
A simultaneous display of U.S. power exercised and held in reserve.
Smart play -- not compliance.
Posted by: Hardaway Abernathy | May 02, 2011 at 07:01 AM
HA !
you spun 'sharia compliance' into 'smart play-non compliance'. the jihad notices your subservience, and approves.
the world sees US military rendering honors to the mental illness that is islam. they see the US complying with islam.
Epic fail. to demonstrate subservience. way to extract defeat from the jaws of victory.
Much better: show video of Osama being eaten by pigs. defeat your enemies. break their belief that they are fighting for a cause. demonstrate the futility of their hopeless piratical barbarism.
Posted by: sofa | May 02, 2011 at 10:26 AM
Sofa:
You lose all credibility when you reduce a multifaceted world religion to a "mental illness". The simplemindedness of your understanding parallels the simplemindedness of your analysis.
And I highly doubt U.S. "subservience" will be the assessment by jihadis as they grapple with our killing their most prominent and psychologically significant leader. Tracking, cornering and shooting dead the top dog tends not to be viewed as a subservient act, or perhaps you missed that memo.
The U.S. military has within its ranks Muslims fighting and dying for our nation, and honors them and their religion, too. The U.S. security apparatus complies with our many Islamic partners in the counterterrorism mission worldwide, as they do with us. We gain in strength from that.
You're enamored of tough talk and ugly prescription in the manner of someone who has no experience with either, nor the ability to mete it out.
Your policy suggestions indicate you haven't a military or political mind, or even much grasp of the game and its players.
Or you're just a troll.
Either way, the fail is yours.
Adieu.
Posted by: Hardaway Abernathy | May 02, 2011 at 11:15 AM
Good job!
Perhaps his burial was Sharia law compliant but we can only hope there was something slightly amiss, like a slab of bacon up his butt or something else slightly haram. *grin* We can only hope!
Posted by: IOHO | May 02, 2011 at 02:33 PM
Pathetic. Did the US render honors of the equivalent of a "sharia" compliant burial service for Goering? Perhaps it was done for Yamashita?
Children have been executed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Eight year olds. The Taliban understands the use of terror. The US simply does not which is amply demonstrated in its track record.
Posted by: Molon Labe | July 23, 2011 at 11:51 PM
According to Islam, one who died must be buried. Their believe is human made from soil, and must be returned to soil if died. Just like the song said 'ash to ash, dust to dust'.
No matter how Osama is, I prefer he got a proper burial. His sin was his business with his God.
Posted by: CCTV Rumah | July 26, 2011 at 09:50 PM
By his own choice, Osama bin Laden made his sin the business of the United States. He deserved no mercy, his followers and sympathizers deserve no mercy, and his dead carcass deserved no respect.
Posted by: Webmaster | July 26, 2011 at 11:03 PM
Perhaps his burial was Sharia law compliant but we can only hope there was something slightly amiss, like a slab of bacon up his butt or something else slightly haram. *grin* We can only hope! I think.
Posted by: Garage Heaters | September 01, 2011 at 06:33 PM