It has been exactly one year since the US Navy Seal commandos invaded a compound in Abbottabad and killed OBL, apparently without much resistance from his side. A night-time secret operation while keeping the Pakistani military in dark, no photos of the dead man in public domain and hasty burial at sea — all were good enough to provide a kick start to conspiracy theorists.
Since then everyone is using the raid to his (or her) advantage. Conspiracy theorists went on to claim that there is no real thing called Al-Qaeda, even if there is one, OBL is not a real person but an elusive character from historical novels, some claimed that OBL was never ever present in Abbottabad and Americans killed no one and all that happened on May 2 was a preplanned stage drama. However, the arrest of Dr. Shakil Afridi on treason charges should have silenced most of the conspiracy theorists. It is alleged that Dr. Afridi arranged a fake vaccination campaign to obtain DNA samples of OBL’s children to ascertain his presence in the compound.
Pakistan government also appointed a judicial commission to look into the May 2 fiasco. Since June 2011, this commission has been deliberating on May 2 raid and has interviewed more than 100 military and civilian high profile people including journalists and political leaders. One may question such a delay in compiling report; obviously whatever is the conclusion it’s a hard choice between complicity and inefficiency on the part of intelligence agencies. May 2 incident also gave birth to memo scandal in Pakistan. If May 2 raid has proved disastrous for Pakistan, it is successfully being used in US President Barack Obama’s election campaign to boost his position in the forthcoming polls.
Regardless of tall claims by Americans of weakening of Al-Qaeda with the death of OBL, its splinter groups are quite active and may be more dangerous as they are not under a central command. May 2 is a day not to celebrate but ponder over the clear and present dangers. OBL might have died but his philosophy is very much alive. Such a philosophy which is based on hatred is keeping the world away from becoming a peaceful place for all the communities regardless of their religious beliefs.
Masood Khan, Jubail
IISD polls
I congratulate the new executive committee for having been elected to serve the community school at Dammam. I have very humble request to the new management committee to arrange one photocopy machine with one attendant exclusively for teachers so that they don’t bother parents of small children for frequent photocopy work. I am sure parents like me when reach home after tiresome day on duty get frustrated when their child forces them to go to market for an urgent photocopy work given by the teacher.
Mohammad Rahat Sultan Alkhobar Tendulkar, an MP Cricketing sensation Sachin Tendulkar’s “call-up,” by no other than the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to enter the political scenario, shows the great respect that the “Little Master” enjoys in India! Already the world’s longest surviving Test player, and holder of several records, it remains to be seen what the immensely popular cricketer does in the Parliament and the impact he would make!
With a country racked by corruption and sectarian strife, it will take more than a batting maestro to remain at the political crease! With an array of film stars (Amitabh, Sunil Dutt, Shatrughan Sinha, Shabana Azmi) and industrialists trying their hand at politicking, it won’t be long before Bollywood, cricket and politics, play out a “triangular” and get the country back on the economic track after falling factory output and inflation, slowed growth!
A.R. Modak, Johannesburg
