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UpdateL May 3rd, 6:05 p.m.
The Assocaited Press reports that some Muslims are outraged over the burial of Osama Bin Laden's body at sea. The AP reports Islamic leaders and scholars are asking if officials handled the body the proper way to tradition.
The media outlet states, "some saw the burial as an appropriate option; others decried it as an unacceptable way to treat a body of a Muslim, regardless of his actions in life."
Update: May 2nd, 5:30 p.m.
NBC25 reports a local resident put up a sign that says, "God Bless America, Osama is dead." Also, a local history professor says Bin Laden has quite a history with the United States as a "freedom fighter" and a "terrorist."
Update: May 2nd, 1:55 p.m.
The Flint Islamic Center has released the following statement on the death of Osama Bin Laden:
"The Flint Islamic Center joins all Americans in thanking President Obama for fulfilling his promise to bring Osama Bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda, and perpetrator of the 9/11 attacks, to justice. We hope his death will bring some relief to all families, of every faith and walk of life, who lost loved ones on 9/11 and in every other terrorist attack orchestrated at the hands of Osama Bin Laden. The Flint Islamic Center has stood firm on its stance that we condemn the actions of Bin Laden on 9/11 and all acts of terror at the hands of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and all others who spread fear and hate through violence. Our organization has repeatedly condemned, and will continue to condemn, the acts of mass bloodshed and attacks on innocent lives anywhere in the world.
President Obama pointed out yesterday, that the ideology of Bin Laden is incompatible with Islam, and that Muslims themselves have been victims of his violence. We thank our President for this statement, and reiterate that Bin Laden never represented Islam or Muslims.
We hope that this will usher in a new chapter for our nation; one where peace and prosperity will be the focus."
Update: May 2nd, 12:15 p.m.
The Associated Press reports that "Osama bin Laden's body was placed into the waters of the North Arabian Sea after adhering to traditional Islamic procedures - including washing the corpse - aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson."
Do you think the government should have respected the cultural traditions and buried the body immediately, or do you think they should have kept the body?
Update: May 2nd, 11:30 a.m.
ABC News has video of the Osama Bin Laden kill site. You can watch the graphic video here.
Update: May 2nd, 11:15 a.m.
The Associated Press reports that DNA testing has confirmed that Osama Bin Laden is dead.
Do you think Pres. Obama should show images of the body or is DNA testing enough proof? Leave us your comments below.
Original Post: May 1st, 10:57 p.m.
by Dave Kinchen
In an extremely rare presidential address before the nation on a Sunday evening, President Barack Obama announced Osama Bin Laden had been killed as a result of special military action, effectively closing a chapter in the on going War on Terror.
In his role as commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces, Obama authorized a special strike on a facility in Pakistan believed to be affiliated with Bin Laden.
“Today at my direction the United States launched an effort against that compound,” Obama said, referring to a location in Pakistan his national security team had been tipped off to, as likely being connected to Bin Laden’s whereabouts.
“Last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community I was briefed on a possible lead on Bin Laden,” he said.
“I met repeatedly with my national security team on the possibility that we had located Bin Laden." He went on to say, “The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date.”
The president said special teams in a unit known as JSOC or the Joint Special Operations Command killed Bin Laden after a firefight and took custody of his body, while avoiding civilian casualties.
NBC News senior Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszewski said sources indicated that Bin Laden was killed after a single gunshot to the head. Bin Laden became the face of terrorism as the leader of Al Qaeda in the moments after the September 11th, 2001 attacks.
Undoubtedly every American remembers where they were on that day, when hijacked planes were crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and a forth flight crashed in a rural field in Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 people were killed.
Sunday night President Obama echoed a message first made by his predecessor President George W. Bush in the immediate days and years after 9/11 by stating America, “must also reaffirm that the United States is not and will never be at war with Islam.”
Bin Laden had long been targeted by the United States military, the intelligence community and several national security agencies as connections were made between him and high profile attacks against the United States and its interests through the years.
These events include a deadly fight with US military members in Somalia in October 1993, the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in East Africa that killed 224, and an attack on the USS Cole that took the lives of 17 sailors in October of 2000, according to CNN.
The most recent efforts to capture Bin Laden date back to the near 10 year mark of the war in Afghanistan. Americans have since grown weary of a war that had included many setbacks. President Obama acknowledged that Sunday night.
“After nearly 10 years of service, struggle and sacrifice. We know well the costs of war.”
NBC25 will have full coverage and local reaction throughout the day. Be sure to tune in to NBC25 News at 6 and 11 for the latest.
