Soul Touch: Operation Geronimo- The way I see it.

The Evening on the 2nd of May 2011, as I was travelling in the train back home I saw the picture of Osama bin Laden on the front of the newspaper, the first that rushed to my head was “DAMN !” Could the US have really pulled this off? And how they even manage this on Pakistani soil? Was he betrayed? I could not wait to get back home and get a load of the entire story and the sequence of events. The following days news had it all, right from the images of his mansion to the way the operation was carried out. People in the U.S were celebrating the death of the man who traumatised the world with 9/11. Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda, the feared international organisation had the entire world trembling with the attack. Definitely there was a sense of joy in me that even it took 10 years he was done! His methods of motivating young vulnerable and innocent youth into terrorist activity, while in his will barred his own children from doing the same. If this truth had to be told to all the young men and women who are brainwashed in the name of jihad we would probably not have so many maniac self bombers. This is the situation that needs to be nipped in the bud. However it was a blow to terrorism and questioned Pakistan`s efforts to counter terrorism, something India has been stressing for a while now but the US never took seriously.

Then slowly I was filled with thoughts of how Saddam Husain was caught. America bought his close aide and promised to secure his family and bathe him in riches in return for Saddam. The man was a tyrant no doubt but he preferred to be hanged without a hood, staring at death without fear. I don’t consider him a good man but when America realised they could not break his spirit they decided to resort to torture in the prison. They could not get to him; they had him sold to them. The aftermath of that invasion of Iraq still brings up the question- Did America invade Iraq because of the injustice people faced, because now the situation is worse ten-fold, or to meet their own selfish agenda? With the oil wells bombed by the people there was zero return in developing a poor nation.

Operation Geronimo i.e. Operation to capture or kill Osama bin Laden was approved by the President of the United States, Barrack Obama. There are several reasons that operation Geronimo was carried out.

· Obama`s popularity decline. From a splendid orator came a promise of change, but people could not see the miracles they expected when Obama was elected to power. He needed a major sensational come back to win over the people.

· Can`t deliver on promise to bring back troops. Obama had promised the pull out of troops from Middle East but the Last time only reduced the numbers to send them back. Now the cause is justified with the killing of Osama.


"The world is watching, keep your eyes open"If we`re done with the drama can we sleep now?"

Osama was like a fading star, As much as America wanted him alive, I would believe they still have kept him alive- whether a friend or a foe. He is an asset to them anyway.

· Losing the favour at the senate, Pakistan is a wrong investment, unfruitful. But they need Pakistan as a launch pad for any attack on oil rich countries. Now the investment in Pakistan to fight terror is also justified. On the pretext of recovering Pakistan billions are squandered harbouring terrorism possibly with the US knowledge, it creates a fear in the world, America plays superman with getting Osama- Win Win. Diversion from unemployment and economic issues Obama can’t possibly handle.

· India is a strategic partner-the US wants to get back the power in Asia that currently china dominates. It needs India for such strategic alliance, even at the cost of Pakistan which it considers a liability. Even for economic recovery through business deals that Obama promised would provide employment. “100,000 jobs in one day” however recent developments have changed that. US would do anything to portray themselves as a friend of India.

Pakistan is a market for arms and weapons export- F16, Guns and grenades and Nukes.

The questions:

1. Pakistan abbotabad province is home to its best army training academy, Former officials and defence personnel live in the frontier region. How come Pakistan dint know?

a. They probably did, however they wanted to exchange this intelligence with US for something in return.

b. The Taliban was in control of more than half Pakistan, they were at the brink of a civil emergency crisis. Mussharaf forced to resign by common public out roar. Then came Benazhir Bhutto`s assassination (claimed by Al Qaeda) and the change in power. Terrorism thrives again, with 26/11.

c. The US, gains the intelligence with Pakistan, before or after Pakistan already knew it, then decides to play superhero at the cost of relations with Pakistan. First claims that this was entirely a US op, and then the embassy talks about a common objective. Pakistan first denies any role in the mission then claims it provided the intelligence. Murky waters yet, the US invaded Pakistan`s territory carried out a 40 minute operation without giving them a hint that they were there. Then buried Osama at Sea.

2. The Burial of Osama was carried out at sea in an unusual hurry.

a. The US claims it dint want anyone to find the body. Others would be other countries, other expert forensic teams, and the other terrorist themselves. Was it because they have kept him alive.

b. Their claim was that other terrorist would use the body to make it a shrine or a symbol of martyrdom and justify terrorism. Really? And they claim to be reasonably intelligent!

c. Why bury him at sea?- no trace (if the us has precision with 10 years of intelligence, they would even plan the ways to not leave trace of the body, Navy ships coordinate history could be used to track position and fish the body if needed.

d. We know the US for years now. (If they bomb Japan with Atom bombs then blame Iran for making some undercover)-They would never kill an unarmed Osama, a dead terrorist has achieved his target of not giving out information. Killed he is a dead man alive he is a source of information. If the US is wise enough, they would choose the later.

e. Osama was treated in US military hospitals in Egypt, can we miss that? Not to mention he studied in the US too. Came to be popular after 9/11, mystery still surrounds whether the attack on twin towers was state sponsored.

Children around claimed they met Osama, which disposes the claim of Pervez Mussharaf saying even the people dint know about Osama, How could Pakistan Army figure out i.e. they dint know he was there. Mussharaf is a mere puppet of the US who is comfortably sitting in the UK, scared to live on his own soil.

Osama was said to be living with his favourite wife and his children since 2005, and at the time of the op, his family was in one of the two mansions on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors. He was shot twice once in the head above the eyebrow then in the chest.

· No pictures released by the US yet. Surprising since they thought they could convince the world with a quick burial for whatever reason. They say the pictures are too disturbing and America refuses to show the images of Osama to the world, if they had them I’m pretty sure they would be on wiki-leaks by now.

· Where are the children? Navy Seals kill them too? Fear Wrath of people for killing children or they weren’t even there?

· They first claim he was using arms for defence, and then they say he was unarmed. Which is true? If they possibly claim the gunman who shot him dint see clearly- how come he shot him in the chest and the head- two points the armed forces uses in shoot to kill terrorist all over the world with precision.

· Can we ignore the fact that one of the two women who was shot in the leg and was claimed to be his wife is not yet seen or identified by name. She had supposedly identified the body. If she is detained could it be possible she is also a part of this conspiracy to just keep her husband alive at any cost.

· They lights were blacked out when the operation took place. One chopper mysteriously crashed in the compound. Pakistani soldiers came to the neighbouring houses and detained people and confiscated memory cards and video/image capturing devices.

· People heard choppers; nobody saw what happened inside the 18 feet walls, even the president’s office claims that they did not actually see the gunman shoot Osama. The slight footage of Seals climbing stairs, but no video of the encounters with the inmates of the mansion.

· His mansion was blood stained and broken down, how difficult is that to fake? Deliberate attempt to release pictures of WAR room of Prez Obama, the claims of DNA match and supposed wife identifying body, contradictory statements and fast burial are signs of desperation from the US. What are they trying to hide???

If history has though us well, the US strives on opportunity. They calculate every step only to take themselves forward and reap the gains. With analysing all the above I personally feel they had to make this operation happen and did it well to make it look real and they might have Osama but they have not killed him.