Note: The killing of Osama bin-Laden in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad in the early hours of 2 May 2011 has evoked widespread international attention. Editorial commentaries from the international and Middle Eastern media are reproduced here. Editor, MEI@ND

The Jerusalem Post, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
1. Loathing bin Laden, indulging Hamas
To Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders, bin Laden is a martyr and his killers are criminals; and the Gaza “prime minister” has no compunction about saying so. Almost a decade after 9/11 – the most deadly terror attack ever perpetrated on American soil – the head of the organization responsible for the death and devastation is no longer. Despite the late hour at which the announcement was made by President Barack Obama  Sunday (1 May), thousands of jubilant Americans spontaneously flooded Times Square in New York City and gathered in front of the White House in Washington DC, cheering “U-S-A!” until dawn. For the full text

Arab News, Jeddah, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
2. Victory for justice
For the Muslim world, Osama Bin Laden’s death is like the lifting of a curse. Ever since 9/11, his name was synonymous with terrorism. But just how important Osama Bin Laden has actually been in recent years is highly debatable. He put out the occasional propaganda video but he no longer organized terror attacks on Westerners, on Arab governments or anyone who did not sympathize with his warped cause. For the full text

The New York Times, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
3. The Long-Awaited News
The news that Osama bin Laden had been tracked and killed by American forces filled us, and all Americans, with a great sense of relief. But our reaction was strongly tinged with sadness. Nearly a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the horror has not faded, nor has the knowledge of how profoundly our lives were changed. For the full text   

Telegraph, London, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
4. America's task does not end with Bin Laden's death
Islamist extremism in Pakistan must be destroyed. It might be argued that the execution of Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces has a largely symbolic significance. He was no longer the operational leader of al-Qaeda: that role had been ceded to his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri some years ago. And al-Qaida itself has become less a structured terrorist organisation, more a brand, a loose and inchoate network of jihadists. Even so, this man, more than any other, turned the opening years of the 21st century into the decade of terrorism. For the full text

Boston Herald, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
5. Bin Laden is dead but fight goes on
We got the murderous SOB. It has taken nearly a decade — well over a decade if you count the three years Osama Bin Laden spent on the Ten Most Wanted list even before he hatched the worst terror attack on American soil in our history. For the full text

Boston Globe, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
6. Bin Laden’s death: a moment of unity
For a nation that has spent nearly a decade worrying about its homeland security, paying the price of overseas wars, and warily contending with discord in the Muslim world, Osama bin Laden’s death at the hands of US forces is about the best possible news. It is vindication of a manhunt spanning presidential administrations, and involving numerous agencies and countless intelligence officers. For the full text

Chicago Tribune, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
7. Got Him
In the aftermath of Osama bin Laden's killing, some people took to the streets to chant "USA! USA!" and unfurl the flag. Others marvelled quietly in their homes, around the kitchen table. There was a national sigh of relief. And a sense of elation: Got him! For the full text

The Hindu, Chennai, Editorial, 2 May 2011, Monday
8. What the end of bin Laden means
In the nearly 10 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, if there was a man who could claim responsibility for single-handedly setting the world's agenda, it was Osama bin Laden. As the smiling face behind the 9/11 attacks, the leader of a global terror network that reared its head in countries from the U.S. to the United Kingdom to Indonesia, bin Laden changed the way we led our lives in more ways than has yet been fully understood. For the full text

The Jerusalem Post, Editorial, 3 may 2011, Tuesday
9. A victory of good over evil
The gloating at some of the celebrations of Osama bin Laden's death seemed improper, suggesting an unfavourable aspect of American youth culture. The outpouring of joy at the elimination of one of the deadliest terrorist masterminds was spontaneous and often rowdy, strongly resembling the sort of triumphant shouting that accompanies sports events. For the full text

Ha'aretz, Tel Aviv, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
10. Obama must bring his daring to Israeli-Palestinian peace
The death of the spiritual leader of Al-Qaida terrorists won't extinguish the zealotry surging through their murderous activities against Western targets, including Israeli and Jewish ones, in their attempt to impose Islam on the entire world. For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
11. His message was of anger and hatred
The Arab Spring sweeping countries in the region in contrast seeks hope. The grim viciousness of Al Qaida's vision of the world is in direct contrast to the powerful human hope driving the protesters marching in so many Arab countries this spring. The protesters are seeking change in order to build something new, while Osama Bin Laden was seeking destruction but offering nothing in its place. For the full text

Arab News, Jeddah, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
12. Credibility at stake
Pakistan needs to ensure that its military’s role is not undermined by enemy within. The US military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden is a huge embarrassment for Pakistan. A foreign country has carried out a major military operation deep inside its territory. Despite attempts by some Pakistani officials to claim that their military and intelligence services were involved, all the evidence indicates otherwise. For the full text

Khaleej Times, Dubai, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
13. After Bin Laden, what?
The wet operation that ended in the killing of Osama bin Laden is being underscored by the US Department of State as a milestone in America’s ‘war on terror’. In a campaign that is now in the last half of its 10th year, the costs of this ‘war’ have dwarfed most modern financial reckonings of conflict, not to mention the lives lost. Independent estimates place the price tag of the US military engagement in Iraq at over $780 billion since 2001, and at over $400 billion for its deployment in Afghanistan over the same period. For the full text

Saudi Gazette, Jeddah, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
14. A blow to terrorism
The death of Osama Bin Laden, a name that has become synonymous with international terrorism, is an event that should be welcomed by the entire world. It is the culmination of efforts by the family of nations to put an end to a deviant ideology and the horrendous actions of those who have been misled into following it. For the full text

The Daily Star, Lebanon, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
15. Killing a symptom
The death of Osama bin Laden Sunday (1 May) is indeed a notable moment, but the U.S. should take advantage of this milestone to redouble its efforts to eradicate the root causes of the anti-U.S. sentiment that has spawned so many other would-be Osamas throughout the Middle East. For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
16. Now to undo the damage bin Laden did
Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States, but the battlefield has been the Middle East and South Asia. We all remember how the world rallied in solidarity after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and after each subsequent atrocity - in Bali, Madrid, London and elsewhere. But it is against his fellow Muslims that bin Laden has committed his greatest crimes. For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
17. Possible consequences of the bin Laden coup
There are multiple reasons to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden in a U.S. Special Forces raid Sunday (1 May). Al-Qaeda has lost its founder and symbol, if not its operational commander. The prime author of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has finally been brought to justice. Moreover, the world has seen a formidable show of prowess by U.S. intelligence and military forces. For the full text

Los Angeles Times, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
18. After Osama bin Laden
The long-term consequences of the Al Qaeda leader's death will be complicated and not always what Americans hope for. The dramatic killing of Osama bin Laden after a 40-minute gun battle in a Pakistani hill station mansion is, as President Obama rightly said, a triumph of justice. It is a symbolic and historic milestone in the war on terror, marking the end of a frustrating, decade-long manhunt. For the full text

Chicago Tribune, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
19. The real terror coup
Bin Laden raid may yield treasure trove of intel. Clustering at their predetermined departure site, the two dozen American commandos juggled one heavy piece of carry-on baggage, a souvenir from their lightning visit to Pakistan. It was the lanky cadaver of a much-wanted global terrorist. For the full text

Boston Globe, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
20. May the rejoicing go on
Thousands of young people took to the streets to cheer the death of Osama bin Laden on Sunday (1 May) night and yesterday (2 May). They were expressing pride in their country, but also the lifting of a burden that weighed more heavily on their generation than on Americans of other ages. For the full text

The Star, Toronto, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
21. Terror’s wretched end
He dreamed of shattering America’s superpower confidence. But by the time U.S. Special Forces caught up with Osama bin Laden on Monday (2 May) he was yesterday’s man, a shadow of his once iconic self, a hunted, marginalized figure bypassed by history. As the Star wrote in the aftermath of the horror and grief of 9/11, the U.S. and its allies were certain to “prevail over the merchants of hate, anarchy, terror and death.” They did, tardy though the day of reckoning was. For the full text

The Telegraph, London, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
22. Pakistan is looking both ways on terrorism
By hiding Osama bin Laden, Pakistan has tested our loyalty to the limit. Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, sought yesterday (2 May) to shield his country from international outrage over its (allegedly unwitting) harbouring of Osama bin Laden by reminding the world that no country has suffered more at the hands of terrorists. For the full text

Irish Times, Dublin, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
23. Killing of Osama bin Laden
It was only a matter of time. In truth the US has been trying to kill Osama bin Laden since August 1998, well before the 9/11 outrage which became synonymous with his name. In the aftermath of the August attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in which 263 died, President Bill Clinton bombed training camps in Afghanistan in what was acknowledged unofficially to be an attempt to kill the Saudi mastermind of al-Qaeda. The Wall Street Journal l ran a piece days later entitled “The etiquette of killing bin Laden”. For the full text

Cyprus Mail, Nicosia, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
24. Bin Laden death sees justice done
The killing of Osama bin Laden by US troops on Sunday (1 May) was described by President Obama as “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al-Qaeda.” Only time will tell how significant bin Laden’s death will be in defeating his terrorist organisation, but for now there will be widespread satisfaction that justice had been done. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
25. After Osama
The killing of Osama bin Laden in such genteel surroundings, literally in the shadow of the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad, shows that his story may be yet more fantastic than had been imagined. The consequences of the capture of the most hunted man of our times will be many, given that he contributed in so many ways to global instability — as instigator and inspiration, as financier and a Pied Piper sort of recruiter. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
26. The expected end
Osama bin Laden was a weird, compelling figure — a product of the American mobilisation against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, he became its most hated enemy. His death, long anticipated, is unlikely to make a tangible impact on terrorist cells, but it is a symbolic reversal. For the full text

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
27. The terrorist in Pakistan’s tent
It has long been open knowledge that Pakistan made a careful distinction between the terrorists that it could use to further its own foreign policy goals and those which it could not. It has also been assumed that it was, at times, willing to tolerate the latter if it was useful to maintaining the support of the former. India has complained   incessantly about Islamabad’s double-talk on terrorism — largely to a sympathetic but passive audience of the international community. For the full text

The Asian Age, New Delhi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
28. Time for India to flex some muscle
The carefully plotted killing of Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces in a fire fight inside a mansion in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, not far from Islamabad, on Sunday (1 May) night is a historical event whose practical implications will be sought to be grasped for some time to come. For the full text

The Telegraph, Kolkata, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
29. At Last
Revenge, it was famously remarked by the fictional godfather, is a cold dish; it is best served cold. The president of the United States of America and those under him who run the country’s intelligence and counter-terrorism operations will draw consolation from that statement. It has taken nearly a decade to track down and take out the world’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden. For the full text

The Tribune, Karachi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
30. After bin Laden: The sound of uncertainty
A rather unusual silence stalks Pakistan following the death of Osama bin Laden. There is reluctance on the part of politicians to comment, and those who do so are careful in their choice of words. The fear of retaliatory action by extremist militants lurks in many minds. The comments that have come forward have been contradictory and out of sync. For the full text

The Tribune, Karachi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
31. Osama bin Laden and after
Osama bin Laden’s death will be good for Pakistan in the long run, even as the threat of retaliatory acts of violence by jihadi outfits is a very real one. Moreover, those who think that the war against terrorism is over, are mistaken because the ideology spouted by bin Laden and his ilk, coupled with perceived injustices caused by American foreign policy, will leave the impetus for attacks against the US, its interests and its allies more or less unchanged. For the full text

The Daily Times, Lahore, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
32. Osama bin Laden is dead
In the biggest news story of the decade since the war on terror began, the supreme leader of al Qaeda has reportedly been killed in a hail of gunfire, blood and conspiracies that may never be solved. Late Sunday night (1 May), elite troops belonging to the US Navy Seals Team Six — a sophisticated counter-terrorism unit — stormed a compound in Abbottabad where they believed bin Laden was hiding. For the full text

The Pakistan Observer, Islamabad, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
33. US takes revenge
In a dramatic announcement early Monday (2 May) morning, US President announced that Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world, was killed in Pakistan in a fire-fight with United States forces. The most significant development of the year establishes once again that the sole super power has all the resources and capabilities to take revenge whenever it so decide. For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
34. Bin Laden dies again!
President Obama’s announcement that Osama bin Laden was “slain in his luxury hideout in Pakistan” last night (2 May) sets Washington’s seal of confirmation on the death of a man who, the US believed, had struck at the heart of the American mainland with gruesome effect. Thus, the countless hours the multiple US intelligence agencies used to locate his whereabouts and, as estimated by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and other celebrated American economists, the three trillion dollars the Pentagon spent on the war against Iraq alone, not to talk of the expense on the Afghanistan invasion, have now borne fruit. For the full text

The News, Karachi, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
35. The fall of Osama
The death of Osama bin Laden ends the story of a man who had, over the last decade, dominated much of the news around the world, even after he disappeared from the public eye – presumably into the mountains of the Pak-Afghan frontier – following the 9/11 attacks. A hero to some and a villain to many, Bin Laden remained, till his last moments, the symbolic leader of Al-Qaeda, even if there is some doubt as to how much actual command he wielded in terms of the day-to-day running of the world’s most feared terrorist outfit. For the full text

The Daily News, Colombo, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
36. TERROR SUFFERS ANOTHER HEAVY SETBACK
Within just two years of the killing of terror mastermind Velupillai Prabhakaran by the Sri Lankan security forces, another mega personality in the same fiendish preoccupation of raining terror on the world of the innocents, Osama bin Laden, has met with his end, thus bringing the curtain down on one of the longest-running hunts for the lawless, in the history of modern espionage and war. For the full text

Sydney Morning Herald, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
37. Threat of terrorism won’t die with world’s most wanted
Bin Laden's death offers closure of a sort, but not to the conflict he began. The world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, is dead. A decade has passed since the September 11 (2011) attacks on New York and Washington, but the United States got its man. This is a hugely symbolic moment, and President Barack Obama's late-night announcement drew a cheering crowd to the White House. As he said, ''the images of 9/11 are seared into our memories''.
For the full text

Syndey Morning Herald, Editorial, 3 May 2011, Tuesday
38. Al-Qaeda loses its leader, and now for the rest
For all the might of America deployed in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, his end came after a tenuous intelligence operation and then a pinpoint commando raid in which one wrong move or leak might have seen the target vanish again and the Americans left with another bungle. For the full text

The New York Times, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
39. The Torture Apologists
The killing of Osama bin Laden provoked a host of reactions from Americans: celebration, triumph, relief, closure and renewed grief. One reaction, however, was both cynical and disturbing: crowing by the apologists and practitioners of torture that Bin Laden’s death vindicated their immoral and illegal behaviour after the Sept. 11 (2001) attacks. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
40. Change of strategy
The euphoria over the killing of Osama bin Laden is winding to a close. Many commentators in the United States are talking about achieving “closure” over the Sept. 11 (2001) attacks, while others have turned their attention to whether the country can now achieve closure when it comes to a period known as the “war on terror.” For the full text

The Asian Age, New Delhi, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
41. After Osama, need for rethink on Pak
Most people who follow such matters have felt for some time that Osama bin Laden was hiding somewhere in Pakistan, probably in the rocky, inaccessible tribal areas of the country that border Afghanistan. No one could imagine the Al Qaeda founder — who was killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad in a mansion right next to the Pakistan Military Academy on May 2 (2011) — would be provided a safe haven by the Pakistani security establishment in the heart of a famous Pakistani garrison area. For the full text

The Daily Times, Lahore, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
42. After Osama
The world’s most wanted man for almost a decade, Osama bin Laden, led the Americans on a wild goose chase only to have them locate and kill him in Pakistan. And not just any odd place in Pakistan but in Abbottabad, a garrison town — his hideout located a mere mile or so away from the Kakul Military Academy. For the full text

The Dawn, Karachi, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
43. National embarrassment
Not since Abdul Qadeer Khan confessed to transferring nuclear technology to Iran and Libya has Pakistan suffered such embarrassment. Right under our military’s nose was found Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man of the decade, living in relative comfort in a compound with stringent security that somehow went unnoticed. For the full text

The Pakistan Observer, Islamabad, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
44. Element of disbelief in Osama’s killing
As per version of the US authorities and the world media, there is apparently undeniable proof that the operation carried out by American elite force in Abbottabad was quite successful and leader of Al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden ultimately met his fate. Americans are taking sole credit for the whole operation, describing it as great victory and a strong message to both Al-Qaeda and Taliban.  For the full text

The Tribune, Karachi, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Thursday
45. Ambivalence over Osama’s death
The aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s death has Pakistan reeling under contradictory impulses. The Foreign Office (FO), ever hewing close to the army, has categorically denied, on behalf of the government of Pakistan and the Army, having “any prior knowledge of the US operation against Osama bin Laden carried out in the early hours of May 2, 2011”. The official protest by Pakistan to the US against the operation confirms this position. For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
46. Is the world safer now?
Although the Americans have been gloatingly bandying about the death of Osama bin Laden since their ‘successful’ operation at Abbottabad on Monday (2 May), doubts have continued to persist about the man whom they had identified as Al-Qaeda’s chief before taking his life. For the full text

The News, Karachi, Editorial, 4 May 2011, Wednesday
47. Post-Osama blues
Osama bin Laden is dead but all kinds of uncertainties remain, especially those pertaining to the nature of Pakistan’s role in the affair. There are all kinds of contradictory statements coming in. President Zardari speaks of past cooperation and intelligence-sharing with the US. Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, stresses an inquiry into the failure to detect Osama’s presence in a sprawling mansion in the heart of a garrison town. For the full text

Aab News, Jeddah, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
48. A matter of distrust
No doubt, delivering justice in the Middle East will certainly create a safer world. Across the world, not just the Muslim world, there is deep suspicion about America’s claim to have killed Osama Bin Laden. People remember its claim about Saddam Hussein having nuclear weapons. As a result, the initial response of many toward the Bin Laden claim was disbelief. When it was then announced that he had been killed unarmed, the response switched to condemnation for disposing of him in such a way. For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
49. Put an end to the speculation
Releasing Bin Laden's pictures will negate conspiracy theories surrounding his death. Those who still doubt the death of Osama Bin Laden, the conspiracy theorists will not change their mind no matter what indisputable evidence is presented to them. There are many in this region who still believes former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain is alive. Others in the United States are waiting for the return of Elvis Presley. For the full text

The National Abu Dhabi, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
50. Pakistan and the US still need to strengthen ties
To many in American corridors of power, Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan may appear to be nothing less than betrayal. How could the al Qaeda chief reside so close to Islamabad without detection, possibly for years? And why should the US taxpayer foot the bill for military and civilian aid to such a country? For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
51. In killing Osama bin Laden, U.S. had the law on its side
Some are questioning the legality of the raid in Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Was it lawful for a team of Navy Seals to launch a mission in Abbottabad without permission from Pakistani leaders? Did they comply with international strictures when they killed the al-Qaeda leader rather than capturing him and bringing him before a court of law?
For the full text

Boston Globe, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
52. After raid, US and Pakistan confront a moment of truth
Pakistan’s military leaders and their all-powerful Inter-Services Intelligence branch (ISI) confront a humiliating either-or question in the aftermath of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a high-walled compound next door to Pakistan’s West Point. Either they knew about the safe house and its notorious occupant, or Pakistan’s military and intelligence chiefs have been shockingly incompetent. For the full text

Los Angeles Times, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
53. Gunning for Bin Laden
Did the U.S. ever intend to do anything other than kill the Al Qaeda leader? It might seem churlish to second-guess a military operation that removed a master terrorist from the face of the Earth. But conflicting statements from the White House about whether Osama bin Laden was armed during the raid on his compound raise the question of whether the United States ever intended to do anything other than kill him, and if not, whether we should find that troubling. For the full text

The Star, Toronto, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
54. Pakistan’s feeble denial
Did Pakistan’s security services shelter Osama bin Laden before American troops gunned him down this week? President Asif Ali Zardari calls it “baseless speculation.” Maybe so. But there’s plenty of reason for concern. For the full text

The Telegraph, London, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
55. The killing of Osama bin Laden is no matter of regret
Despite its ham-fisted handling of the aftermath, the United States need not apologise for having done the right thing. Barack Obama's visit yesterday (4 May) to Ground Zero, the spot where New York's Twin Towers once stood, was a poignant reminder of the brutal realities of what used to be termed the "war on terror". It also put into perspective the death of the man who was ultimately responsible for the atrocity. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
56. Nowhere to hide
The killing of Osama bin Laden has become a fount of confusing stories, as Pakistan twists in the wind, trying to explain how the most wanted terrorist in the world was ensconced in the middle of a garrison town. As the news broke, the Pakistan army was caught in an awful bind — it could say it had no idea about bin Laden, and appear laughably incompetent, or it could accept that a part of it, at least, was complicit with bin Laden’s terror apparatus. For the full text

The Daily Times, Lahore, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
57. Come clean on Osama’s killing
US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta has irritated Pakistan by asserting that information about the operation was not shared with Pakistan for fear that it would compromise the operation. Talking to BBC, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir defended Pakistan by saying it had played a pivotal role in hunting down Osama by sharing intelligence about the suspicious compound and the presence of foreigners in Abbottabad with the US. For the full text

Paksitan Observer, Islamabad, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
58. West should listen to Chinese advice
At a time when some of the US lawmakers and western leaders are raising questions as to how Osama bin Laden stayed in Abbottabad for so long, a saner advice has come from Beijing where Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Pakistan has made an important contribution in the war against terrorism. Spokesperson Jiang Yu during a briefing pointed out that Pakistani government was firm in its resolve and strong in action in war against terrorism. For the full text

Tribune, Karachi, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
59. Laugh or Cry
One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry in response to Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir’s press conference of May 5 (2011). Much of what he said the government and the military establishment should have enunciated right after the Abbottabad raid took place. And the remarks about criticism in the media being unwarranted, was wholly unnecessary and was indicative of an enduring inability in many of our state institutions to look inwards and see the reality. For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
60. Mounting pressure
Quite expectedly, the Osama incident has handed on a silver platter the excuse to Pakistan’s so-called friends, let alone enemy India, to mount intense pressure on it, openly charging it with harbouring militants. Most ominous in their implications have been the remarks of President Obama that though the world has become safer, the US still faces a 9/11-like situation. For the full text

The China Post, Taipei, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
61. Assessing the impact of Osama bin Laden's death
Osama bin Laden is dead. The Saudi multimillionaire, who founded al-Qaida and masterminded the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York, was killed in a fire fight with a U.S. SEAL team in a Pakistani resort and buried at sea on Sunday (1 May). Americans streamed to the site of the World Trade Centre, where more than 3,000 people were killed in the nation's worst terrorist attack nearly a decade ago. For the full text

The Japan Times, Tokyo, Editorial, 5 May 2011, Thursday
62. Death of bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, the face of Islamic militancy, was killed Monday (2 May) morning in an assault by U.S. Special Forces on his compound in Pakistan. His death ends the hunt for the man who claimed to have launched the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, which killed some 3,000 people, and a host of other atrocities. For the full text

Gulf News, Dubai, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
63. Pakistan has obligation to explain itself
Bin Laden was able to hide near its capital without the government being aware of it. In an Op-Ed by Asif Ali Zardari published in Gulf News on Wednesday (4 May), the president of Pakistan argued Osama Bin Laden's execution proves his country has never been and never will be the hotbed of fanaticism and that it has lost more soldiers to terrorism than NATO. For the full text

Los Angeles Times, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
64. Bin Laden photos: They're pictures, not trophies
Obama is correct not to release photographs of Osama bin Laden's body. It would indeed be unseemly for the U.S. to flaunt them. Society overwhelmingly is the beneficiary when information is readily available and freely shared. But that benefit is not absolute. President Obama is acting responsibly in refusing to release graphic photographs of Osama bin Laden's body. Some of the president's arguments are more persuasive than others, but those who would have him publicize the photos have almost no compelling argument. For the full text

The Irish Times, Dublin, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
65. Bin Laden aftermath
Few will miss Osama bin Laden or regret his demise, or deny that President Obama has pulled off a remarkable coup, a major and welcome setback for al-Qaeda. But the partial unraveling of details of the bin Laden raid story in intervening days has muddied the waters, amplifying nagging questions about White House credibility, playing into doubts about the legality of the killing, and tarnishing the achievement. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
66. Photo finish
Despite the clamour from the conspiracy-minded and the morbidly curious, the US has refused to release photographic “proof” of Osama bin Laden’s bloodied body. US President Barack Obama was firm — “we don’t trot this stuff out as trophies.” Not wanting to display victims like souvenir-photographs that soldiers used to take shows dignity and restraint, though it is unlikely to satisfy those like Sarah Palin who demand the pictures be publicised to show the world the dangers of messing with America, or those who want to see him dead for a sense of closure on 9/11. For the full text

The Telegraph, Kolkata, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
67. FANTASTIC TALES
Operation Geronimo seems destined to undergo a mutation with each retelling. So seems the attendant tale of the America-Pakistan partnership in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. But more than the United States of America, it is Pakistan which is desperate to hit upon that perfect ‘fit-all’ version of the truth. A lot hinges on it. For the full text

Pakistan Observer, Islamabad, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
68. Whose intelligence failure?
There is no bound to American joy over killing of Osama bin Laden —President Obama is taking pride in being commander-in-chief of a force that so superbly planned and executed Abbottabad operation, citizens are shown celebrating the grand victory and above all CIA chief is claiming that either ISI was an accomplice or incompetent. For the full text

The News, Karachi, Editorial, 6 May 2011, Friday
69. Tough truths
Facing up to the truth is clearly not our strength. While television surveys suggest many people in the country refuse to believe Osama is dead, keeping alive our tradition of believing in bizarre conspiracies as opposed to the truth, even our prime minister seems eager to avoid accepting what has actually happened and instead appears to be trying to shrug off embarrassment saying that, as intelligence is shared with other agencies around the world, they too are to blame for the failure to discover Osama’s presence in Pakistan. For the full text

Khaleej Times, Dubai, Editorial, 7 May 2011, Saturday
70. Post Osama revelations
Even as US President Barack Obama paid tribute to the victims of 9/11 at Ground Zero in New York on Thursday (5 May), questions pertaining the killing of Osama bin Laden remain unanswered. The decision to not release pictures of Bin Laden’s body for the sake of deterring violent reprisals and inciting extremism has led to questions on the veracity of the operation. For the full text

Saudi Gazette, Jeddah, Editorial, 7 May 2011, Saturday
71. Celebrating Bin Laden’s death
Profound self-examination is an oddly American trait, and one from which all of us may learn something about our own, general human nature.  News of the death of Bin Laden sparked raucous celebrating across the US, particularly at the former site of the World Trade Centre in New York and in Washington, D.C., the country’s capital. For the full text

Los Angeles Times, Editorial, 7 May 2011, Saturday
72. U.S.-Pakistan relations: An unhappy alliance
U.S.-Pakistan ties were strained even before Osama bin Laden's killing. But each side needs the other. Pakistan is nothing if not rugged. From the massive, often impassable Himalayas in the north to the powerful earthquakes, storms and floods of the regions below, it is forbidding and austere. And its harshness is not all geological: There's the Northwest Frontier territory, known for its lawlessness, and the disputed region of Kashmir, which has been in violent contention for more than 60 years. For the full text

Chicago Tribune, Editorial, 7 May 2011, Saturday
73. Is Pakistan a friend?
Pakistani leaders claim they didn't know that Osama bin Laden was lurking around the house at the end of a narrow dirt road just north of Islamabad. They're chagrined. They're embarrassed. Sounds like they're chagrined and embarrassed about something else, too. They didn't know U.S. helicopters were lurking around that house at the end of the road just north of Islamabad. For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 8 May 2011, Sunday
74. No end to arrogance
The USA, not satisfied with the success of the raid on Abbottabad and the consequent killing of Osama bin Laden, has given India a slap on the wrist, just to show them who is boss in the region, by denying them the right to launch a similar raid on Pakistan to capture any of the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks on its soil. For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 10 May 2011, Tuesday
75. Rationale of US pressure
The May 2 (Monday 2011) Osama incident was bound to unfold fresh challenges for Pakistan every day, leaving it wide open how things finally settle down between Pakistan and the US. Islamabad maintains that the presence of bin Laden at Abbottabad took it unawares, while Washington has its reservations about this claim unless it could be established with some credible evidence. For the full text

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Editorial, 10 May 2011, Tuesday
76. The soda pops
The US did not release photographic evidence of Osama bin Laden’s mutilated body out of concerns that it could be inflammatory. Instead, what’s being revealed is another picture — of the bin Laden who was alive, holed up in a safe house in Abbottabad. For the full text

The Washington Post, Editorial, 10 May 2011, Tuesday
77. The tracking of bin Laden is no vindication of torture
In recent days, former Bush administration officials have said that information gleaned from the use of enhanced interrogation techniques helped intelligence officers begin the lengthy and intricate work of tracking down Osama bin Laden. For the full text

Khaleej Times, Dubai, Editorial, 11 May 2011, Wednesday
78. Pakistan’s tough hour
Islamabad has finally commented on Osama bin Laden’s termination. Shrugging off charges of compliance with Al Qaeda, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani believes that it was no more than a mere intelligence failure. For the full text

Tribune, Karachi, Editorial, 11 May 2011, Wednesday
79. Getting to the truth about Abbottabad
The chief of the PML-N, twice-former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and once thought to be the proverbial offspring reared by the military, has said the right thing by calling for an investigation into the raid by US Navy SEALs that led to Osama bin Laden’s death. To be precise, Mr Sharif is in essence rejecting the planned launch of an internal inquiry by the military into the whole affair. For the full text

Compiled by Alvite N
Alvite N is an Indian researcher affiliated with the BESA Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Mail

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy