by Dr. Harold Pease
Seemingly everyone asks me what I think of Osama bin Laden’s death. Of course I am delighted but my pause bothers them. Where do I start? Have you an hour? Mostly questions yet unanswered. I know so little!! But those asking me know less but they seem not to be bothered by this. I always want all sides and in this action there are so many. Most see it as an act of real leadership and they unquestioningly believe the President’s every word even though there is little so far that is confirmed independent of him or his people. Would they be so believing were it President George W. Bush? After the first thirty documents I need yet another thirty and possibly another after that before I can “know” with clarity—rarely certainty. But it is my profession to question, then question again. The following are the things that bother me most.
Where did the president get the authority to invade another country and assassinate or kidnap someone without its permission or knowledge? Certainly not in the U.S. Constitution!! Even if done in this country, his authority to do so would be constitutionally questionable. Some remember that this was not the first attack on an individual ordered by a president of the United States. President George Bush kidnapped President Manuel Noriega of Panama, brought him to the United States and had him convicted on U. S. drug smuggling charges. Last I heard a very defiant Noriega is rotting in some Georgia federal prison. Then as now, I ask where are the Constitutional grounds?
Throughout world history this action would be considered an act of war. Had we done this to China or Russia this would be World War III. Were either of them to have done the same to us, missiles from us would have been fired on them the next day. Perhaps it is the $16 billion that we give Pakistan each year that keeps them meek. Notice that they have said that they will not tolerate a repeat of this in the future. Certainly Pakistan’s sovereignty was violated but in a very real sense so was it also of every little country in the world. All are left to fear that the same could happen to them.
Then too, I wonder what the Muslims think of our supposed religious sensitivity to their faith. What I can gather, so far, is that sea burial is for those who die at sea not for those killed on land than taken to the sea. Moreover, the preferred burial is on land and by the family. I understand that his schism of faith prefers unmarked graves and little notoriety. I sympathize with the view that we did not wish to leave radical followers with a sanctuary but don’t they already have one in the residence from which he was taken or couldn’t they still create one as we did when we created the grave of the Unknown Soldier? Was there a Muslim of religious authority present to make certain that everything was done or said in the Muslim way? Everything seemed so rushed. Too rushed! There was no time to ask any country whether it would receive the body so why not just say so rather than falsely suggest that the sea burial was because no country would receive the body. One might ask but who cares, this guy deserved nothing because of what he did. I too do not believe that he should be treated as a religious man but it’s the pretense at sensitivity that I suspect and am offended by.
Was there really any intention of taking him alive? I am not convinced. Would he not be a treasure trove of secrets to destroy al Qaeda through intensive interrogation? Why not let him feel what others with him felt at Guantanamo Bay? A bullet is a too easy and quick way out, allowing him to die as a martyr for Allah. Would he not have suffered more by remaining alive for a time, and tried for his crimes against humanity? Anticipating execution is part of the punishment.
Finally, I wonder about the timing. In political science we learn about media frenzies when all the media drop previous stories and rush like piranhas to the new fresh meat. Many media frenzies like earthquakes or tsunamis’ are unpredictable, others not so. In either case, other stories are dropped. I teach my students to always look for who is in charge of the timing and what other stories, previously important thereafter are ignored or buried, in this case the slaughter of civilians in Syria, Donald Trump’s 10 point lead in the republican presidential race, and the so-called “birther” issue. One of his wives said that he had not left the residence for five years. For months we had a CIA team in place a short distance from him watching the property day and night. Could this event have been scheduled a week before or a week later? It did boost the President’s sagging popularity by at least 9 points, but dare I mention these things?
All this said, I find no reason not to believe that everything went down just as the President said, still time has taught me to turn every stone before determining finality, and that for both republican and democratic presidents. So when I pause in my reply I just need a little more time for the finality that others have so early.
Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College.