Unfortunately, there is no evidence from these pictures that it was Osama bin Laden’s blood.
John Brennan, chief counter-terrorism adviser said tonight that the US authorities are still deciding on whether or not to release some visual evidence.
What’s to decide?
Oh, I think I’ve got it. It might upset (some) Muslims.
But we are now told that a “new bin Laden tape, taken BEFORE his death” will be released soon. [SkyNews Live]
It seems “Geronimo” was killed at 3:55pmEST, which is 8:55pmBST. Just over 25 hours ago.
President Obama was watching all of this operation in real time from a distance. He probably saw OBL’s wife standing in front of her husband to try to protect him. She died in that attempt.
As the US authorities and our papers put it – “Osama bin Laden hid behind a woman, who was killed.”
So President Obama saw exactly who died. So should the rest of us. Not just a shroud- covered body sliding into the sea. We need to see the uncovered body.
Then I’ll go off and write about something else. I promise.
I am staggered by all the hate directed towards our former Prime Minister. I believe that Tony Blair made the Iraq decision in good faith and is most certainly NOT a war criminal. If anyone should be tried at the Hague it should be those in the media for totally misrepresenting the information and facts. The media are to blame for fuelling this hatred as it is purely driven by them. (UK)
__________
The greatest and most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had with the courage to fight the Islamist terrorists who really would like to kill us all, and you never hear a good word about him. The herd of independent minds, commentators, activists etc who have never had to make a difficult decision in their lives drown out all debate with their inane chants of war crimes and blood on his hands. Defend him at every chance. I just wish more people would do it. (Glasgow, UK)
__________
Blair was the greatest Labour Prime Minister. It is a disgrace that the party has turned away from his legacy. Shame on Ed Miliband and his so-called ‘new generation’.
Having taken the bottom half of the photo on the top left, I’ve just made this on photoshop in about 30 seconds. See what I mean?
It doesn’t change the fact that Osama bin Laden is dead. But it does prove that photos of the corpse are not in the public domain. Yet.
Update. I’ve been emailed the full image from which the top half is taken. It’s gory, but here – with a warning that the content may upset some – is the link for those that aren’t yet convinced.’
Left, an unknown man. Centre, Osama Bin Laden. Right, a "dead" bin Laden
Study the damage to the faces, left and right. The cuts and bruises, especially around the eyes, are FAR too similar to be coincidental.
This only proves that someone may be playing about with Photoshop. It does not prove that Osama bin Laden is not dead - after being alive yesterday.
We all hope that it is not US government agencies messing around, but just some kid with his graphics programme.
Real evidence on the way, I’m sure.
__________
FROM GREY TO BLACK IN 13 EASY YEARS
There are other reasons to be sceptical of this picture, not the least of which is the colour of Osama’s beard. He was far greyer last time we saw him.
The picture below was taken in 1998. Before they shot him yesterday I hope someone asked him for his tips.
How to (almost) banish grey hair in 13 easy steps years
al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden speaks to a selected group of reporters in mountains of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan Thursday, Dec. 24, 1998. The man accused of masterminding the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa says the U.S.-British airstrikes on Iraq make it a ``duty of Muslims to confront, fight and kill'' Americans and Britons. (AP Photo/Rahimullah Yousafzai)
[Above picture at this site, with date details when you save it.]
In Britain, being a nation with a long seafaring tradition and a naval history, we often have burials at sea. Perhaps it is so in Arab lands. Personally, I have never heard of it before.
I am staggered by all the hate directed towards our former Prime Minister. I believe that Tony Blair made the Iraq decision in good faith and is most certainly NOT a war criminal. If anyone should be tried at the Hague it should be those in the media for totally misrepresenting the information and facts. The media are to blame for fuelling this hatred as it is purely driven by them. (UK)
__________
The greatest and most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had with the courage to fight the Islamist terrorists who really would like to kill us all, and you never hear a good word about him. The herd of independent minds, commentators, activists etc who have never had to make a difficult decision in their lives drown out all debate with their inane chants of war crimes and blood on his hands. Defend him at every chance. I just wish more people would do it. (Glasgow, UK)
__________
Blair was the greatest Labour Prime Minister. It is a disgrace that the party has turned away from his legacy. Shame on Ed Miliband and his so-called ‘new generation’.
I know that some say I always agree with Tony Blair no matter what he says. Well, sorry to disabuse them, but that’s a little simplistic.
This is not to suggest that Mr Blair should not have congratulated and thanked President Obama. He did the right thing in thanking him. Of course he did.
If President Obama, as he repeatedly declared several times in his broadcast this morning “personally authorised” this attack and has been successful in this venture, he deserves huge credit. But as I say in previous posts, until we have PROOF that Osama bin Laden has been killed I am, against my usual instincts, suspicion personified.
I’m sure it is not too cynical to note that the American people could hardly resist re-electing Obama next year with this particular head on his belt.
Birth certificate furore put to bed. Now Osama dead and buried at sea. What more do they want?
Whatever the private thoughts of the world’s leaders, present and past, it is to be expected that they would and should congratulate President Obama. That’s diplomacy for you. It’s left to the rest of us to ask the questions.
Former prime minister Tony Blair expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” to President Barack Obama today for the military operation which killed Osama bin Laden.
In a statement, he said the operation showed that “those who commit acts of terror against the innocent will be brought to justice, however long it takes”.
Mr Blair was prime minister at the time of both the 2001 and the 2005 attacks, which in many ways shaped his time in power.
He said: “My heartfelt gratitude to President Obama and to all of those who so brilliantly undertook and executed this operation.
“We should never forget 9/11 was also the worst ever terrorist attack against UK civilians, and our thoughts are with all those – American, British and from nations across the world – who lost their lives and with their loved ones who remain and who live with their loss.
“9/11 was an attack not just on the United States, but on all those who shared the best values of civilisation.
“The operation shows those who commit acts of terror against the innocent will be brought to justice, however long it takes.
“So this is a huge achievement in the fight against terrorism but we know the fight against the terrorism and the ideology that Bin Laden represents continues and is as urgent as ever.”
I am staggered by all the hate directed towards our former Prime Minister. I believe that Tony Blair made the Iraq decision in good faith and is most certainly NOT a war criminal. If anyone should be tried at the Hague it should be those in the media for totally misrepresenting the information and facts. The media are to blame for fuelling this hatred as it is purely driven by them. (UK)
__________
The greatest and most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had with the courage to fight the Islamist terrorists who really would like to kill us all, and you never hear a good word about him. The herd of independent minds, commentators, activists etc who have never had to make a difficult decision in their lives drown out all debate with their inane chants of war crimes and blood on his hands. Defend him at every chance. I just wish more people would do it. (Glasgow, UK)
__________
Blair was the greatest Labour Prime Minister. It is a disgrace that the party has turned away from his legacy. Shame on Ed Miliband and his so-called ‘new generation’.
I am staggered by all the hate directed towards our former Prime Minister. I believe that Tony Blair made the Iraq decision in good faith and is most certainly NOT a war criminal. If anyone should be tried at the Hague it should be those in the media for totally misrepresenting the information and facts. The media are to blame for fuelling this hatred as it is purely driven by them. (UK)
__________
The greatest and most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had with the courage to fight the Islamist terrorists who really would like to kill us all, and you never hear a good word about him. The herd of independent minds, commentators, activists etc who have never had to make a difficult decision in their lives drown out all debate with their inane chants of war crimes and blood on his hands. Defend him at every chance. I just wish more people would do it. (Glasgow, UK)
__________
Blair was the greatest Labour Prime Minister. It is a disgrace that the party has turned away from his legacy. Shame on Ed Miliband and his so-called ‘new generation’.
Click his links to see his detective work. Unfortunately, he may well be right.
My request to President Obama should be updated: WE NEED TO SEE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN’S BODY. That and other evidence, DNA for a start, might quell the suspicions of those of us who have a sneaky, uncomfortable feeling that this announcement is little more than an electioneering tactic by President Obama. His out of jail (Afghanistan) card?
UPDATE 2: Is this Obama’s get out of jail (Afghanistan) card? More posts on this here:
Call me sceptical if you must, and I am no conspiracy theorist, but until I see verified, authenticated, official pictures of the dead body of Osama Bin Laden, killed by the Americans, it is said, in Pakistan on Sunday, I’m not convinced.
There are, thus far, various versions of what has happened to the Al Qaeda leader’s body, but this one – ‘already buried at sea’ – should give us cause for concern.
SHOW US THE EVIDENCE!
This picture is findable online -
Osama Bin Laden looks younger than he did last time we saw his photo. No grey beard. Easily photoshopped.
The picture above looks just about plausible, until you see this -
If this is Osama bin Laden he's been using "Dye before you Die" - aka Saudi 2011
This purports to be his body – “tortured”
These pictures do NOT back each other up. In fact they contradict each other. Both pictures, therefore, are highly questionable.
Come on Mr Obama – show us Osama. We know you are busy – what, with elections upcoming – but PLEASE.
If we never see an official picture – and please don’t tell us pictures were not taken – I will simply NOT believe this.
Given that there are multitudes of pictures online of babies blown to bits and people actually being decapitated by jihadists from Al Qaeda and the Taliban no-one in this world today will accept any argument that the pictures of Osama’s body are too gruesome. Or that the Muslim world will be incited by them.
Please do not insult our intelligence.
Sky News is invariably quicker than the BBC with news. So keep an eye out here. At present there is an American CIA man – Michael Shuer(?) sounding particularly supportive of President Obama. He is saying that Bin Laden should have been taken out years ago – ditto Gaddafi. I’m sure this will go down well with the liberal lefties who thought they had got rid of the gung-hos when Bush and Blair went!
Sky has this report here, with Tony Blair’s thoughts and Anjem Choudary’s, obviously equally worth reading!
Apart from a silly video at YouTube purporting to be of Osama’s dead body – don’t waste your time – this is all that even refers to the Al Qaeda leader. And, despite the title of the video, there is no pictorial evidence:
ADDENDUM
This business of his body having been sent to Saudi Arabia, the land of his birth, looks like passing the buck. So, it was the Saudis’ decision to bury him at sea. Was it? Hmmm…
I am staggered by all the hate directed towards our former Prime Minister. I believe that Tony Blair made the Iraq decision in good faith and is most certainly NOT a war criminal. If anyone should be tried at the Hague it should be those in the media for totally misrepresenting the information and facts. The media are to blame for fuelling this hatred as it is purely driven by them. (UK)
__________
The greatest and most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had with the courage to fight the Islamist terrorists who really would like to kill us all, and you never hear a good word about him. The herd of independent minds, commentators, activists etc who have never had to make a difficult decision in their lives drown out all debate with their inane chants of war crimes and blood on his hands. Defend him at every chance. I just wish more people would do it. (Glasgow, UK)
__________
Blair was the greatest Labour Prime Minister. It is a disgrace that the party has turned away from his legacy. Shame on Ed Miliband and his so-called ‘new generation’.
In all the kerfuffle over the Royal wedding (pictures – Daily Mail) including some rightful indignation over the guest list, commenters have all missed the obvious.
Death-mask of Oliver Cromwell, hero/villain. During the English Civil War he led calls for the trial & execution of King Charles 1st, which was carried out in 1649. Briefly republicanism ruled
Rentoul is spot-on in that today’s royal family could never forgive Blair for being right when they were all wrong on Diana’s death. But I hope to show that that is only a third of the story at most.
Execution by a thousand cuts?
Despite being in some state of terror as the repercussions of their silence on Diana’s death became clear, it is hardly likely that the royal family saw Blair as their likely executioner. Rightly too, as he was one of the most royalist Labour prime ministers ever. But the Royals are presently doing an execution double-airbrush job on Blair and on Diana’s memory for their own reasons.
Tony Blair was not invited to the wedding because his very presence would have reminded us of three things.
Reason 1
1. Diana’s Death
A few hours after the announcement of the death of Diana Princess of Wales the country’s new prime minister Tony Blair stood outside his church in Sedgefield and spoke to the country:
“She was the people’s princess. And that’s how she will stay, how she will remain, in our hearts and in our memories, forever.”
In our hearts and in our memories, forever?
“Forever” is clearly too long for Charles, Camilla his second wife and the real love of his life, and perhaps even the rest of the royals including Diana’s sons. They now have a new member of the firm. A woman who will, it is expected and hoped, be Queen one day. Before that day, the idea is to airbrush Diana from public memory.
Too cynical of me? I think not.
Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is now, it is hoped, the new "People's Princess" for the "new", post-New Labour, generation.
Can you imagine what it would have been like if Tony Blair had been at the Abbey? The cameras would have alighted on him, even putting this in the minds of the worldwide audience – “I wonder what Mr Blair is thinking as he watches Diana’s eldest son being married. Probably, as we all are – the ‘People’s Princess’ would have been very proud.”
Sounds innocent enough to you? It isn’t.
It wouldn’t be to the monarchy either. It would be a reminder of the part that Tony Blair took in rescuing the royals from their own inaction when a member of their family – possibly the most famous woman in the world at that time – had been killed in a car crash.
The royals who decided on this disgraceful omission of Tony Blair and as a result Brown – and it was the royals deciding, not their courtiers or the present government – would have realised there would be some flak over this. However they also knew that the pictures and memories of the wedding would make more impact than the fact that the two most recent former prime ministers – two former Labour prime ministers – had not been invited, though two former Conservative PMs had; Major & Thatcher.
That day in August 1997 Tony Blair spoke for the country. Like it or not, she was the People’s Princess. He said what any one of them could and should have said.
ROYAL SILENCE SPOKE VOLUMES
Several days after Diana died the Royals had still not publicly mentioned her passing or the accident, even as thousands mourned and gathered outside the Palace waiting for them to speak. No flags had been lowered as a mark of respect or momentous happening. It was as though nothing significant had occurred. The first reaction was almost a week later on September 4th and was by the Queen’s press secretary, Geoffrey Crawford. Not by Prince Charles. Nor by Her Majesty the Queen.
“The princess was a much-loved national figure, but she was also a mother whose sons miss her deeply. Prince William and Prince Harry themselves want to be with their father and their grandparents at this time in the quiet haven of Balmoral, the queens press secretary, Geoffrey Crawford, said. It was the first royal reaction to public suggestions that the family should do more to help the country grieve. The queen also plans to make a broadcast to the nation on Friday, Buckingham Palace said.”
Eventually, several days after her death came a royal public appearance. Probably only because the future star of The Queen had warned them of this:
‘One of the Queen’s most trusted former advisers has disclosed that she feared that republican MPs would call for an end to the monarchy because of public anger at the Royal Family’s initial reaction to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. As the clamour for the Royal Family to leave Balmoral intensified, amid rows over whether the Union flag should be flown at half mast at Buckingham Palace, the “ferocity” of the media criticism stung even the most seasoned advisers. Mrs Francis said that harsh lessons were learned by the Royal Family and its advisers about the need to respond to public opinion.
“If the response had not been made we might have seen events develop in a different way and even political calls for some kind of republican action,” she said.
Penny Junor, a royal biographer, tells the programme: “The whole family was in danger. The minute Prince Charles heard Diana had been killed his first words were: ‘They are going to blame me”.’
Really? Were those Charles’ s first words? For himself? Not for his sons? [See lessons learnt]
Blair was credited with having encouraged the Royal Family in responding, even if belatedly. It was clearly no longer possible for them not to speak. Those who distrust or dislike Tony Blair will maintain that he muscled in where it was none of his business. Most of the country will not see it that way. Without him the royal family could easily have been sunk in 1997.
Interestingly the Wikipedia entry on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales fails to mention the name of Tony Blair. In fact that entry seems to have been compiled by those who attribute her death to a conspiracy. Presumably they conclude that Blair was in on this “murder plot”.
As we all know, there was no-one else, commoner or royalty who responded to her death more appropriately than Tony Blair. No-one.
At another Wikipedia page on Diana Tony Blair’s name is mentioned; once.
Posthumously, as in life, she is most popularly referred to as “Princess Diana”, a title she never held.[N 4] Still, she is sometimes referred to (according to the tradition of using maiden names after death) in the media as “Lady Diana Spencer”, or simply as “Lady Di”. After Tony Blair’s famous speech she was also often referred to as the People’s Princess.[74]
The year following, on the date of her death, royal flags were allowed to fly at half mast. For no subsequent years, just 1998. A sop to a still grieving public, imho.
At the time it took a public press furore for the flag to be lowered and this only happened as the Queen went to Diana’s funeral a week after her death.
Excerpt:
Flags at royal residences will fly at half-mast in respect for Diana, Princess of Wales on the first anniversary of the death. The Queen has ruled that all flags at royal residences will be lowered to half-mast on Monday August 31, Buckingham Palace has announced. The government has decided to follow suit, ordering the move at public buildings.
The announcement follows the angry public response to the royal family’s initial refusal to lower the flag at Buckingham Palace after Diana died. Tradition demands the Royal Standard flag is never flown at half-mast, even on the death of a monarch. But protocol was finally broken when the Queen left the palace to attend the princess’s funeral a week after her death.
The decision to fly flags at half-mast applies only to the first anniversary of Diana’s death, Buckingham Palace said.
It might be worth a mention that protocol, as it would be expected to apply, was also “broken” when Blair and Brown were not invited to the wedding of Prince William.
Aside: I happened to drive round Horseguards Parade at around midnight on the day Diana died. Ours was the only car passing the vehicle carrying Diana’s coffin. We realised what was passing us by, and came to a near stop. The coffin was covered by the Royal Standard.
Just as a by the way, the Moral Maze last night on BBC Radio 4 discussed the monarchy. One supporter of the monarchy said that it played a necessary part in keeping over-powerful politicians in their place (presumably down here with the rest of us?!)
The problem for Tony Blair (often cited as an over-powerful politician) was that in 1997 HE kept the monarchy in THEIR place.
Perhaps he should have let them drown in their own mire.
__________
For the historians amongst us – (not that I’m suggesting anything, mind you. I very much admire The Queen.)
Charles 1st's execution. A depiction of the death of a king, and of the monarchy. The latter to be later resurrected.
Quotes as ascribed to the Charles 1st court case and his execution:
Trial commencement, Jan 1st 1649, Charles was accused of being -
“tyrant, traitor and murderer; and a public and implacable enemy to the Commonwealth of England.”
Judge John Bradshaw said of Charles 1st -
“out of a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people of England.”
Bradshaw anounced the judgement of the court -
“he, the said Charles Stuart, as a tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy to the good of this nation, shall be put to death by severing of his head from his body.”
Charles’ last words to the crowd as he was taken to be exucuted at the end of the month-long trial -
“I have delivered to my conscience; I pray God you do take those courses that are best for the good of the kingdom and your own.”
It is said that when he was beheaded a large groan went up throughout the crowd. One observer in the crowd described it as “such a groan by the thousands then present, as I never heard before and I desire I may never hear again.”
Even in death, Charles found no dignity. Spectators were allowed to go up to the scaffold and, after paying, dip handkerchiefs in his blood as it was felt that the blood of a king when wiped onto a wound, illness etc. would cure that illness.
On the 6th February, 1649, the monarchy was abolished. Parliament stated that -
“the office of the king in this nation is unnecessary, burdensome and dangerous to the liberty, society and public interest of the people.”
Since this little bit of recent royal history augmented by more ancient but perhaps equally interesting royal history has gone on a bit, reasons 2 & 3 on the failure to invite Tony Blair will follow.
Go to The Telegraph here to see 30 of the best royal wedding pictures. You know you want to.
I am staggered by all the hate directed towards our former Prime Minister. I believe that Tony Blair made the Iraq decision in good faith and is most certainly NOT a war criminal. If anyone should be tried at the Hague it should be those in the media for totally misrepresenting the information and facts. The media are to blame for fuelling this hatred as it is purely driven by them. (UK)
__________
The greatest and most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had with the courage to fight the Islamist terrorists who really would like to kill us all, and you never hear a good word about him. The herd of independent minds, commentators, activists etc who have never had to make a difficult decision in their lives drown out all debate with their inane chants of war crimes and blood on his hands. Defend him at every chance. I just wish more people would do it. (Glasgow, UK)
__________
Blair was the greatest Labour Prime Minister. It is a disgrace that the party has turned away from his legacy. Shame on Ed Miliband and his so-called ‘new generation’.
List of Clickable Links – Pages/Video/Audio/External Sites
This list is alphabetical. Browse down the lists to search for an item.
Or click through to a 'popular page' on the topic where it is likely to be found. All video/audio/articles etc will also be found at the appropriate page or post.
Putting a search item into the search box will bring up one or more pages which include your search item.
Should the USA, Britain & the rest of the western world seriously consider Sharia Finance, in view of the present financial worries?
There is concern that such is the state of collapse of western capitalism that SOME of our leaders may even be considering adopting "Sharia Finance".
It already exists in the west in various forms and is presently being marketed heavily to non-Muslims.
Is this a slippery slope to Sharia Law?
Sharia law and now Sharia finance are touted by its proponents as the answers to the "evils" of the west.
I don't want ANYTHING Sharia in my country - Britain. And I am not happy that there are already FIVE Sharia courts in our land. I don't recall the government asking us to vote for this in 1997, 2001 or 2005.
But two months after Mr Brown took over from Mr Blair in 2007 Sharia courts were set up in English cities. Perhaps Mr Brown thought he had received subliminal permission from the people to do this when he took over from Mr Blair in a subliminal non-election.
What do YOU think?
VOTE NOW for or against Sharia Finance for the West
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