It is one year since the US Navy SEAL commandos invaded a compound in Abbottabad and killed OBL, apparently without much resistance from his side. A night-time secret operation while keeping the Pakistani military in dark, no photos of the deal man in public domain and hasty burial at sea – all were good enough to provide a kick start to conspiracy theorists.
Since then everyone is using the raid to his (or her) advantage. Conspiracy theorists went up to claiming that there is no real thing called Al-Qaeda, even if there is one, OBL is not a real person but an elusive character from historical novels, some claimed that OBL was never ever present in Abbottabad and Americans killed no one and all that happened on May 2 was a pre-planned stage drama.
However, Pakistan’s action to detain Dr Shakil Afridi on treason charges should have silenced most of the conspiracy theorists. It is alleged that Dr Afridi arranged a fake vaccination campaign to obtain DNA samples of OBL’s off-springs to ascertain his presence in the compound. Pakistan government also appointed a judicial commission to look into the May 02 fiasco: how come OBL kept living in Pakistan without the knowledge of intelligence agencies and why air defence system couldn’t track the intrusion by the Americans.
Since June 2011, this commission has been deliberating on May 2 raid, had interviewed more than 100 military and civilian high profile personal including journalists and political leaders. One may question such a delay in report issuance (report still awaited); obviously whatever is the conclusion it’s a hard choice between complicity and inefficiency on the part of intelligence agencies.
The May 2 incident also gave birth to memo scandal wherein an American citizen forwarded a memo to Gen Jones (for Admiral Mullen) that said that the Pakistan government is in dire need of the US support in the wake of Pakistan military’s reaction to May 2 raid. As per Mansoor Ijaz who authored the memo, he worked as per advice of Pakistan ambassador to the US. So far this issue has also not been concluded other than wasting of hundreds of precious man hours on the part of three high court chief justices and country’s top lawyers.
If May 2 has proved disastrous for Pakistan, its government and military, it is being successfully used in President Obama’ election campaign to boost his ratings. To keep the American public’s interest alive, selected material seized from OBL lair is being published online. Democrats are drumming up Obama’s decision to launch the OBL raid while discounting alleged indecisiveness on the part of his Republican rival – Mitt Romney.
Regardless of tall claims by the Americans of weakening of Al-Qaeda with the death of OBL, its splinter groups are quite active and may be more dangerous as are not under a central command. Such splinter groups who derive their ideology from Al-Qaeda include Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Yemen, Al-Shabab in Somalia, Bo Ko Haram in Nigeria and Jamiaa Islamia in Indonesia.
May 2 is a day not to celebrate but ponder upon the upcoming dangers. OBL might have died but his philosophy is very much alive. Such a philosophy which is based on hatred is keeping the world away from becoming a peaceful place for all the communities regardless of their religious beliefs.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia