On 02 May 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the killing (execution style) of Osama Bin Laden in a well-marked compound in Pakistan. President Obama alleged that U.S. Navy SEALs raided Bin Laden’s compound and executed him. While the story is repeated ad nauseam by Western media and politicians, they failed to provide any conclusive evidence to substantiate Obama’s allegation that the U.S has actually killed Bin Laden. The story was a fabrication designed to manipulate the public, enhance the image of the U.S. military, and justify extra judicial murder.

Before commenting on Bin Laden’s death, I should point out that Bin Laden and many of his associates were recruited, trained and financed by the U.S. (and U.S. allies) to fight against the Soviet Union (USSR) troops in Afghanistan as part of the U.S. destabilisation of the USSR. Afghanistan, of course, was not occupied in the same way by the USSR as it was indiscriminately bombed and occupied by U.S.-NATO troops. The presence of USSR troops in Afghanistan was the result of an agreement between the Afghan Government of Nur Muhammad Taraki (later under Babrak Kamal) and the USSR.

In Afghanistan Bin Laden’s group was known as “al-Qaeda”, the (U.S.) Base in Arabic. The group was one of thousands of foreign-sponsored mercenaries that fought against the USSR troops. They were armed and financed mainly by the U.S., Britain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, and Kuwait to wage jihad (armed struggle in Arabic) against USSR troops in Afghanistan. Billions of U.S. dollars were channelled to support the insurgency. It was not an armed struggle against foreign occupation; it was foreign-sponsored terrorism targetting civilians and vital civilian infrastructures. The Islamic labels of Jihad and Mujahideen were carefully chosen and twisted to associate Islam and Muslims with terrorism. In a world threatened by a resurgent pro-Israel Western Fascism, even legitimate resistance against foreign invasions and occupations is labelled terrorism.

After the withdrawal of the USSR troops from Afghanistan, the Mujahideen disintegrated and many of their leaders were killed in the ensuing civil war. Bin Laden remained in Afghanistan as a “guest”, struggling with ill-health and moving between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, as a result of mass U.S. propaganda, al-Qaeda has mutated into a global force. It was alleged that al-Qaeda has turned against the U.S. and was involved in acts of terrorism against U.S. forces in the Middle East and Africa. However, evidence shows that the U.S. continues to use these mercenaries, including al-Qaeda, to fuel sectarian violence, regional strife and religious extremism in the region. Today, al-Qaeda (if it exists) is both, a casus belli to justify U.S.–NATO terror (e.g., in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mali) and a U.S.-sponsored terrorists’ gang (“rebels”) serving U.S. imperialism (e.g., in Libya and Syria).

On 11 September 2001, the World Trade Centre in New York City and the Pentagon in near Washington DC came under attacks. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, without any hard evidence, the Bush Administration almost immediately accused Bin Laden and al-Qaeda of masterminding the attacks. Numerous reports revealed that Bin Laden had no knowledge of the 9/11 attacks and had condemned the killing of innocent civilians in the attacks. In fact, on 10 September 2001, Bin Laden was hospitalised in Rawalpindi Hospital in Pakistan for kidney failure. Bin Laden suffered from kidney disease and required dialysis to keep him alive.

It was clear that the U.S. government was desperately looking for an enemy to replace the former USSR (Communism). Islam was the best bogeyman for several reasons, including: (i) the Zionist mainstream media had no problem demonising Muslims and Islam, as Islamophobia has infected most Americans and Europeans; (ii) Islamic nations are divided and mostly defenceless; and (iii) aggressive war against Muslims and Islam benefits Israel and Israel’s Zionist ideology. Indeed, after more than a decade of U.S. aggression and violent destruction, Israel is the biggest beneficiary of the 9/11 attacks.

Careful analyses of the 9/11 attacks by credible scientists and intelligence analysts (For more, see Reports compiled by www.investigate911.org) show that the attacks were a false flag terrorist operation to justify aggression and terrorism. It was a sophisticated operation planned and executed by well-connected and well-resourced individuals and groups in the U.S. There is no so-called “conspiracy theory”. Numerous high level U.S. officials, including Dr Steve R. Pieczenik who held important positions under three different U.S. presidents, blamed the Bush Administration for complicity in the attacks. “They [Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Stephen Hadley, Elliott Abrams, and Condoleezza Rice amongst others] ran the attacks,” said Dr Pieczenik. “It was called a stand down, a false flag operation in order to mobilize the American public under false pretenses … it was told to me even by the general on the staff of Wolfowitz – I will go in front of a federal committee and swear on perjury who the name was of the individual so that we can break it open,” added Dr Pieczenik. It was a planned pretext designed to justify the on-going U.S.-led war of terror against defenceless nations, starting with the barbaric destruction of Afghanistan in 2001 and then Iraq in 2003. Both nations had nothing to do with the attacks, and both have been subjected to a decades-long U.S. reign of terror.

Back to Bin Laden’s hyped execution by U.S. SEALs on 01 May 2012. After more than ten years of premeditated war of aggression, mass murder of innocent Muslim civilians (overwhelmingly women and children) and wanton destruction, the U.S. army found Bin Laden happily watching TV. Obviously, he was still as young as he always has been. How Bin Laden managed to remain young despite long years of ill-health is anyone’s guess. On 02 May 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama claimed that Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. SEALs and immediately buried at sea. The Zionist mainstream media and the racist Hollywood entertainment industry took no time to sell the public America’s right of killing Muslim men with impunity. Furthermore, the claim that Bin Laden has been living in Pakistan all these years is part of the U.S. on-going aggression against Pakistan. The unproven accusation designed to implicate Pakistan in terrorism, a cover to justify aggressive war.

In his highly acclaimed book Osama Bin Laden: Dead or Alive, emeritus professor David R. Griffin, argues that Bin Laden died on 13 December 2001 of kidney failure and was buried in unmarked grave in the mountains of Afghanistan. In addition, the Pakistan Observer reported on 26 December 2001 that Bin Laden died from a serious lung disease in mid-December in Afghanistan, citing an Afghan leader who attended Bin Laden’s funeral.

Furthermore, according to Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Dr Heidar Moslehi – who has extensive knowledge of the region –, Bin Laden died of disease some time ago. “We have accurate information that Bin Laden died of illness some time ago,” Dr Moslehi told reporters in Tehran on 08 May 2012. “If the U.S. military and intelligence apparatus have really arrested or killed Bin Laden, why don’t they show him (his dead body), why have they thrown his corpse into the sea?” Dr Moslehi asked. Burial at sea is not an Islamic practice and Islam does not have a timeframe for burial. Obama alleged that releasing photographs of Bin Laden’s body would have been “inflammatory,” and would create “anti-U.S. sentiments across the Muslim world”. American hypocrisy is outright criminal. We all remember that the video footages of Saddam Hussein’s execution and of his two dead sons were shown by U.S.-Western media nonstop and without respect. Former Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi was lynched and murdered by U.S.-NATO sponsored terrorists on Western camera and in broad daylight. When have the U.S. and its allies shown any respect for Islam and Islamic culture? Or even for a human body?

President Obama failed to provide conclusive evidence that U.S. SEALs had killed Bin Laden. The man died of ill-health in December 2001. By releasing false news, as always, Obama seeks to divert public attention away from major U.S. domestic problems, justifying judicial murder and enhancing the image of the U.S. military and spy networks.

Ghali Hassan is an independent political analyst living in Australia.