At last, the inevitable has happened. Osama bin Laden has been killed after 10 years of manhunt by the United States at Abbottabad near Islamabad. With the killing of the al-Qaeda leader, it has been established beyond doubt that terrorism has no place in a civilised society and the guilty will be brought to justice one day.
P.G. Ninan,
Mavelikara
Osama's successful liquidation is a shot in the arm for Americans who have been on his hunt for 10 years. It has brought relief and cheer to the relatives of those who lost their lives on 9/11. It is now clear that Pakistan is a safe haven for terrorists.
K. Ramachandran,
Vriddhachalam
The fact that the al-Qaeda leader was living in a mansion especially built for him near Pakistan's capital, not very far from the Pakistan Military Academy, shows how safe Pakistan is for terrorists.
Rohit R. Nair,
Chandigarh
The killing of bin Laden is a great victory for the world. But the larger question is whether the Pakistani establishment was aware of the al-Qaeda leader's presence in Abbottabad. It has some explaining to do.
M. Sampathkumar,
Erode
Osama's elimination marks the end of the biggest manhunt in recent history. It is clear that Pakistan has been actively protecting terrorists. India will now be in a better position to demand the arrest of those responsible for the Mumbai blasts. Pakistan can no longer hide their complicity.
M.K.B. Nambiar,
Mahe
One hopes the U.S. will no longer look at Pakistan as a reliable partner in the war against terror. If Washington is serious about preventing terror attacks and withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, it should handle Islamabad more seriously.
R. Venkita Giri,
Bangalore
President Barack Obama and his valiant men planned Osama's elimination meticulously. The world owes them a big thanks. Pakistan, obviously, has no answers on Osama's hideout in Abbottabad. Nothing will help to set right its tarnished image. It should apologise to the world and admit that it indeed harboured the al-Qaeda leader, knowingly or unknowingly.
B.V. Prasanna Kumar,
Bangalore
The U.S. has kept its promise of nabbing Osama, dead or alive. It should clearly denounce the Pakistan government for sheltering the criminal on its soil for close to five years. How does Islamabad propose to explain the elimination of a terrorist in the heart of a Pakistani city?
S.R. Badrinarayanan,
Chennai
The news of the most sought after terrorist's elimination will boost the morale of anti-terror campaigns all over the world. But before the world gets carried away by the euphoria, it should scrutinise the role played by Pakistan, which has consistently denied knowledge about Osama's whereabouts.
Shivnarayan Rajpurohit,
Bikaner
The news of Osama's death is important for not only the families of those who lost their lives on 9/11 but also people who oppose terrorism tooth and nail. With his killing just outside Rawalpindi, it is clear that Pakistan was very much in the know of his presence on its soil. It is now for the U.S. to expose its involvement in terrorist activities and declare it a terrorist state.
V.R. Ravikumar,
Chennai
Osama's killing has thrown up a few inconvenient truths. That the al-Qaeda leader was found in a mansion in Abbottabad in Pakistan is disturbing but not surprising. America's most trusted ally continues to remain the biggest hindrance to a successful global campaign against terror. The killing also marks the end of a failed experiment that the U.S. unleashed on its erstwhile Cold War rival. Pegged to take on the Soviets in Afghanistan, the experiment went horribly wrong when the monster it created turned on its master with disastrous consequences for the entire world.
Karan Thakur,
New Delhi
After one too many false reports of his death since 9/11, the U.S-led coalition has finally achieved its mission of eliminating the elusive fugitive. His killing near the Pakistan Military Academy vindicates India's stand that Islamabad was playing the double game of providing a safe haven to the terrorist, while being the frontline ally of the U.S-led coalition in the war against terror. The post-Osama scenario in Pakistan remains ominous. Religious extremists' reaction to their leader's killing could prove explosive.
Nalini Vijayaraghavan,
Thiruvananthapuram
