Just on the face of it: how is Al Qaeda even in any position to confirm bin Laden's been killed? Every single person in the compound who would be in a position to provide such confirmation is either dead, in custody, or a Navy Seal.
Plus, the supposed message itself, in addition to simply seeming inauthentic (at least to my admittedly amateur ears) could not be confirmed as genuine. This, of course, did not stop the news media from implying in their headlines that it had been. Nor do they identify the names and/or addesses of the web sites on which the message allegedly appeared:
"The statement's authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but it was posted on websites where the group traditionally puts out its messages."
Finally, bin Laden himself stated that such statements are, in fact, not how Al Qaeda even operates:
From bin Laden interview with Ummat, 9/28/01
"UMMAT: The entire propaganda about your struggle has so far been made by the Western media. But no information is being received from your sources about the network of Al-Qa'idah and its jihadi successes. Would you comment?
OSAMA BIN LADEN: In fact, the Western media is left with nothing else. It has no other theme to survive for a long time. Then we have many other things to do. The struggle for jihad and the successes are for the sake of Allah and not to annoy His bondsmen. Our silence is our real propaganda. Rejections, explanations, or corrigendum only waste your time and through them, the enemy wants you to engage in things which are not of use to you. These things are pulling you away from your cause. The Western media is unleashing such a baseless propaganda, which makes us surprise but it reflects on what is in their hearts and gradually they themselves become captive of this propaganda. They become afraid of it and begin to cause harm to themselves."
The question arose in my mind, as it did in many others: "how could such a scam be pulled off with so many people involved?" And I was reluctant to completely believe this was all propaganda simply on the basis of that photo of the entire National Security Team watching the operation in the White House's Situation Room. But all that "team" saw was probably a very blurry image of something. They may not have (and probably didn't) actually see the killing of whom we are told was bin Laden. Remember, the best Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan, could say at the time was :
"When we finally were informed that those individuals who were able to go in that compound and found an individual that they believed was bin Laden, there was a tremendous sigh of relief," said Brennan.
Even the National Security Team couldn't confirm it, then, or with any concrete evidence since. For all we know, even Barack Obama is just going along for the ride. It's certainly in his political advantage to do so.
But, for the American people to just accept this "Trust Me" stance on the part of our government is not just absurd, but tragic. As someome recently pointed out, we live in a "post-logic age"....
