As more details of Bin Laden's life "in hiding" take shape, we may find ourselves with more questions than answers. A quick round of Internet research reveals that he lived in a beautiful climate, in a town along a well-traveled tourist route, near some military sites that included an advanced hospital. He lived in a luxurious neighborhood, a short drive from a golf course and an airport.
And if all that weren't enough, the most hunted man on the planet was also just down the road from a Red Onion Restaurant. There he could presumably enjoy a standard Red Onion appetizer like Thai-Style Steamed Mussels with Lime Leaf, Chilies, Coconut Milk and Mint, followed by a choice of entrees like Grilled Blackfish with Watercress Sauce over Celery Root Puree and Wild Chanterelle Mushrooms. (But remember, Sheikh Osama: No substitutions!)
(Satellite photo of reported Bin Laden compound; more images below.)
Abbottabad, an hour's drive from the beautiful tourist town of Nathiagali, has its own airport. That would have made it convenient and easy for visitors to come to Bin Laden, and for him and his team members to leave quickly if they had warning of an attack. And while all of this is preliminary information, it paints a picture of a life lived in luxury, in the shadow of a major military base.
Local reports first indicated there had been a helicopter crash and the sound of heavy gunfire near the Pakistan Military Academy on the Kakul Road. The Military Academy is described as "Pakistan's West Point." Students of military uprisings may remember that a number of coups have been instigated by officer cadres who formed alliances in military academies.
The Frontier Force Regiment, which is based in Abbottabad, contains 67 armored and artillery battalions. It fought in several battles with India over the disputed province of Kashmir, and served as part of the multinational coalition that battled Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. The Abbottabad base also features the Army Medical Center, a full hospital capable of treating virtually any kind of health problem. (If Bin Laden suffered renal failure, as was widely rumored, this would have been an ideal location.)
The COMSATS Institute of Information Technology was close to Bin Laden's reported compound. A large percentage of 9/11 conspirators were engineers, and Al Qaeda has relied strongly on computer technology. Again, this may be coincidence, but it adds to the impression that Bin Laden was in a prime location from which to lead Al Qaeda worldwide.
We don't know if Bin Laden ever left the house. But if he did, he theoretically could have taken a stroll in the local park, stopped off at the base for dialysis treatment, played a round of golf, then ended the day with some steamed mussels and grilled blackfish. And if Osama didn't care for the menu at the Red Onion, he could always go the Mona Liza, an older local restaurant. "Try their tuti fruity or chicken karahi," suggests an online reviewer.
Abbottabad is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northwest province that borders Afghanistan and the disputed regions of Kashmir and Punjab. That makes it a nerve center for international conflict ... and commerce. Life Afghanistan, the region is primarily Pashtun. There are an estimated 1.5 million Afghan refugees there. By locating there, Bin Laden seems to have been "hiding in plain sight."
The implications of Bin Laden's luxurious life, in a resort town near a military base, are deep and significant. They could affect relationships between the United States and Pakistan, between the Pakistani military and the government, and even among various branches and factions within the military.
The location of Bin Laden's capture adds weight to reports that elements of the military and intelligence services have been helping Al Qaeda all along. That could also hamper Pakistan's efforts to control its own internal terrorism problem. A wave of recent terror attacks have been directed against Sufis and their shrines. Extremists have also carried out several recent assassinations, including that of Salman Tasneer, the governor of neighboring Punjab.
And Bin Laden's capture certainly has implications for the Red Onion in Abbottabad. If its prices are anything like those in the Woodstock Red Onion, how many other people in town could afford to bring a large party to a joint that charges ten bucks for an appetizer and twenty-five for an entree?
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A personal note: For anyone who might feel this is an overly flippant tone about a serious and morally complex matter, maybe it's a defense against our own feelings about 9/11. Until a few weeks before the attack, I worked a couple of blocks away. My wife would have been in the building that morning if she hadn't woken up with the flu. I knew people who died that day. I found a photo pass to WTC 2 in my pocket a years after the towers fell.
I also spoke with Muslims in my neighborhood in the dark days after the attack. They were living in terror and facing constant threats because this act had been performed in the name of their religion, despite the fact that it violated Islam's basic tenets (as more than 6,000 imams and scholars have affirmed). So maybe the humor's a distancing mechanism brought on by all these emotions.
And on a related note: We cannot confirm reports that Donald Trump won't believe that Bin Laden is dead until he sees the death certificate.
(This post is based on my independent research, is a personal work, and is not the result of any professional affiliation. It was updated several times as additional information came in.)
From an online review: "Red Onion, the famous restaurants chain in Pakistan has presence in Abbottabad as well. Their food is really good and interior impressive. Every dish is served with onion rings covered by red sauce.
One weekends they have roof top barbecue along with live music. But their service is a bit slow. Still you can call it one of best restaurants in Abbottabad."
Location of reported Bin Laden compound:
Reported location of gunshots and helicopter crash:
Military sites in Abbottabad:
The drive from residential Abbottabad to the golf course:
Army Medical Center:
Aerial view of the Red Onion in Abbottabad:
A local writes: "If you come to Abbottabad then you should not miss a trip to beautiful Shimla Hills to get over view of entire valley and nearby hill resorts. You can trekk , walk or hire a local suzuki. Children can enjoy rides in park while elders can have a cup of tea or coffee along with snacks in open air restaurant."
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I'm not saying all credit goes to Obama but Bush was just assumed to be a great military leader because he spoke platitudes. He never delivered and despite intelligence, consistently made the wrong decisions. He was a simpleton.
Meantime, I'm a bit disgusted by the cavalier Monday-morning-quarterback commentary going on, as though we're talking about winning the Super Bowl. That coupled with the images of idiots chanting "USA! USA!" can only incite more violence despite the President's vow that this isn't about Islam. For once, I'd like to see a little humility on the part of Americans who always seem to forget we're not ruling the planet. Thousands of people died on 9/11 and ostensibly in the 10 years since because of OBL. You'd think we'd be more reflective on the gravity of that, and not be joining in choruses of "Ding, dong the witch is dead."
All I can say is, if you're going abroad over the next few months, watch your back.
If Osama had outlived his usefulness, what would that mean? There might be a new game going on, one unrelated to Osama. Capturing him was extremely important, but it's said he was too sick to be the real leader of al Qaeda any more and had become just a figurehead. It's also said that al Qaeda is highly decentralized now and doesn't need a single leader like Osama anymore. So a paranoid thought keeps entering my head. What if al Qaeda itself, or one branch of it, leaked the location of Osama's mansion? It might be a rather effective way of putting the US off its guard and inviting overconfidence. Osama might even have been willing to sacrifice his own life for such a trick play.
In any case, it's surely better not to take any chances and to avoid triumphalism and be even more vigilant than before. There could be a trap up ahead. Ugh. RJ, do you ever get any suspicions like this?
"living in a cave' was part of the legend Osama plied to his followers. His medical issues required facilities nearby, and other technical aspects of his network of terrorists had to be available. It only makes sense.
Real issues with Pakistan remain on this....however, it could be argued that only the more radical elements within Pakistan were complicit. The fact that the raid was kept in such secrecy from Pakistani officials mitigates the argument that a small cadre of Pakistani's were helpful to Bin Laden.
Also, I think the "cave myth" was more a myth for us Americans than for bin Laden's followers--it wouldn't look good for Bush if he were in a suburb, but if he's living in a cave, "we got 'em on the run." I never bought it.
His lifestyle reveals he hadn't a clue what it meant to live like the people he hid among. If he was that smart he would have put garbage on the curb to be collected like everyone else, to blend in. Even if it was fake garbage.
Now the United States military has finally shown him what it means to do without, by showing him what it means to do without his life.
Now Pakistan has some hard questions to answer about why this man was located where he was.
I noticed much of the same during my early morning surf.
I hope you had some help!
Very thorough and very important stuff.
Well done!