Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lit]

Man unknowingly liveblogs Bin Laden operation

By DIAA HADID
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) - A computer programmer, startled by a helicopter clattering above his quiet Pakistani town in the early hours of the morning Monday, did what any social-media addict would do: he began sending messages to the social networking site Twitter.

With his tweets, 33-year-old Sohaib Athar, who moved to the sleepy town of Abbottabad to escape the big city, became in his own words "the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it."

Soon the sole helicopter multiplied into several and gunfire and explosions rocked the air above the town, and Athar's tweets quickly garnered 14,000 followers as he apparently became the first in the world to describe the U.S. operation to kill one of the world's most wanted militants.

His first tweet was innocuous: "Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)."

The noise alarmed Athar, who had moved to the upscale area of Abbottabad to get away from city life after his wife and child were badly injured in a car accident in the sprawling city of Lahore, according to his blog in July.

Nestled in the mountains around 60 miles (95 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Abbottabad is a quiet, leafy town featuring a military academy, the barracks for three army regiments and even its own golf course.

As the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden unfolded, Athar "liveblogged" what he was hearing in real time, describing windows rattling as bombs exploded.

He questioned whose helicopters might be flying overhead. "The few people online at this time of the night are saying one of the copters was not Pakistani," he tweeted.

Athar then said one of the aircraft appeared to have been shot down. Two more helicopters rushed in, he reported.

Throughout the battle, he related the rumors swirling through town: it was a training accident. Somebody was killed. The aircraft might be a drone. The army was conducting door-to-door searches in the surrounding area. The sound of an airplane could be heard overhead.

Athar did not respond to media requests for comment - he explained in another tweet that a filter he set up to stop his e-mail box from flooding could be culling out requests for interviews.

Soon, however, the rumbling of international events far beyond the confines of this quiet upscale suburb began to dawn on Athar, and he realized what he might be witnessing.

"I think the helicopter crash in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the President Obama breaking news address are connected," he tweeted.

Eight hours and about 35 tweets later, the confirmation came: "Osama Bin Laden killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Athar reported. "There goes the neighborhood."

http://www.nebraska.tv/story/14552070/m ... -operation

[Daniella]

thanks Lit
so..im anxious to see true images of dead evil

[Lit]

thanks Lit
so..im anxious to see true images of dead evil

Soon enough, please be patient.

According to The Los Angeles Times:

During the operation, a photo of his face was transmitted to analysts, who confirmed the identification.

According to Pentagon officials, photos of Bin Laden's dead face do exist but those widely distributed on the Internet are fake. At some point, if only to convince die-hard Bin Laden followers, officials are expected to release a corpse photo, as has been done in the past when famous villains such as Che Guevara and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were killed or captured. Additionally, such special ops are typically videotaped by mini-helmet cams to document a sensitive mission and assist in debriefing and future training.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washing ... seals.html

[Mapko]

[EPSILON]

At last something to get the bloody Royal wedding out of the news!

Fully agree. I t was the first time, watching the certain wedding , when i was hoping for Bin Laden action.!!!!

[Lit]

thanks Lit
so..im anxious to see true images of dead evil

Soon enough, please be patient.

According to The Los Angeles Times:

During the operation, a photo of his face was transmitted to analysts, who confirmed the identification.

According to Pentagon officials, photos of Bin Laden's dead face do exist but those widely distributed on the Internet are fake. At some point, if only to convince die-hard Bin Laden followers, officials are expected to release a corpse photo, as has been done in the past when famous villains such as Che Guevara and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were killed or captured. Additionally, such special ops are typically videotaped by mini-helmet cams to document a sensitive mission and assist in debriefing and future training.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washing ... seals.html

According to the same article..

Additionally, such special ops are typically videotaped by mini-helmet cams to document a sensitive mission and assist in debriefing and future training..

[Hermes]

Tracked down to a fortified compound in Pakistan surrounded by Pakistani military facilities in an area where Pakistani army officers go to retire. Does anyone doubt that Pakistan knew where this evil bastard was hiding?

[EPSILON]

Tracked down to a fortified compound in Pakistan surrounded by Pakistani military facilities in an area where Pakistani army officers go to retire. Does anyone doubt that Pakistan knew where this evil bastard was hiding?

Live Pakistanis out- The correct question should be -Does anyone doubt that "AMERICANS" knew where this evil bastard was hiding?

[B25]

I am not convinced anything has changed. A new leader will be in his shoes already. They have just stirred the hornets nest.

I wonder how many trillions of dollars that cost them (USA), just to kill an old man that they used to fund to do their dirty work in the past.

Who is the bad guy, really??????

[Paphitis]

I am not convinced anything has changed. A new leader will be in his shoes already. They have just stirred the hornets nest.

I wonder how many trillions of dollars that cost them (USA), just to kill an old man that they used to fund to do their dirty work in the past.

Who is the bad guy, really??????

Al Qaeda has not been defeated.

there will be a new leader to hunt, capture or kill!

Money is no option. And if the US is not up to the task, there are other countries that will be willing to see this through the long haul.

Money is no object when it comes to national security. And yes, there may be some desperate attempts by Al Qaeda in the near future, but we will be ready for them.

Sorry, but the prick got what he deserved.