Richard Moore's Straight Talk Columns

Evil man got just what he deserved

10/5/2011

THEY do say that behind every good man is a good woman, but in Osama bin Laden's case it was rather different.

The terrorist mastermind, responsible for the deaths of thousands of people around the world, died last week _ cowering behind a woman.

There he was, six feet four of Saudi manhood, avoiding US bullets with the aid of a wife who, it must be said, probably wasn't that happy with her new role as a human shield.

They had been having a quiet night at home, watching a bit of telly - Husseinfeld, then Allah McBeal before deciding to listen to some music.

As Taliban on the Run faded into Jalalabad Moon Rising the US Navy Seals dropped in to say ``Obama says `wassup?'.''

Bin Laden, the brave face of militant Islam, showed - in his last breathing moments - exactly what terrorists are ... cowardly creatures who may be great while blowing up innocent people but, when facing their own death, dive behind a woman's skirts.

You may have gathered that I am happy with the killing of that evil man.

Actually, I rejoiced in his death and, truth be told, I still am over the moon that the man responsible for the September 11 attacks is gone.

While he lived, Bin Laden was a symbol of invincibility for his murderous supporters and was the perfect recruitment poster boy for ignorant extremists to take up jihad against the West.

Nothing but his public death at the hands of Western forces was ever going to be good enough to kill off his recruiting power.

There were reports that he was shot twice, once in the head, despite having no weapon in his hand. Lawyers and do-gooders from around the globe have questioned this.

He should have been captured and put on trial, they said.

I say the US Seal did the right thing by firing a warning shot between his eyes.

I couldn't have cared if he was playing Santa Claus for the little al-Qaedaettes when he had his brains blown out - it was long overdue, eye-for-eye justice.

If you are in any way unsure, just look at documentaries of the September 11 attacks.

Watch and remember that 3000 unarmed people died, terrified, in the fires and rubble, or throwing themselves to the pavement thousands of feet below to avoid burning to death.

They were unable to escape and unable to be with their loved ones. Some have said that the scenes of jubilation in American streets were unseemly.

I say good on Americans for celebrating the death of their No1 Bogey Man.

It sends a message to those in the Middle East that they are not the only ones who can dance in the streets to mark a major occasion, or when they burn the US flag, or drag bodies of US troops through the streets of Mogadishu.

It states, strongly, that the American public are not the turn-the-other-cheek wusses that many think they are.

There may well be reprisals, but those well-aimed US bullets will hit a collective spot in extremists' minds. Terrorists, and would-be terrorists, now know that whatever they do, nothing will prevent them being hunted down in the same fashion and that may, just may, make a few think before taking up violence.

And I reckon the US did the right thing by disposing of Bin Laden's body by dropping it off an aircraft carrier.

Firstly, it prevents him being buried on land and creating a shrine for the mass murderer.

Secondly, he did not deserve to get a Muslim ceremony as he turned his back on that religion when he began to export death and destruction.

Let's not forget he was responsible for killing hundreds of peace-desiring Muslims along the way.

I would like to finish with a joke and so here it is ... Hone Harawira.

What sort of misguided moron is he to say Bin Laden should be honoured because he was ``a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people''.

Of course Harawira was cunning enough to only say that while speaking in Maori, but forgot there was a translation running on the bottom of the screen.

Harawira, the leader of the new Mana Party, said the al-Qaeda founder should be ``honoured'' rather than ``damned'' in death.

I'll honour him as the Americans did, Hone, with two shots and a splash of water.

richard@richardmoore.com