Chicago Tribune (May 2)
“Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the last time Americans agreed on anything.” One year ago, Osama bin Laden was killed in a “gutsy” raid. For a brief shining moment, everyone rejoiced. Since then, partisan politics has split the country and impasse has reigned supreme. Still, it’s worth remembering that, in ordering the raid, President Obama “made a tough call and won.”
Tags: Obama, Osama bin Laden, Partisan, Politics, U.S.
Washington Post (May 5)
Was it legal for U.S. Special Forces to kill Osama bin Laden? The Post argues both the killing and the raid, which was conducted without Pakistani approval, were legal under the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF). Passed by Congress one week after September 11, AUMF essentially declared war on al-Qaeda and the Taliban, giving the president broad powers to conduct the campaign. “The covert military operation that brought down the most wanted terrorist in the world appears to have been gutsy and well executed. It was also lawful.”
Tags: Congress, Legality, Osama bin Laden, Pakistan, U.S.
Boston Globe (May 3)
“Thousands of young people took to the streets to cheer the death of Osama bin Laden.” Though unseemly, it’s easy to understand why the revelry was greatest in New York, Washington and Boston. These were “the cities most directly affected by the 9/11 attacks.” Nobody can forget what happened on September 11, when the lives of a nation changed forever. “Bin Laden’s death was, for many, the first event to diminish the sense of horror that arrived in their childhood and followed them ever since.” Unseemly or not, the cheering is understandable.
Tags: Osama bin Laden, September 11, U.S.
