Osama Bin Laden is Dead

[Greyblades]

The head of the CIA was about to be replaced. If I were in that position, I'd want to get the guy on my watch (with all the attached glory that brings) rather than wait a few more months.

He was never going to be taken alive. Trying him in a court would prove very, very messy for oh so many reasons. Shot in the chest and in the head - sounds like one in the firefight and then another one afterwards to be sure.

How would it be messy? If I remember correctly he was guilty as sin's less conservative twin brother. The only thing I could imagine becoming messy would be finding a jury that wouldnt try to lynch him he second they enter court.

[Banquo's Ghost]

How would it be messy? If I remember correctly he was guilty as sin's less conservative twin brother. The only thing I could imagine becoming messy would be finding a jury that wouldnt try to lynch him he second they enter court.

I know it's easy to miss in our modern world, but the USA still operates their justice system (in the main) on the basis that someone is innocent until proven guilty. To arrest bin Laden would have been to require a fair trial - which as you note, might have been challenging. In addition, the attempts by lunatic followers to force his "release" would have been costly to innocent lives. Therefore better to give him what both the Americans and he wished - a swift, unmessy (save for the bed linens) execution in "battle".

Not the idealistic thing to do, but a lot less mess.

[rory_20_uk]

How would it be messy? If I remember correctly he was guilty as sin's less conservative twin brother. The only thing I could imagine becoming messy would be finding a jury that wouldnt try to lynch him he second they enter court.

OK...

First off: Jurisdiction. The Hague? Pakistan? Saudi Arabia? USA?
Second: getting a jury that isn't biased - in any country
Third: evidence that stands up in court. Most is probably inadmissible. His acts are so extreme that what if he were to plead insanity?
Fourth: sentence. Would anything but death be sufficient? Not all jurisdictions do that.
Fifth: length of trial. It could turn into a circus, and take years.
Sixth: type of trial. A nice military kangaroo court would hardly help future international standing.

I agree that anyone in Cuba is well past their sell-by date. Where he was wasn't even built when they went in there. But it's an easy claim to make and right about now people will believe anything. A clever political ploy to limit the damage that not closing the place could cause. To protest about it now is going to be very difficult.