Al Qaeda determined to make 'new history': report

Islamabad, April 30 (IANS) A dead Osama bin Laden is as dangerous as a living one, senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has written a year after the killing of the Al Qaeda chief.

The article in Geo News Monday, just days before the first anniversary of Osama's killing in Abbottabad May 2, warned that the man was dead "but Al-Qaeda is still determined to make some new history".

"US officials have rightly claimed many times that Al Qaeda has become weaker after the death of Osama bin Laden but they cannot deny the fact that bin Ladenism is still a source of inspiration for the militants fighting from Afghanistan to Yemen and from Iraq to Palestine. Dead Osama is as dangerous as living Osama," Mir wrote.

He said that Osama got the death of his own choice. "It was his old dream not to be captured by enemy but to be killed by enemy and no burial in any grave."

Osama was gunned down by US commandos who mounted a daring operation at the elusive Al Qaeda chief's high-walled compound in Abbottabad town. The commandos flew in on board stealth helicopters, without tipping off Pakistan's military, and flew out with Osama's body and a huge cache of documents.

The article said Pakistani authorities have demolished Osama's house in Abbotabad where he was killed May 2, 2011 "but Al Qaeda is not demolished".

It went on to say that "Pakistan never gave CIA full access to interrogate Osama bin Laden's family. The big family was handed over to the Saudi authorities a few days back. Pakistanis were careful because they feared a serious backlash from Al Qaeda".

"They knew many Al Qaeda leaders were hiding quietly in big cities like Karachi and they can become a big danger anytime. Why Pakistanis are not ready to underestimate Al Qaeda? They know that Al Qaeda operators started moving from Karachi to Afghanistan after the attack on Mehran base in Karachi last year."

Terrorists had destroyed two P3C Orion aircraft during a 15-hour siege that began on the night of May 22 last year at the PNS Mehran base and led to the death of 14 people, including four terrorists.

"The US prevented more than 50 terror attacks on its soil since 9/11 but Afghanistan and Pakistan are not America. These two countries are the biggest victims of US war against terrorism since 9/11 and are still unsafe even after the death of Osama bin Laden," Mir, who hosts a popular talk show, said.

"One can differ with the ideology of Al Qaeda but the fact is that his ideology still exists and is getting stronger because of the US policies. The combination of flawed US policies and dangerous Al Qaeda ideology creates angry boys who want to become martyrs...," he added.