The Aftermath

The only news today seems to be the death of bin Laden, and I, for one have mixed emotions.

Everyone in the U.S., myself included, is glad that justice was served, and glad that hopefully - now - the victims of 911 and their family and loved ones may have some degree of closure. But to be honest, I am surprised at my unexpected emotions as I watch the celebrations regarding this death.

I can't put my finger on these 'mixed emotions', but maybe it goes something like this:

There are celebrations occurring at the death of another human, a human who presumably never knew Jesus. In some ways this is a tragedy and serves as an example of the finality of death in someone who refused to accept the gift offered by Jesus on the cross. There is a certain sadness at this, and perhaps it is somehow symbolic of every death in a person who refused to accept Jesus.

Maybe its the "celebratory aspect' of this death vs quiet reflection. I lean more towards quiet reflection, but, on the other hand can certainly understand those who need to celebrate this death and would never criticize individuals engaged in such celebration - particularly those in NYC and those who lost loved ones during that tragic day.

Anyway, now we focus on the aftermath and what we can expect now. Hyperbole or reality?

'Nuclear hellstorm' if bin Laden is caught or killed: Al-Qaida

Al-Qaida terrorists have threatened to unleash a "nuclear hellstorm" on the West if their leader and world's most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden is nabbed.

A senior Al-Qaida commander has claimed that the terror group has stashed away a nuclear bomb in Europe which will be detonated if bin Laden is ever caught or assassinated, according to new top secret files made public by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

Threats Claim Nuclear Bombs Hidden All Over U.S.

The threats came in the mail and to date, there have been 25 letters that warn of nuclear bombs destroying America.
People who got them called the FBI and CBS 2′s Kristyn Hartman learned, the Bureau’s Chicago office is leading the investigation.

FBI Special Agent Andre Zavala said, “Yes, they alarmed a lot of people.”

The letter inside said, “The Al-Qaeda organization has planted 160 nuclear bombs throughout the U.S. in schools, stadiums, churches, stores, financial institutions and government buildings.” It also said, “This is a suicide mission for us.”

Agencies in Oregon, California, Texas and Florida also got the letter with the Chicago postmark.
“There are items in the letter that lead us to believe it is a hoax,” said Zavala. “There are several demands documented that aren’t fully coherent.”

Personally, I don't believe this and it appears that we could categorize this as more hyperbole by the terrorists, something commonly seen. Additionally, I believe that the routine maintenance required of nuclear weapons exceeds the capabilities of the terrorists. We will see.

Hamas mourns bin Laden's death

Hamas on Monday condemned the killing by US forces of Osama bin Laden and mourned him as an "Arab holy warrior" while the Pakistani Taliban threatened revenge and US sources said Saudi Arabia had refused to bury the arch-terrorist's body.

"We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood," Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, told reporters.

Though he noted doctrinal differences between bin Laden's al Qaeda and Hamas, Haniyeh said: "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him mercy with the true believers and the martyrs."

Meanwhile the Pakistani Taliban threatened attacks against government leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan army and the United States.

The Muslim Brotherhood also weighs in:

Issam al-Aryan of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood responded to bin Laden's death by calling on the US to withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq. "With bin Laden's death one of the main reasons for violence in the world is gone," he said.

"It's time for Obama to withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq and terminate the occupation of the US and Western forces throughout the world, which harms Muslim states deeply."

Hamas slams killing of 'holy warrior' Osama bib Laden by U.S. forces

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Monday condemned the killing by U.S. forces of Osama bin Laden and mourned him as an "Arab holy warrior."

"We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood," Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, told reporters.

In other news:

Egypt says it will soon open Gaza border permanently

Analysts say the new rulers in Cairo are shifting policy away from the Mubarak era, in part to gain credibility amongst a largely pro-Palestinian population.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby last week called the blockade on Gaza "disgraceful" and told Al-Jazeera television that Egypt would look into ways to open the border within 10 days.

Egypt has brokered a reconciliation deal between Palestinian factions, due to be signed this week, and Cairo has signaled it is ready for closer diplomatic relations with Iran. Ties between the two countries have been severed for about three decades.

This is very big news. Now weapons from Iran will be able to flow into Gaza unabated. The preparations for war can begin in earnest. An open border between Egypt and Gaza effectively gives Iran even more of a foothold in Israel, combined with Lebanon in the north and Syria in the east.

The vice continues to tighten around Israel - exactly as described by the prophet Zechariah.