2 May 2011 Last updated at 04:31

LIVE: Osama Bin Laden dead

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0007: It's been a dramatic week - the killing of arguably the world's most wanted man and the emergence of intriguing details about where he was hiding. Questions remain of course, including concerns over Pakistan's failure to detect Bin Laden and about exactly how the US raid was planned and executed. We're going to end our live coverage now, but we'll have all the latest on the aftermath of Osama Bin Laden's death over the coming days and weeks. Thanks for following events with us.
2345: Nik in the UK writes: "In response to Raj in the US: If drones had been used to destroy the compound the hard discs and other useful documents could not have been retrieved. In terms of anti-terrorism, I suggest the value of killing one holed-up individual - Bin Laden - is questionable and highly emotive. Whereas the real prize in this operation is the acquisition and potential of high quality data about the al-Qaeda organisation. This could yield long-term benefits way above those of removing a figurehead. Thus, only special forces could have executed this particular task." Have Your Say
2340: Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has moved economic consultations with Pakistan to Dubai due to security concerns in the aftermath of Bin Laden's death. The talks will start 11 May, a spokesperson told Reuters.
2334: Mehdi Hasan tweets: "I wish the media would debate the extra-judicial killing of innocent Pakistani civilians by US drones as much as we've debated OBL's killing."
2327: More on the rail plot, which Reuters is also now reporting. Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matthew Chandler tells the news agency: "We have no information of any imminent terrorist threat to the US rail sector, but wanted to make our partners aware of the alleged plotting. It is unclear if any further planning has been conducted since February of last year."
2320: Odyssée Ndayisaba tweets: "Navy Seals' assassination of #OBL left traces in its trail - a long-secret military #stealth #helicopter."
2314: AFP news agency reports that this attack was planned for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
2313: The news agency notes that this information appears to be the first widely circulated intelligence pulled from the 1 May raid. US officials are currently reviewing what the CIA chief Leon Panetta has described as an "impressive" amount of material found in Bin Laden's hiding place.
2311: A US intelligence warning sent to law enforcement officials around the country says as that of February 2010, the terror organisation was considering tampering with an unspecified US rail track so that a train would fall off the track at a valley or a bridge, reports Associated Press.
2307: Reports are coming in suggesting that some of the information taken from the Bin Laden compound indicates that al-Qaeda considered attacking US trains.
2306: J Santana, Corinth, Grenada writes: "The US has no business making public certain facts of the raid - facts such as OBL being unarmed at the time of death. I'm not too particular about the release of the photos. However, considering all the facts that have already been published, they might as well just go ahead and release them. Albeit, a dead Osama is of more significance than an incarcerated one could have ever been. He was wrong to be unarmed. A guy of his stature should always be armed." Have Your Say
2301: The Telegraph suggests there are fears that the technology taken from the helicopter could end up in China. The newspaper cites Peter Felstead, the editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, who said analysts had used photos to conclude that it was a "stealth helicopter that we have not seen before". "The Americans will be extremely keen to get the wreckage back but there will also be real concerns about the technology finding its way to China," he said. "This kind of technology would be extremely useful to them at this point."
2248: There is continuing speculation about the possibility that the helicopter used during the raid was a previously top-secret "stealth" helicopter. US forces tried to destroy the helicopter after it was damaged but parts remained. "As pictures of the wreckage have emerged, aviation experts say the helicopter appears to share characteristics of both a Black Hawk helicopter and a stealth fighter jet," reports the Christian Science Monitor.
2234: "And I think that what we tried to do was - consulting with experts in Islamic law and ritual - to find something that was appropriate, that was, respectful of the body," Mr Obama added.
2231: "It was a joint decision," Mr Obama said when asked whether he personally made the decision for burial at sea. "We thought it was important to think through ahead of time how we would dispose of the body if he were killed in the compound," he told the CBS's 60 Minutes programme.
2228: Meanwhile, in an interview with America's CBS News, President Obama has defended the burial of Bin Laden at sea as "respectful".
2222: Talat Hamdani, 59, was one of those who met Mr Obama during the president's visit to New York's Ground Zero. Mr Hamdani, whose 23-year-old police cadet son, Salman, died in the 9/11 attacks, described it as a "very healing" experience. "I thanked him for being there for me today and... that I was very proud of him as our president".
2215: The BBC's Steve Kingstone says that publicly, the White House will give no further details of the raid, but behind the scenes, officials again altered Washington's account of what happened. He says that they've told respected media outlets, including the New York Times, that only one individual - a courier for Bin Laden - fired at US special forces.
2212: As the account of the raid by the US comes under more scrutiny, more details have emerged contradicting initial briefings by the White House. Administration officials have now told the US media that only one person within the compound fired at the American special forces. Previous accounts had indicated a lengthy and "volatile" fire-fight.
2207: The US need not apologise for "doing the right thing", argues the Telegraph newspaper in an editorial. It says the "hamfisted" way the White House has handled the aftermath should not detract from the success of killing a man responsible for thousands of deaths. "It is perverse to portray the victims as the villains of the piece, and vice versa. The death of bin Laden should be a cathartic moment for the American nation, which has lost much blood and treasure confronting a terrorist evil," it states.
2159: Raj in the US writes: "In response to Ashfaq's earlier message regarding Pakistani lives not being valuable: If Pakistani lives were not valuable, then the USA could have just used a drone attack. There would be no pictures, nor testimony regarding what happened. The Navy Seals saved the children and the females. The USA did not bring the war to Pakistan. The war on terror started after 9/11. If Pakistan protected its border and did not provide safe haven to terrorists, then there would be no Pakistani lives lost. As far as the war on terror goes, multiple politicians have given credit to Pakistan and acknowledged how many Pakistanis have died. At the end of the day, Pakistan needs to stop providing shelter to terrorists." Have Your Say
2151: According to USA Today, a US official said Mr Obama "will have the opportunity to privately thank some of the special operators involved in the operation tomorrow at Ft Campbell". The newspaper reports that the meeting will be private, with no press coverage.
2146: A White House official says that Mr Obama will meet some of the US Navy Seals involved in the Bin Laden operation on Friday, when he visits Fort Campbell in Kentucky, according to AP. Fort Campbell is home to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which participated in Monday's raid.
2138: Edward Kilduff, the New York City Fire Department Chief, tells the BBC he believes President Obama was moved by his visit to a fire station where 15 firefighters lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. "This firehouse symbolises the sacrifices that were made by the firefighters and first-responders in New York City. I think the world knows that to some degree. So, for him to come here and to see the faces of the firefighters that were killed on September 11 and to see the shrine that was erected in their honour really meant something to him," he said.
2134: The Guardian reports that former Cuban President Fidel Castro has strongly condemned Bin Laden's killing, calling it "abhorrent". According to the newspaper, Castro wrote a column published on Thursday in the communist party Granma, which stated: "Whatever the actions attributed to him, the assassination of an unarmed human being while surrounded by his own relatives is something abhorrent".
2128: Meanwhile, Laura Bush has been talking about the decision made by her husband, former President George W Bush, not to visit Ground Zero with President Obama. She told the Associated Press that Mr Bush wanted to keep a low profile, saying: "He made the real decision not to enter into politics or the public eye". Mr Obama had invited the former president to attend, but he declined.
2122: "On one part, it feels like it was years ago, and on another part it feels like it was just yesterday," Mr LaPointe adds.
2108: Fire Department Lieutenant Joe LaPointe tells The New York Times his meeting with President Obama earlier on Thursday elicited a "surreal feeling". "He said it was an honour and a privilege to meet us. He thanked us for doing our job. And we also thanked him for doing his."
2100: Ms Flournoy was the first Pentagon official to comment on-the-record about the raid.
2057: Michele Flournoy, the top policy aide to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, told reporters the Pakistani government should help the US exploit the materials US operatives collected inside Bin Laden's compound on Monday, AP reports.
2050: The president's recent poll boost is shown in context in this interactive BBC graphic.
2041: CNN's Nic Robertson says that because Pakistan has vowed to reduce the US military presence within the country, this could mean more members of al-Qaeda could seek refuge inside the country's borders.
2031: Ashfaq in Canada writes: "President Obama paid tribute to the 3,000 lives lost in the 9/11 attacks. I haven't heard him or any other person in his administration paying tribute to the more then 30,000 lives lost in Pakistan because of the US's war on terror. In other words, Pakistani collusion in the war on terror with the US brought war to Pakistan itself, and still not a single word of appreciation from President Obama. I guess American life has more value than any other nationality in the world." Have Your Say
2026: During the meeting, Pakistani military officials decided to reduce the strength of US military personnel in Pakistan to the minimum level, according to a statement.
2023: Pakistan's Gen Ashfaq Kiyani has made it clear following a meeting with the country's commanders that any similar action violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, like that of the US mission, will warrant a review on the level of military co-operation with the America.
2017: David Mbuthia, 63, immigrated from Kenya and worked with President Obama's father. His daughter serves in the US military and just returned from Afghanistan. He came out to see the president at Ground Zero to show his support and was delighted to see so many other people along the street. "Him coming here means a lot, for me and my family," he said.
2011: A US woman who lost a husband during the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 tells MSNBC that despite hardship, many family members of 9/11 victims have been able to lead "powerful lives".
2005: Mr Obama met at the White House on Wednesday with Vice Admiral William McRaven, who The Washington Post newspaper said was the commander of the Bin Laden mission, Reteurs reports.
1959: On Friday, President Obama will meet with some of the special operations team that carried out the raid on Bin Laden's compound, AP reports citing sources.
1951: The Financial Times reports the cost of the "war on terror", in response to the 9/11 attacks, has cost US tax payers at least $2bn (£1.2).
1943: The acknowledgement came after Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani convened a meeting of commanders on the fourth day after US commandos tracked down and killed Bin Laden.
1940: Pakistan's army has admitted to intelligence shortcomings in finding Bin Laden's location in Abbottabad.
1934: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she had "no idea" what she was watching with President Obama and his national security staff when a photographer snapped a picture of her with her hand clasped over her mouth, ABC reports.
1928: Michelle, from Grovertown, Indiana, US writes:"I think the wreath laying ceremony and the president's remarks to the FDNY and NYPD showed a lot of dignity and grace, just as his decision not to release the photos of OBL did the very same. I'm proud to have him for our president and hope that past and future politicians of our country can take note. This is what a leader should be." Have Your Say
1924: One New York firefighter says he told President Obama while meeting with him that all firefighters around the city are "with him every step of the way." "We're indebted", he adds.
1915: Jedw tweets: "Saw Obama lay the wreath at ground zero on TV, still very moving thinking about 9/11. Happy for New Yorkers who now have some closure."
1911: According to reports, Mr Obama met with families of 9/11 victims inside a modern-looking storefront that says "9/11 Memorial Preview Site".
1906: One New York City police officer tells MSNBC that though he is proud of Mr Obama for his efforts, he would still like to see the photograph of Bin Laden's body "to help put people's minds to rest".
1900: New York City police officers are not just in attendance at Ground Zero for safety purposes. Many officers can still be seen in their uniforms taking photographs of the event.
1847: Meanwhile, at the Pentagon in Washington DC, the US vice president Joseph Biden has laid a wreath next to a stone blackened from the fire that engulfed the building on 9/11 when an aircraft was crashed into the defence department's headquarters.
1845: Ric from Nevada tweets: "#Obama validated the Bush doctrine by getting #Osama, a doctrine he bashed and trashed his entire political career."
1829: The White House says New York Governor Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Christie, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Port Authority Chairman David Samson were with Mr Obama at the wreath-laying ceremony. Uniformed officers from the Fire Department of New York, New York Police Department and the Port Authority line the president's path. Mr Obama placed the wreath at the foot of the Survivor Tree - a callery pear tree found in the wreckage of the World Trade Center plaza, nursed back to health, and planted at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.
1823: CNN anchor John King is asked how long the spirit of unity in the US will last following the events of this week. He says: "I think the tone in Washington will change, but not for long, because of the profound disagreements on issues ahead."
1821: Stevie Wander tweets: "Obama is shaking hands, hugging victims' families, being presidential, and fine at it."
1818: The BBC's Franz Strasser has been speaking to Al Rojas, 26, who immigrated from Mexico and wanted to see the president at Ground Zero. He brought his baby daughter and his wife and said it was important for the president to show his appreciation for the military and his support for the people who lost loved ones on 9/11. "We don't have these freedoms where I come from and I think we take them for granted sometimes here."
1817: President Obama has been meeting politicians and family members of the victims of 9/11 at the eerily silent building site that is Ground Zero today. He is expected to spend about an hour hearing from the families and sharing his thoughts.
1807: Franz Strasser tweets: "Spectators have lined up along Church Street near Ground Zero hoping to catch a glimpse of President Obama."
1802: President Obama has placed his wreath on a wooden stand at Ground Zero. He then stood to one side with his head bowed.
1759: President Obama has arrived at Ground Zero in New York for the wreath-laying ceremony. He is not expected to make a speech but will meet with families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
1748: The BBC's Mark Mardell writes: "I am now inside the Ground Zero space - a building site that has fallen silent just for a couple of hours. A haunting blank space in the centre of a city surrounded by skyscrapers, a monument slowly taking shape."
1745: The New York City police station being visited by President Obama in Lower Manhattan covers the site of the World Trade Center, now known as Ground Zero. Its officers were the first on the scene during the 9/11 attacks.
1740: White House spokesman Jay Carney, briefing journalists on Air Force One on the way to New York, said President Obama's visit recognised the terrible loss sustained by the city on 9/11 and would allow "New Yorkers and Americans everywhere to achieve a sense of closure".
1735: Michelle Shephard tweets: "The men in suits with plastic coils running from their ears at #groundzero outnumber the journalists. And there is A LOT of press. #NYC."
1732: On his way to Ground Zero, President Obama has stopped at the offices of the New York Police Department to pay tribute to the part they played in the events of 9/11.
1728: MDC tweets: "Decision on #OBL death photo is classic Obama. Pragmatic, emotionally unsatisfying, probably correct."
1724: More on President Obama's address to firefighters in New York city a short while ago. He said: "This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day almost 10 years ago. Obviously you can't bring back the friends that were lost. What happened on Sunday sent a message: When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say. It's something that transcends party, administrations."
1719: Former US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld tweets: "While I've not seen the #OBL photos&there may be good reasons not to release them, I haven't heard any yet."
1716: President Obama has ended his visit to the New York fire station and is on his way to Ground Zero, correspondents say.
1709: Franz Strasser tweets: "This is Ground Zero from high above. Only satellite trucks, uniformed people, and selected guests are inside. http://twitpic.com/4trany"
1702: Mudassir, Pakistan, writes: "Would Nato ever attack another Nato member country without informing that country? America can do nothing in Afghanistan and Pakistan without the support of Pakistan intelligence. They must be co-operating with each other but America wants to get full credit for OBL's capture, so they can make movies on it in the next few decades to glorify the US." Have Your Say
1659: Security is clearly tight for President Obama's visit to New York. There are police marksmen stationed on the roof of the fire station where he is having lunch and meeting fire crews.
1654: During his visit to a fire station in New York, President Barack Obama said the killing of Osama Bin Laden sent a message to the world and the country that "when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say". He was speaking at Engine 54, Ladder 4 Battalion, that lost 15 firefighters during the 9/11 attacks.
1648: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani greeted President Obama when his helicopter landed in the Wall Street area of New York. The president is due to lay a wreath at Ground Zero shortly.
1643: Patricia Bingley, whose son Kevin Dennis died in the attacks on the World Trade Center, told the BBC she felt "relieved" when she heard Bin Laden had been killed. "I really wasn't expecting that because I have waited 10 years for this monster to be caught and I was beginning to give up hope," she said. "When it sunk in, when it really sunk in, I was so relieved. It has brought justice for my son, and a sort of a closure for my son's death."
1636: The BBC's Jonny Dymond in New York writes: "Mixed opinions on the streets about the president's visit, some pleased, some ignorant. A fair number of people talking about closure, or at least the closing of a chapter. The weather here almost a replica of that day in September, but the streets around Ground Zero buzzing with life."
1633: President Obama is visiting a fire station in New York that lost 15 firefighters in the 9/11 attacks. He will arrive at Ground Zero shortly for a wreath-laying ceremony.
1631: Tom Hayden, in the LA Times, calls for an end to the US military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. In his blog he writes: "The targeted killing of Osama Bin Laden is powerful evidence that terrorist threats, both real and hypothetical, can be more effectively suppressed by special forces operations than by deploying hundreds of thousands of American soldiers on the ground."
1625: The BBC's Lyse Doucet tweets: "Every Pakistani I spoke to in an Islamabad market insisted Obama must release #OBL pix to dispel doubts about death in #Pakistan"
1618: The BBC's Mark Mardell in New York says: "Crowds begin to gather around Ground Zero. They say this event will bring some closure but one man says they relive 9/11 every day. No-one seems impressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury's argument.
1608: A Pakistani official has told the BBC that 13 children were recovered from Osama Bin Laden's compound - two girls and 11 boys. It is not clear how many were Bin Laden's.
1602: Christiane Amanpour of ABC News tweets: "In '04 Bin Laden boasted of bleeding Soviets dry out of Afghanistan blood&dollars. He promised to do same to US."
1559: Some Pakistanis are telling the BBC World Service they still doubt Bin Laden has been killed. One Karachi resident said: "I thought it was a joke. I got a message and I simply deleted it. I didn't believe it until I saw it on TV." She added that she was still sceptical "because they are not showing pictures". Another resident said: "I have not seen any proof; we are waiting for the proof."
1552: It was Osama Bin Laden's wife who disclosed during interrogation that the al-Qaeda leader had been living at the compound in Abbotabad for five years, Pakistani military officials revealed in their briefing in Rawalpindi.
1547: President Obama had just arrived at New York's JFK Airport for the wreath-laying ceremony at Ground Zero.
1542: "This operation was not a capture operation, it was meant to kill him," says Michael Scheuer who led the CIA's hunt for Bin Laden for several years before 9/11. Speaking to the BBC World Service, he said it was "absolutely the right decision" to go ahead without informing Pakistan. "We have a long record of violating Pakistani sovereignty, and the Pakistanis squeal and yell - as they rightly should - but it never goes further than that," he said.
1538: Sheif Ipapara, Tokyo, Japan, writes: "About sovereignty being an issue to Pakistan. OBL would still be at large if the US took their time to see Pakistan's co-operation. They are just hiding incompetence, embarrassment and the possibility of looking the other way." Have Your Say
1534: Just to recap: Pakistan's military says in a statement that US forces in the country will be reduced to the "minimum essential" levels. No comment yet from Washington.
1531: The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones in Karachi says: "When Benazir Bhutto was assassinated back in 2007, this city was shut down; there were three days of riots here. Bin Laden has been killed and frankly you just wouldn't know it. Life goes on."
1522: Franz Strasser tweets: "Just walked the entire circle around Ground Zero and there is some type of law enforcement about every 30 yards."
1519: The statement by the Pakistani army is its first since Monday's raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader. The army has been heavily criticised for failing to find Bin Laden despite his home being a conspicuous compound in an army town not far from the capital Islamabad.
1515: Martin, Chiayi, Taiwan, writes: "If the Americans want to put their spin on what happened, then they could at least get their story straight. They've managed to leave a lot of unanswered questions, contradictions and confusion. They have handled the whole thing in an incredibly sloppy manner." Have Your Say
1512: Army commanders were summoned to headquarters in Rawalpindi to be "informed about the decision to reduce the strength of US military personnel in Pakistan to the minimum level", AFP reports. Army chief-of-staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani "made it very clear that any similar action violating [Pakistan's] sovereignty will warrant a review of military, intelligence co-operation with the US", a military statement said.
1508: More now on that statement from Pakistan's military reported by AFP. Army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani convened a meeting of corps commanders which said in a statement that "while admitting own shortcomings" in developing intelligence on Bin Laden's whereabouts, the "achievements" by military intelligence against al-Qaeda and other terror groups were without parallel.
1502: Pao, Bangkok, Thailand, writes: "The killing of Osama is purely symbolic for the American people, Likewise 9/11 was also symbolic for fundamentalists. There will be many more events in the near future that will continue to define this struggle of ideologies." Have Your Say
1459: Pakistan wants Washington to reduce its military personnel in the country and has threatened to review co-operation following the raid that killed Bin Laden, AFP also reports.
1454: Pakistan's military has admitted to intelligence "shortcomings" on pinpointing Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts and has called for an investigation, AFP reports. We'll bring you more details on this as we get them.
1452: "There is an immense problem of credibility," Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani physicist and commentator, tells the BBC World Service. "Pakistani leaders had been emphatic in saying that 'no he is not in Pakistan', and then he turns up right under their noses." He adds: "People are asking, is the military incompetent or is it complicit? And that is a question that will be asked for a long time."
1447: A senior US defence official says only one of the five people killed in the raid on the compound was armed and ever fired a shot, AP news agency reports. The official says that person was killed in the early minutes of the attack - an account that differs from original reports of a prolonged firefight and stiff resistance.
1438: Dawud Wharnsby, from Canada, moved to Abbottabad to be close to his wife's grandparents. In the Emel blog he recalls the events of 2 May: "Around 1.00am, while my family and I were sleeping, I awoke to the sound of a helicopter, gunfire and then an explosion which shook the house. The next morning we received a nervous call from an American friend who was concerned for our security and urged us to "keep a low profile" - not because of an accidental helicopter crash in our neighbourhood, but because President Obama had just announced that Osama Bin Laden had been captured and killed near Abbottabad."
1433: The BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Abbottabad, says people coming to visit Bin Laden's compound are quite clear - they want to see the photos, no matter how gruesome. Many still don't believe accounts of the operation, he adds, although it may be that they simply don't want to believe Bin Laden was among them and was killed not by their army but by the US.
1421: Skalwani in Rochester, US, writes: "There is no need to release photos. However, supplemental proof such as evidence gathered from the site and other supporting evidence, can be made public." Have Your Say
1412: Osama Bin Laden's death will have minimal impact on Somalia's al-Qaeda affiliated militants Al-Shabab, according to international affairs expert Prof David Shinn of George Washington University. Few of the rank and file, he says, are ideologically motivated. "Bin Laden was never a major draw for them," he adds.
1405: Does Bin Laden's death end the "clash of civilisations" theory? Interesting opinion piece from Tim Cohen on the website of the South African daily BusinessDay.
1400: LaToya Archibald tweets: "If the mission to find #OBL was so top secret, then why am I hearing about all the details? Can America keep a secret?"
1355: A UK opposition MP says the death of Bin Laden is an added reason for the UK's lower house of parliament to consider whether the "sacrifice" of British lives in Afghanistan should continue. Labour MP Denis MacShane said the House of Commons should be allowed to vote on pulling troops out.
1346: Peter in Uganda writes: "If Osama was killed, there is no need to hide his picture, it will change nothing. Let the government show what they did." Have Your Say
1343: The Washington Post has a profile of Vice Adm William H McRaven, "the terrorist hunter on whose shoulders Osama Bin Laden raid rested".
1334: Osie in Spain writes: "The killing of Osama Bin Laden shouldn't be a day of rejoicing to the US and the rest of the world. He is not the only figure who has caused atrocities and his death will lead to more violence. His capture could have helped the US security forces but now they have lost information because he is dead." Have Your Say
1331: EU spokesman Michael Mann says "there can be no doubt" that Pakistan will remain an important partner in the region, despite questions over how Bin Laden managed to pass under the radar in Abbottabad.
1324: The BBC's Frank Gardner says it is very important for the US to get their story over what happened during the raid straightened out, so as not to further fuel conspiracy theories - which he notes are widespread in some Muslim countries and still include the belief that 9/11 was not the work of al-Qaeda.
1317: : Zaki, in Pakistan, writes: "Islamic rituals for the dead before burial, require the body to be cleaned before wrapping in a white sheet. US said earlier this was performed before lowering the body in the sea. If the pictures just after the incident are gruesome, why don't the US government show pictures from when the body was washed?" Have Your Say
1314: : Khizar, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, writes: "Just one question: How would the US react if Pakistani marines planned out a similar operation to kill or capture a hidden Al Qaeda suspect in their country?" Have Your Say
1304: celesteheadlee tweets: "Pakistan's glad Bin Laden is dead, but they won't welcome any more missions inside their borders."
1300: Steve Chapman asks "what Bin Laden's death means for the war on terror" in this article published on reason.com
1253: Muhammad Izhar Ahmad, in Pakistan, writes: "It is quite clear to everyone here in Pakistan, that after the operation and killing of OBL, US strategy in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq will change in the coming years. A lot of people do not believe in the US president's statements since the US said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. May be the US wants to get some thing out of it and will release photos at a later time." Have Your Say
1249: Gomti Chokra, in France, writes: "'This is not who we are' - President Obama on his reason for not publishing pictures of the dead Bin Laden. Restraint, understatement, dignity and above all, impeccable taste - repairing the tattered image of the US. An American president the world can respect." Have Your Say
1246: President Obama is due to visit Ground Zero in New York later on Thursday and speak to relatives of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Monica Iken, who lost her husband Michael in the attack on the World Trade Center, tells BBC World Service that the killing of Bin Laden "doesn't mean closure in my book. The reality is that my husband and all those 3,000 lives will never come home to their families". She says the focus now needs to be on the memorial and museum which will open in September.
1240: Pakistani defence analyst Perwez Hoodbhoy tells the BBC that a lot of Pakistanis "want to believe that Bin Laden is alive". He adds that "there is also condemnation", with many people asking why the US commandoes were allowed to carry out the operation in Abbottabad.
1235: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, says that the killing of Bin Laden - who was unarmed - has left him with "a very uncomfortable feeling".
1232: ColeGolden tweets: "Heard on Fox News that the majority of teens dont know who Osama Bin Laden is...wow. History lesson in English today :)"
1227: "The elimination of Bin Laden will significantly reduce international terrorist activities in Russia and in particular, the North Caucasus," Ingushetia leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov is quoted as saying by the Moscow Times newspaper.
1222: If you're just joining us, welcome to the BBC's live coverage of events following the death of Osama Bin Laden. We're bringing you the latest updates from our correspondents, expert analysis and your reaction from around the world. You can contact us via email, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can.
1217: Shaun, in England, writes: "What about the effects of the mystery of his death? Surely failing to provide proof (even the DNA results would do) is just as potent a propaganda tool for the terrorist community? Release the photos." Have Your Say
1212: The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Abbottabad says that Pakistani security forces have now moved people back from the compound used by Bin Laden. However, lots of people are still milling around, he adds.
1207: TheDailyShow tweets: "President @barackobama seals his re-election in 2012 with the Bin Laden Bump. http://bit.ly/lvpvma (expand) #Osama #indecision2012 #DailyShow"
1202: Suresh, in Singapore, writes: "What must be the Nobel Peace committee thinking now? One of the Nobel Peace Prize winners ordered this execution, no matter who he is and what he is done." Have Your Say
1154: Mohsin Ali, in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan writes: "It's good, he (Bin Laden) was a terrorist and he got his reward, as a Muslim he gave the wrong impression about Muslims, Islam is a peaceful religion." Have Your Say
1151: wallaceme tweets: "Impressive that Bin Laden managed to get a superinjunction on his photo from beyond the grave... #obl."
1148: Philip Styles, in England, writes: "Some suggest the US has "faked" the killing of Osama Bin Laden and that he is actually still alive and at large. It's an interesting, but stupid theory, given that all he would need to do, to severely embarass and discredit the US would be to film himself holding a recent newspaper and release the tape. He won't, because he's dead." Have Your Say
1140: Photographer Chris Steele-Perkins of Magnum photo agency says it was right not to release photos of Bin Laden, for both "practical and moral" reasons". He tells BBC World Service: "Anybody who doesn't believe that he's dead now, isn't going to believe that by seeing a photograph." He adds that any photo would become like "a trophy", and it is therefore "more dignified" not to publish such an image.
1133: UN human rights chief Navi Pillay calls for a "full disclosure of specific facts" relating to the US operation Abbottabad, the AFP news agency reports.
1129: Susan Nicholls, in Australia, writes: "Is nobody else worried that we have executed somebody without trial? What kind of justice is that? Why would we want to see the "gruesome" image of a murdered man? It would make us no better than those al-Qaeda men who posted their terrible videos of throat-slit victims. We should not fight evil with evil, terror with terror. Now more than ever we need to stand by what is right." Have Your Say
1123: More reaction to Salman Bashir's comments. Hasan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, writes: "On Mr Bashir's statement: When he says that it cannot be validated, what he is trying to say, is that we have made our best efforts not to leave any evidence." Have Your Say
1118: ellipsisthought tweets: "#CNN poll says 62% of America says #OBL in hell. Does God read polling in making decisions or do we just enjoy playing God?"
1115: Elizabeth Raymond, in the Philippines, writes: "The comments of Foreign Minister Bashir regarding the sovereignty of Pakistan is out of sync. The point here is that OBL was under their noses, half-a-mile from a military academy - and NOT in some cave or some mountain. Pakistan has to convince the world that they do not condone terrorists." Have Your Say
1111: Jon Hulme, in Monaco, writes: "The US administration should simply invite a handful of respected journalists from across the world (cnn, bbc, al-jazera etc) to the White House to inspect the photo/video evidence first-hand, but without being able to take any photos of other evidence away with them. Unbiased, independent verification would put these silly conspiracy theories to bed." Have Your Say
1108: James Dempsey blogs on the ethical issues surrounding the death of Bin Laden. "The actions that can be considered ethically permissible in a situation of war are very different from those outside war."
1105: "By blaming Pakistani institutions you get nowhere," Mr Bashir stresses.
1102: Mr Bashir also reveals that "as soon as the US operation was over, (US Joint Chiefs Chairman) Adm Mullen called the Pakistani army chief. He disclosed that the operation was successful. Subsequently, President Obama telephoned our president".
1055: More from the news conference by Salman Bashir (see 1040 entry). He refuses to answer a reporter's question whether the US operation in Abbottabad was legal or illegal. "It's for historians to decide," Mr Bashir says.
1053: Frank Bowron, in Hatfield, England, writes: "It's not just an American claim. Osama Bin Laden's daughter says that she watched him being shot and we should believe her. I do think the way the United States disposed of his body is a disgrace. No matter how hated he was, he still should have been given a proper Muslim funeral performed in accordance with Islamic rites. Mumbling a few words in English and translating them into Arabic before tipping him into the sea is not appropriate behaviour for a great nation." Have Your Say
1049: Tosin Aikomo, tweets: "Can't believe the #Osama story is still on the news. We gotta move on&we defo don't need to see those graphic pics."
1045: Washington-based correspondent for CBS Newspath, Joel Brown tweets: "#SecClinton tells reporters she was covering her mouth watching the #OBL raid because of a cough."
1043: Linda Nagle, in Wallasey, England, writes: "I believe we should be allowed to see the evidence of Bin Laden's demise. The timing is already dodgy enough what with Obama's hope for a second term in office, and the US government should quell any conspiracy theories while they can!" Have Your Say
1040: "Much of the media criticism of the ISI is not only unwarranted, it cannot be validated," Mr Bashir stresses. He also responds to widespread criticism that Bin Laden had been living in Pakistan undetected for a long time. Mr Bashir says: "This aspect is being looked into."
1035: The Pakistani foreign secretary adds that "a lot" of people on America's "most-wanted" list were actually arrested by the ISI.
1031: Mr Bashir also strongly denies claims that some elements within Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, were "in cahoots with al-Qaeda". He says: "this is a false charge. It cannot be validated on any account."
1027: Reiterating previous official statements, Mr Bashir says Pakistan "was not consulted" about the US operation in Abbottabad.
1025: At a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir says it is "wrong to invade Pakistan's sovereignty".
1011: "Release the Dead Laden Photos", writes Slate's Jack Shafer. He argues that suppressing the images "infantilises the nation and gives the White House unwarranted news control".
1003: More on President Obama's decision not to release photos of Bin Laden's body. Raj, in Nepal, writes: "I think Barack Obama's decision is good for his nation but the whole world has doubt on this news, because we still haven't got any proof yet. We only have heard about it from Barack Obama's speech. There are so many people who still do not believe he is dead." Have Your Say
0955: Pakistan newspaper, The Express Tribune blogs "Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Hussain Haqqani said that he and his embassy were receiving threatening phone calls and emails since the US raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad on Sunday."
0947: Bugzysound tweets: "With #BinLaden Supposedly DEAD What Changes???"
0942: And more from Hillary Clinton's news briefing in Rome. Referring to the recent unrest in the Arab world - known as the Arab Spring - the US top diplomat says that Bin Laden's "ideology of hatred is being rejected" by the Arabs.
0938: lindseyhilsum tweets: "All quiet at #binladens house this morning. But tourists arriving. Will the govt demolish it before it becomes a shrine?"
0934: "The reputation of the army, the most powerful and privileged force in Pakistan, has been severely undermined by the American raid that killed Osama Bin Laden," writes Jane Perlez in the New York Times.
0928: "It is especially important that there be no doubt that those who pursue a terrorist agenda, the criminals who indiscriminately murder innocent people, will be brought to justice," said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
0924: "Osama Bin Laden's death sent an unmistakeable message about the strength of the resolve of the international community to stand against extremism and those who perpetuate it," Hillary Clinton said in Rome.
0917: More from Hillary Clinton on Osama Bin Laden: "We have to renew our resolve and redouble our efforts not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but around the world."
0911: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has just been speaking at a news briefing in Rome, after discussions with the Italian foreign minister, Franco Frattini. She said: "The battle to stop al-Qaeda and its affilitates does not stop with one death."
0901: Aaron, in Denver, US, writes: "I think it's pretty funny, that basically the same people said a few years ago not to release torture photos for this very reason. Some intern will probably leak them anyway." Have Your Say
0900: Pakistan's official news agency APP says Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani has hinted at a probe into what he described as the "intelligence failure" to nab al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Asked during a visit to Paris whether there would be an official investigation, he said: "that must have already been ordered."
0855: Adam, in Portland, Oregon, US, writes: "Obama is right not to show off pictures of Bin Laden's dead body. I agree with his sentiment that releasing photos would be akin to displaying a trophy. It's important for our country to seek justice for the victims of 9/11, but that pursuit does not have to lead to a celebration of violence. It also seems like the refusal to release photos is due to Obama's frustration of harsh criticism by the Republican opposition, after releasing his own birth certificate to prove he is American." Have Your Say
0851: It now turns out that the US Senate Indian Affairs Committee is to discuss later on Thursday the use of the code name Geronimo for Osama Bin Laden. The hearing was scheduled long before the raid that killed him early on Monday in Pakistan, but now the controversy is set to dominate discussions. Native Americans are angered that the 19th Century Apache leader's name was used - he's considered a hero, not a terrorist.
0842: Louisa, in Dubai, writes: "I think its fair to say that Bin Laden is dead, what would a picture prove, i mean really, why would President Obama risk his credibility by stating Bin Laden is dead if he wasnt, all the conspiracy theorists need to think logically. A photograph is only wanted by the people out of morbid curisoity, leave it be i dont want to see a gruesome photo i believe he is dead." Have Your Say
0835: The BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Abbottabad, says there is mix of emotions among people in the city where Osama Bin Laden was killed. There is unease, he says, because his death will not end militancy in Pakistan. Some people fear there will be revenge attacks within their own country. Others are embarrassed that their own armed forces were not trusted to be involved in the US operation to kill the al-Qaeda leader.
0826: Some people refuse to believe Bin Laden has been killed, as Brian Hawkins, in England, writes: "The US (especially the CIA) have a long history of falsehoods and conspiracy. Without actual firm evidence, I can't really fully believe this. I don't say that Barack Obama would be part of the conspiracy should there be one but he wasn't there. We need real evidence to support this." Have Your Say
0824: The co-founder and president of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), Mohammad al-Qahtani tweets: "In a post-#OBL world, it must be worthwhile for the #Obamaadministration to revisit democratization in the Arab countries, not rhetoric!"
0818: Addressing those who doubt Bin Laden was actually killed, Barnaldo in Cambridge, US, writes: "Perhaps if the US government was to publish the data from the DNA test it would go some way to reassuring the public that the mission was successful without the need for gruesome photographs?" Have Your Say
0814: The US says the killing of Osama Bin Laden was justice, but not everyone agrees. BBC Radio 4 Today tweets: "Geoffrey Robertson QC says the killing of Osama Bin Laden sets "an incredibly dangerous precedent" in international law #OBL"
0812: It's not clear what the fate of Bin Laden's compound will be, but the BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Abbottabad, says curious people are already coming there in droves to have a look. People are having picnics outside, ice cream is being sold and children are selling bits of what they say is the US helicopter that was blown up by the commandos after it crashed. Part of the chopper's tail was blown out of the compound by the explosion the Navy Seals set to destroy it.
0808: More on the controversy over President Barack Obama's decision not to release photos of Osama Bin Laden's body. Ryan in Norfolk, US, writes: "What purpose would it serve to release photos? Lay opinion readily proves every day it is unable to cope with the realities of a violent war. Why fuel more uninformed opinion? The Seals did a superlative job of minimizing injury and death among other compound occupants, and completed the mission in a sanitary fashion - extra work just to keep the public happy. The knowledge that he is gone should be good enough." Have Your Say
0805: Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Munawar Hasan told Reuters news agency: "Even if there was any sympathy for the Americans, that would dissipate after the way they crushed and violated our sovereignty and our independence."
0803: Pakistan's influential Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has urged people to demonstrate in mass rallies on Friday against the US raid. The party, one of Pakistan's biggest, says the US violated Pakistan's sovereignty by sending in its own troops to kill the al-Qaeda leader.
0756: It now turns out that one of the two brothers who rented the Abbottabad building in which Bin Laden lived was not from Charsadda in the Peshawar Valley as national ID he used indicated. The BBC's M Ilyas Khan has discovered that a neighbour said the man had an accent from the southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province - meaning he was from the Waziristan area, near Afghanistan. Waziristan is often in the news as a refuge of Taliban forces.
0743: Geronimo, as students of America's 19th Century Wild West history will know, eluded capture by thousands of US soldiers for years in the mountains of the US south-west. He finally surrendered in 1886.
0740: Very little of the raid on Bin Laden's compound has escaped controversy. Now it seems, the choice of code word for the target - Geronimo - has aroused the ire of Native Americans. "What totally misguided member of the United States government came up with this hideous misrepresentation of the great Apache leader and warrior, Geronimo?" asked American Indian veteran Tim Giago on the Native American Times website.
0732: More on those modified helicopters the US commandos used, that has aviation buffs salivating. Extra blades on the tail rotor would have kept them quieter than the usual noisy choppers and a special paint would have made it more difficult for infra-red sensors on heat-seeking missiles to target them, says Aviation Week website.
0722: For more details on how the US raid on Bin Laden's compound unfolded, check out our interactive guide.
0715: There has been speculation that authorities in Abbottabad may keep Bin Laden's compound intact, and allow it to become something of a tourist attraction. There is already ice cream being sold outside it, says our correspondent in Abbottabad, Aleem Maqbool.
0711: The BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Abbottabad, says some neighbours of Bin Laden's compound saw no activity there in the days and weeks before the raid; others say they saw women and children coming and going.
0709: US officials say the account of the raid has kept shifting because it has taken time to go through the Navy Seal after-action accounts and fully piece together what happened.
0707: After killing the courier and a woman in the guesthouse, the US commandos were not fired on again, the New York Times says, quoting US officials.
0701: And the New York Times also has more details of the raid.. The only person to fire on the US troops was Bin Laden's courier, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, who shot at the US troops from behind the door of the guesthouse next to the house where Bin Laden was hiding.
0649: More details on the raid from AP: The US commandos shot their way into the house and up to the third floor. In a room upstairs, Bin Laden's wife charged at them and was shot in the calf. Then, Bin Laden himself was shot - once in the chest and then in the head, above his left eye. One of his sons was shot and killed as well.
0635: More than two dozen women and children were living in the compound in Abbottabad where Osama Bin Laden was killed, reports Associated Press news agency. The Navy Seal commandos faced difficult decisions about who in the compound posed a threat and who did not.
0627: If you're just joining us, welcome to the BBC's minute-by-minute coverage of events following the death of Osama Bin Laden. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. We're keen to know your thoughts on the latest developments: Send us your e-mails, texts or tweets. We'll publish what we can.
0613: The Pakistani military has been tight-lipped about how Bin Laden came to be living on its door-step. It remains unclear whether Bin laden lived in Abbottabad for just a few months, or for as long as a few years. Details are confused, conspiracy theories are rife, and we're hoping to glean more details from a press conference with army officials later. We'll bring you the information as we get it, but as the BBC's Lyse Doucet reports from Islamabad, major Pakistani security issues are at stake, as well as pride.
0607: How big is the story of the al-Qaeda leader's death? Mighty, say the folks over at Google, who earlier released this graph showing that in one hour this week, there was a 1m% increase in searches for Bin Laden.
0558: Pakistan is feeling the heat after the Abbottabad raid, being accused of everything from incompetence - for not finding the world's most wanted man while he lived almost next door to a military academy - to collusion, for helping to hide him. While some US lawmakers are calling for billions of dollars in aid for Pakistan to be cut, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has called for international help in fighting terrorism in the country. Earlier, Mr Gilani said that spy agencies around the world should share the blame for his country's failure to spot Bin Laden's hideout.
0551: While Mr Obama seems to have ruled out releasing any images of the dead al-Qaeda leader, the BBC's Andrew North in Washington says US officials are suggesting one such image may ultimately emerge. It's also possible there may be a Freedom of Information request forcing the government to hand it over, adds our correspondent.
0545 : With the narrative of the Abbottabad having changed so much in the past three days, it's hard to keep up. The Daily Telegraph's US editor Toby Harnden has put together this pithy list of 10 ways Barack Obama botched the aftermath of the "masterful operation to kill Osama bin Laden". The pick of the crop? "It was a kill mission and no one should have been afraid to admit that."
0539 : Does the al-Qaeda leader's death increase the chances of a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan? Here's an interesting read from AP quoting analysts who suggest that al-Qaeda and its Afghan Taliban allies could now go their separate ways, increasing the chances for a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan.
0534: US officials are combing through computer hard-drives, mobile phones and USB sticks found during the US Navy Seals raid on the compound in Abbottabad where Bin Laden was hiding. US Attorney General Eric Holder said Washington expected to add more names to its terrorism watch-list as a result of data seized from the compound.
0530: To bring you up to speed on the latest top lines: US President Barack Obama has decided not to release photos of the dead al-Qaeda leader, believing they could inflame sensitivities. "We don't trot out this stuff as trophies," he said. Mr Obama will visit Ground Zero - the site of World Trade Center in New York - later to remember victims of the 9/11 attacks. He will lay a wreath and meet emergency workers and relatives of those who died, but will not be making a speech.
0525: If you're just joining us, welcome. We're bringing you live updates on the aftermath of the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden by US special forces commandoes in Abbottabad, Pakistan, earlier this week. Stay tuned for the latest news from our correspondents on the ground, analysis from our correspondents across the globe, and your reactions to developments.
0518: The BBC understands the two brothers who rented the Abbottabad building in which Bin Laden was living used false IDs to pay their bills; more details are expected at a briefing with Pakistani military officials later, says Lyse Doucet in Islamabad.
0513: While the Osama Bin Laden narrative is changing in Washington, there are several versions doing the rounds in Pakistan, says the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Islamabad. One detail that has been queried is the lavishness of the Abbottabad compound where the al-Qaeda leader was holed up. Initial descriptions by US officials that the house was a "million dollar mansion" seem, on closer inspection, well wide of the mark, adds our correspondent.
0504: Professor Vali Nasr, a former US advisor on Pakistan and Afghanistan, writing on the Washington Post blog, says: "If history is any guide, Pakistan cannot be relied upon to make the right decision. In the coming weeks, Islamabad is likely to hunker down in reaction to bin Laden's death and then go after the CIA's eyes and ears around Pakistan. But there is a window of opportunity for the West to nudge Pakistan to reevaluate its foreign policy. However narrow the opening, it is worth exploring."
0459: The debate about Bin Laden's death photo rages on. Christopher Wick, from Tucson Arizona , USA, writes: "If people really need to see a mangled corpse to satisfy their bloodlust then so be it, they can file a Freedom of Information Act request like anyone else. It will take awhile but eventually they will have to release them. There is the danger that Tea Party conspiracy theorists amongst others will claim that Bin Laden is still out there just waiting to catch us with our pants down, but even if the photos were released they would still cry hoax or photoshop." Have Your Say
0451: Fog of war or not, the narrative of the attack on Bin Laden's compound has changed again, according to The New York Times. On the first take, the al-Qaeda leader was armed and cowering behind a wife whom he was using as a human shield. Take two and he wasn't armed, or using a human shield, but there was a furious gunfight. Now, it seems, the assault was a pretty one-sided affair, with just one of Bin Laden's aide's getting off any shots against the commando unit flown in to get him. The al-Qaeda leader was killed because there was an AK-47 and a Makarov pistol within arm's reach, says the paper.
0443: Mr Riches continued: "I met him in '09 and he promised us he was going to get Bin Laden, and that if he had a chance to get him, he would go get him. And he was a man of his word and I respect that and I personally want to thank him and I would love to thank all the military and all the guys and the hard work that went into that."
0441: There has been a touching response from those scheduled to meet Mr Obama in New York later. Jim Riches, whose son died on 9/11, said: "I just want to hug him and thank him, shake his hand and say thanks. From father to father, thank you for doing this for me, taking care of the man that's out there bragging and saying he is proud that he killed my son."
0435: Now that he's dead, what will become of Osama Bin Laden's Abbottabad house? There's speculation it may be torn down to prevent it from becoming a shrine, and is future will be decided by the top level of Pakistan's military, says The Independent's Andrew Buncombe.
0428: Although Barack Obama is expected to lay a wreath at the Ground Zero memorial, and meet relatives of those who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre's twin towers, the US president is not scheduled to make a speech at the event later on Thursday. The action of honouring the people who died speaks for itself, says the president's spokesman, and is more powerful than any words he could have used.
0423: Jason Burke, author of al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam tweets: "So no photos. bad mistake. critical to get images out. even if they show little more than exit wounds."
0415: Even had the US paid up the hefty $25m reward placed on Bin Laden's head, it would have been the bargain of the millennium, argues the Financial Times, which calculates that the al-Qaeda leader cost American taxpayers more than $2 trillion.
0408: Marie-Laure Koursey tweets: ""Thought that if #OBL was ever captured, nation would come together for a week...the fact that we didn't does not bode well 4 us #p2 #tcot"
0358: Mai Yamani, writing on the Khaleej Times blog, says: "Osama bin Laden's death in his Pakistani hiding place is like the removal of a tumour from the Muslim world...Now that the US has eradicated Bin Laden's physical presence, it needs to stop delaying the rest of the therapeutic process. For the US has been selectively - and short-sightedly - irradiating only parts of the cancer that Al Qaeda represents, while leaving the malignant growth of the ideology untouched. "
0348: Dawood al-Shirian, writing on the AlArabiya.Net blog, says: "Some politicians considered the killing of Mr Bin Laden as a transfer point in the terrorism phenomenon. But, nobody is able to confirm that it is a positive point of transfer...The unimaginable end created by the US Administration for the leader of Al-Qaeda turned him into a legend and could lead to a continuation of his thoughts that disfigured Islam and made Jihad contradictory with courage."
0335: Ryan, from Norfolk, US, writes: "Questioning whether or not killing unarmed Osama was warranted also smacks of failure to understand the situation. Any attacking group can reasonably guess that he had been prepared for an assault for years. Given that he had said he would never be taken alive, every second he resisted was time gained for a failsafe plan. He was the self-professed leader of a lethal terrorist organization. Risking peoples' lives in the dogmatic pursuit of incarceration and a trial to reaffirm that seems to just be the tail wagging the dog." Have Your Say
0333: Film-maker Michael Moore tweets: "No way do choppers fly in next door to army base and "WestPoint", have firefight, blow up chopper, and no cops or soldiers show up? Please! Pakistan just couldn't be seen as participating with us. And please-- the CIA didn't know he was living there for 6 yrs?"
0325: On Time magazine's Swampland blog, Adam Sorenson writes of his concern that US senators appear to have been sharing images purporting to show Bin Laden's body. He quotes New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte as saying he had been "shown a photo by another senator" and concludes: "Photoshop has been around since 1988. Reckless hearsay, on the other hand, is at least as old as the United States Senate."
0314: The BBC's Natalia Antelava in Washington says that aside from a few CIA comments, the US have acted very carefully in commenting on the role of Pakistan in the raid. There is an acceptance that Pakistan and its security services are not necessarily a homogenous group, and that various parts of government have different relationships and connections, says our correspondent. But, she adds, that subtlety is largely lost among the general public, where the view is that this important partner failed the US outrageously.
0305: Sherif El Saadani tweets: "I don't buy it. Pictures of #OBL cannot be more "hurting" to Muslim sympathizers than "fact" he was thrown in sea."
0302: German website Der Spiegel has a put together a clever interactive timeline of major Islamist terror attacks across the world since the Bin Laden-approved destruction of New York's Twin Towers in 2001. It makes for some stark reading.
0252: While it isn't as furious as that over the Bin Laden death image, there is some debate over the dog used in the US commando raid. While the identity of America's most courageous canine remains a strictly kept secret, The New York Times reackons it has narrowed the breed down to either a German shepherd or a Belgian Malinois.
0245: Monday's New York Daily News pushed the boundaries of taste with its front-page carrying a picture of Osama Bin Laden emblazoned with the headline "Rot in Hell!" But the paper is not alone. According to a CNN poll, 61% of Americans believe the al-Qaeda leader has been dispatched to the underworld.
0237: Many disagree, though. Army Officer Theodore Sellers Jr tweets: "Trust me there is no upside in releasing those photos. They would be used in videos, posters, etc as recruiting tool."
0236: The debate over whether or not President Obama should have released the photo of the al-Qaeda leader's corpse rages on. US Senator Lindsey Graham tweets: "I know Bin Laden is dead. But the best way to protect and defend our interests overseas is to prove that fact to the rest of the world."
0231: James, from Minnesota, USA, writes: "I think it's rather odd that after searching for a person for almost a decade they are going to dump his body into the ocean within 24 hours of supposedly killing him. What was the rush? Something just doesn't seem right. And why not release the images, there are worst images out there of similar things." Have Your Say
0225: We haven't been given many details about the dog involved in the US Navy Seals mission to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden, but the US military has a history of close ties with canines. Foreign Policy blog has put together this photogallery on "war dogs".
0219: The New Yorker doesn't do things by halves. Have a look at its detailed exegesis on the rules of engagement that allowed US commandoes to shoot an unarmed enemy combatant in the head. "To be uncomfortable with such operations is, in a sense, to be uncomfortable with war itself," argues Raffi Khatchadourian. "And to accept that the Bin Laden raid was legal, is, in effect, to acknowledge publically that what we are actually conducting in Pakistan is a kind of war. In his death, Bin Laden has forced this admission from us.
0213: Arif Rafiq, editor of The Pakistan Policy Blog tweets: "Both Afghan and Pakistani officials have said they had pointed out the compound as one of interest to CIA officials in previous years."
0207: Not known for mincing her words - or, perhaps, renowned for doing so - Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential nominee, tweets: "Show photo as warning to others seeking America's destruction. No pussy-footing around, no politicking, no drama; it's part of the mission"
0203: Thanks for following the BBC's minute-by-minute coverage of events following the death of Osama Bin Laden. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. We're keen to know your thoughts on the latest developments: Send us your e-mails, texts or tweets. We'll publish what we can.
0157: Our correspondent adds that the White House, and most Americans, believe they got their man. So, says Jay Carney, does al-Qaeda. And that's clearly enough for President Obama.
0156: Many were expecting the image of a dead Osama Bin Laden to be released - in much the same way as the pictures of Uday and Qusay Hussein in 2003 - to prove his death. But, says the BBC's Jonny Dymond in Washington, there has been almost no triumphalism from the Obama administration over the al-Qaeda leader's demise. Great pains were taken to detail the respect with which his corpse was treated. That could all have been undone with the release of photographs, and many doubters in any case would have found reason not to believe in their authenticity, he adds.
0149: Heather Hurlburt, former special Assistant and speechwriter to President Clinton, writes on The American Prospect blog: "Bin Laden's death will have its own ripple effect in our domestic politics... President Obama and the Democrats will get a ratings boost... It would be wonderful if the public-confidence boost shepherded terrorism - and associated obsessions with the supposed threats to the US from Sharia law and the Muslim Brotherhood - out of our politics. This would have enormous implications for our leaders' ability to pursue negotiations in Afghanistan and to lay down the parameters for a viable Israeli-Palestinian peace deal."
0142: In an attempt to portray itself as an ally in the battle against al-Qaeda, Libya earlier reminded the US that the Gaddafi regime was the first to issue an arrest warrant against Osama Bin Laden, back in 1998. Simon Denyer, The Washington Post's India bureau chief, tweets: "Libya reminds US who issued the first arrest warrant for ObL. But prefers to skirt question of political assassination."
0134: Whatever the controversy, the viewing figures don't lie, and Obama's speech declaring Bin Laden dead was the most watched of his presidency, drawing a whopping 56.5m viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. Granted, that's less than the 70m people who watched his 2008 election night speech from Chicago's Grant Park, and is well behind the 111m who watched this year's Superbowl, but it's still a big number. Thanks to Mashable's Charlie White for the stat breakdown.
0127: Robert Pape and Jenna Jordan, writing on The Atlantic.com blog, argue: "Bin Laden's death may well be the most important single step in the war on terror since 2001, but it creates an even larger opportunity for America and its allies. To capitalize on those gains and further undercut al-Qaeda's popular support, the US may find that the best way forward in its war against al-Qaeda could be by withdrawing ground troops from its two other wars, partially from Afghanistan and completely from Iraq."
0120: Allen Ellis DeWitt, from Madison, Wisconsin, USA, writes: "I am worried that the idea of dumping the body and not providing the evidence for the world to see will result not in the chance at healing that this should have been, but at yet another chance to use my countries actions to inflame anger and reactions." Have Your Say
0113: The Economist has stoked controversy by suggesting the al-Qaeda leader's death has probably secured Barack Obama victory in next year's presidential election. Find out why the paper sees Bin Laden's death as a "game-changer" for US 2012.
0105: Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow tweets: "No photo of Osama... shot above the eye... his face is reportedly horribly mangled... Obama thinks it will inflame matters. Perhaps Osama obtained a super injunction preventing mention of the injunction he got to prevent publication of him er dead."
0100: Among the photos taken at the Abbottabad compound are several showing the tail section of a modified Blackhawk helicopter that the US says grazed one of the compound's walls and was forced to make a hard landing during the operation to capture or kill Bin Laden. It was rendered inoperable, so at the end of the mission the Navy Seals destroyed it with explosives. ABC news reports the modifications on the craft show it to be a previously unseen, top-secret, stealth-modified helicopter that allowed them to sneak up on their target undetected.
0052: A Pakistani security official who entered the Abbottabad compound about an hour after the raid has sold photos taken at the scene to Reuters news agency. They are extremely graphic, and show two men dressed in traditional Pakistani clothing and one in a t-shirt, lying in pools of blood, with blood streaming from their ears, noses and mouths. No weapons are visible.
0044: There has been a lot of debate about Mr Obama's decision not to release the photograph of the dead al-Qaeda leader. Rudy Giuliani, the mayor of New York when the 11 September attacks happened, said he disagreed with the president's decision. "The reality is that they're eventually going to get out and then you just relive the intensity of all this a month from now, two months from now, three months from now," he said. "Why not put them out now? Satisfy at least the rational people who have questions about the identity of Bin Laden."
0033: In Congress on Wednesday, US Attorney General Eric Holder defended the legality of the operation in Pakistan. It was justified as an act of national self defence, he said, adding: "It's lawful to target an enemy commander in the field."
0024: After talks in Paris, Mr Gilani said French President Nicolas Sarkozy had agreed to enhance the capacity of Pakistan's security agencies. Earlier Mr Gilani said that spy agencies around the world must share the blame for his country's failure to spot Bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan.
0019: The Pakistani military says it's holding the survivors of the US military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden at secret locations. An official said some of them were being treated for injuries. Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has called for international help in fighting terrorism in the country.
0010: Thanks for following the latest developments with the BBC. Here's a quick upsum of Wednesday's news: US President Barack Obama has decided not to release photographs of Osama Bin Laden's body, in case they incited more violence or were used as a propaganda tool. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president had no doubt that it was Osama bin Laden who had been killed - based on facial recognition and DNA evidence. Nor, he said, would there be any doubt among al-Qaeda members that their leader was dead. Mr Obama had remarked: "You won't see Bin Laden walking on this earth again."
0001: Hello and welcome to the BBC's minute-by-minute coverage of events following the death of Osama Bin Laden. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. You can contact us via e-mail, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can.

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Key points

The White House says it will not release a picture of Bin Laden's body, amid concerns it could prove inflammatory
Pakistan's foreign secretary strongly denies claims that elements of Pakistani intelligence were "in cahoots with al-Qaeda", and that Pakistan must defend its sovereignty.
The Pakistani military has admitted "shortcomings" for failing to locate Bin Laden and has said it will launch an investigation.
US President Barack Obama is in New York and has laid a wreath at Ground Zero. He has visited firefighters and police and is meeting families of 9/11 victims.
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