Bin Laden's compound: Tourist draw or bound for wrecking ball?

Comments  40

By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY

Since the Al-Qaeda kingpin was killed Monday, followers and everyday curiosity seekers have flocked to the residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he hid away until he was tracked down.

Newspapers including The Times of India and The Sydney Morning Herald are citing unnamed sources in Pakistan who say the compound faces the wrecking ball so that it won't become a shine or, as the Herald says, "a rallying point for extremists." No official announcement had been made as of Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Hasnat Ahmed, a 22-year-old engineering graduate who lives near the compound, told the Herald that crowds of onlookers are getting bigger every day and that "we are not sure about international tourism yet, but I think we will be getting plenty of people from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi." While the compound's gates remained closed, rubberneckers can walk around it and many are taking souvenir photographs.

Britain's Daily Mail reports that some want to turn the compound into "an official tourist site."

Abbottabad resident Ali Abbas, 43, has started a drive to do that, told the newspaper that more visitors could follow from Europe and the USA.

"Westerners are crazy people," he said. "Even if locals turn up or not, foreigners will definitely come if it is declared a tourist site. It will be very good for the city. People should visit and see where the world's biggest terrorist lived."

What do you think? Should the complex be razed, left alone, or turned into an official tourist site?'

Posted May 7 2011 2:49PM

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement

View the original article here

Bin Laden's compound: Tourist draw or bound for wrecking ball?

Comments  40

By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY

Since the Al-Qaeda kingpin was killed Monday, followers and everyday curiosity seekers have flocked to the residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he hid away until he was tracked down.

Newspapers including The Times of India and The Sydney Morning Herald are citing unnamed sources in Pakistan who say the compound faces the wrecking ball so that it won't become a shine or, as the Herald says, "a rallying point for extremists." No official announcement had been made as of Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Hasnat Ahmed, a 22-year-old engineering graduate who lives near the compound, told the Herald that crowds of onlookers are getting bigger every day and that "we are not sure about international tourism yet, but I think we will be getting plenty of people from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi." While the compound's gates remained closed, rubberneckers can walk around it and many are taking souvenir photographs.

Britain's Daily Mail reports that some want to turn the compound into "an official tourist site."

Abbottabad resident Ali Abbas, 43, has started a drive to do that, told the newspaper that more visitors could follow from Europe and the USA.

"Westerners are crazy people," he said. "Even if locals turn up or not, foreigners will definitely come if it is declared a tourist site. It will be very good for the city. People should visit and see where the world's biggest terrorist lived."

What do you think? Should the complex be razed, left alone, or turned into an official tourist site?'

Posted May 7 2011 2:49PM

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement

View the original article here

Cruise lines calm in wake of bin Laden's death

Comments  

By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

This item was written by Johanna Jainchill, who covers cruising for Travel Weekly. Jainchill is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.

Cruise lines said the worldwide travel alert issued by the State Department following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden would not impact their operations.

The State Department Monday alerted U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad to the "enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counterterrorism activity in Pakistan."

The Cruise Lines International Association said in a statement, "Our member lines are in regular communications with U.S. and international law enforcement and government agencies on all matters regarding the safety and security of our passengers and crew. The same is true in this particular situation and we will continue to work with the appropriate agencies."

ALSO ONLINE:  A photo tour of the new Carnival Magic
ALSO ONLINE: Carnival to return to Europe in 2012 with newest ship

Carnival Cruise Lines said it was aware of the travel alert and that all Carnival ships were operating "at the appropriate security levels and remain vigilant in their procedures."

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said in a statement, "Like all international travelers, we encourage our guests to be aware of their surroundings while visiting familiar sightseeing and tourism locations. This common sense approach and heightened level of awareness will help our guests enjoy a memorable visit to our ports of call."

Costa Cruises added that it would "continue to maintain its high level of security alert and will continue to monitor conditions in the regions where it sails."

A spokesman for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises said the lines believe that to comment on ship security measures, "is to compromise their effectiveness."

Posted May 4 2011 1:57PM

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement

View the original article here

Obama or Bush: Assigning credit after bin Laden's death

Obama or Bush: Assigning credit after bin Laden's death

Comment

Recommend

President Obama is getting a boost as commander in chief from the stunning news that Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces.

But does George W. Bush, Obama's Republican predecessor, deserve some political credit, too?

As with lots of things in a sharply divided Congress, the answer is tinged with partisanship.

Less than 25% of Republicans in the U.S. House who have issued a news release about bin Laden's death commended Obama, while less than 3% of Democrats in the House gave a nod to Bush for setting things in motion after the 9/11 attacks, according to an analysis out today from the University of Minnesota's Smart Politics blog.

"Members of Congress were not united in the thanks and praise they gave for the landmark successful mission against the FBI's No. 1 most wanted terrorist," Smart Politics said.

In its unique analysis, Smart Politics studied the press releases and statements made by House members since Obama's announcement Sunday night that bin Laden was dead. It found that 87% of House members issued a press release on their official websites or made a statement about bin Laden via Facebook or Twitter.

Some findings:

• 60% of Democrats credited Obama or thanked him for his leadership, compared with 24% of Republicans who did the same.
• GOP House members were more likely to split the political credit between Obama and Bush.
• Twenty percent of Republicans mentioned Bush in their statements, compared with 2.5% of Democrats who did.

See photos of: George W. Bush, Barack Obama

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement

View the original article here

Cruise lines calm in wake of bin Laden's death

Comments  

By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

This item was written by Johanna Jainchill, who covers cruising for Travel Weekly. Jainchill is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.

Cruise lines said the worldwide travel alert issued by the State Department following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden would not impact their operations.

The State Department Monday alerted U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad to the "enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counterterrorism activity in Pakistan."

The Cruise Lines International Association said in a statement, "Our member lines are in regular communications with U.S. and international law enforcement and government agencies on all matters regarding the safety and security of our passengers and crew. The same is true in this particular situation and we will continue to work with the appropriate agencies."

ALSO ONLINE:  A photo tour of the new Carnival Magic
ALSO ONLINE: Carnival to return to Europe in 2012 with newest ship

Carnival Cruise Lines said it was aware of the travel alert and that all Carnival ships were operating "at the appropriate security levels and remain vigilant in their procedures."

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said in a statement, "Like all international travelers, we encourage our guests to be aware of their surroundings while visiting familiar sightseeing and tourism locations. This common sense approach and heightened level of awareness will help our guests enjoy a memorable visit to our ports of call."

Costa Cruises added that it would "continue to maintain its high level of security alert and will continue to monitor conditions in the regions where it sails."

A spokesman for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises said the lines believe that to comment on ship security measures, "is to compromise their effectiveness."

Posted May 4 2011 1:57PM

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Hud Settlement Statement