Osama bin Laden killed retaliation feared

Osama bin Laden killed by US special forces in Pakistan under strict secrecy with Obama signing the death warrant on 29 th April thus started Mission Osama but the entire global security is put under total vigil as the retaliation is feared in US and Europe.Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist, was killed early on Monday by US special forces in a helicopter-borne operation at Abbottabad near the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, climaxing a over 10-year long massive manhunt.
The special forces personnel swooped down on the compound where bin Laden was holed up guarded by his ultra loyal Arab bodyguards in a pre-dawn operation killing the dreaded terrorist, US officials said.

The news of the slaying of the world's most prominent terror mastermind was broken to the world by US President Barack Obama, who made the announcement live from White House."Bin Laden, 54, is dead and his body is in US custody," President Obama said at half past 11 midnight US time after initial story had been broken by news channels.Though it was dark, crowds massed outside White House chanting 'USA, USA'.

Besides the al-Qaeda chief who carried a bounty of USD 25 million, two couriers one of whom was his son and the other a woman, reportedly used as a human shields, were killed in the operation, unnamed American officials were quoted as saying by ABC News.

First reports said that it was through these couriers that bin Laden had been traced. Other women and children present in the compound were not harmed, according to Pakistani officials.

An American helicopter was destroyed by US Navy Seals after it was damaged and crashed during the operation that targeted a large compound in Bilal Town area near Abbottabad, 120 km from Islamabad.There was no word from the Pakistani government or military on the operation.Two US helicopters swept into the compound at 1:30 am and 2 am and 20 to 25 Navy Seals under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command stormed the compound in cooperation with the CIA and engaged bin Laden and his men in a firefight, US officials told ABC News.

Bin Laden fired his weapon during the fight, the US officials said.The Americans took bin Laden's body into custody after the firefight and confirmed his identity.One of the US helicopters was damaged during the operation and the troops decided to destroy it themselves with explosives.

Several Pakistani news channels beamed grainy footage of a burning helicopter on the empty lawn of the compound. They also beamed footage of the compound surrounded by Pakistani troops on Monday morning.

Pakistani troops also conducted a house-to-house search in the area, reports said.
The house in which bin Laden was living was located amidst agricultural fields and had seven-foot walls topped with electrified wire, Pakistani TV news channels reported.

The US had reportedly been monitoring the compound for months after receiving a tip in August last year that bin Laden might be sheltering there. The house had no phone or televisions and the residents burned their garbage.The house had high windows and few access points and US officials concluded it had been built to hide someone.

Media reports said the house was occupied by some men from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.The Pakistan Military Academy is located near Abbottabad, a historic city named after Major James Abbott, a British military officer who founded it in 1853.

US officials had earlier said that they believed bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan's tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.Announcing the killing of bin Laden in a television address, President Obama said: "A small team of Americans carried out the operation. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body." Media agencies

Joshi reappointed PAC Chairman

Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has been reappointed as chairperson of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), notwithstanding controversy surrounding him with regard to the draft report on the 2G spectrum scam. Joshi was nominated by his party following which Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has reappointed him as chairman of PAC which is responsible for conducting the financial audit of various departments and ministries.The term of the previous committee ended on Saturday. Joshi's reappointment will be effected from Sunday and he will be the chairperson for one year.The 77-year-old leader has been recently at the centre of major controversy after he circulated the draft report of PAC on the 2G scam.He was attacked by the PAC members belonging to UPA who alleged that the report was prepared with "malafide intention" to defame and destabilise the Government.

Rejecting the charges of being malafide, Joshi on Saturday sent the report to Lok Sabha Speaker and wanted her to table it in Parliament.Addressing media, he also termed as "unconstitutional" the claim that 11 MPs of the 21-member committee had "rejected" the report, saying said such a possibility does not exist till the report is "read" by members and "discussed" para by para.Replying to a question, Joshi said he would wait for a decision from the Lok Sabha Speaker on whether the report had been "adopted".