Obama, by ordering this scene like something from a video-game, has made the world a more dangerous place. Not only will terrorism flourish on the back of these events, but vigilante groups and those who believe they have the right to kill will not hesitate to repeat this kind of ‘justice’ in their own personal acts of revenge. These actions give the green light to state terrorism.
What we have seen is that when an individual commits an act of murder, they are tried before a court of law, but when a murder is committed by an armed state, people go to the streets and celebrate. What kind of example is this for young people?
We denounce the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Nothing justifies assassination, especially at the hands of a country that pretends to bring justice, democracy and the rule of law to other countries.
And we are sorry that he has not been brought to trial to face a fair legal process. Only in this way can all the facts about this man be brought into the open.
It is clear that the USA, following the end of the Cold War, sought a new enemy and created one on the back of religious extremism. Bin Laden, who may or may not have been funded by the CIA at some stage, was turned into that enemy to justify a never-ending expansion of military spending and justified international interference.
What is sure is that without a trial, we will never know the story behind this man, and the only ones that this suits is the US government and the military-industrial complex.
We condemn violence in all its forms and especially the violence of terrorism and the violence of those who seek revenge with a war on terrorists, both of which strike fear into the hearts of innocent people who are affected.
Justice is when all men and women of this planet are treated equally because of the fact that they were born as human beings. Justice is when parents can send their children to school to receive a good quality education. Justice is when there is access to medical care. Justice is when there are no wars on the planet. Justice is when there are no nuclear weapons and when military spending is directed towards protecting the planet, its human population and all other forms of life. Justice is when violence is eradicated. And we can add that justice is when a man accused of a crime faces a fair legal process.
If the USA and her allies truly wish to eradicate terrorism from the planet they must move in a different direction and create real justice in the world.
To conclude we invite President Obama to read article 5 of the Charter for a World Without Violence written by his colleagues in the Summit of Nobel Laureates in 2007 which we carried around the world with us during the World March for Peace and Nonviolence: “Terrorism can never be justified because violence begets violence and because no acts of terror against the civilian population of any country can be carried out in the name of any cause. The struggle against terrorism cannot, however, justify violation of human rights, international humanitarian law, civilized norms, and democracy.”
