The Descendants - Trailer 1 - The Film Informant

Syrian forces launch deadly raid on hotbed city

DAMASCUS:- Syrian forces rained gunfire on Banias Saturday as they pushed ahead with an assault on the restive port, killing six people, activists said, as President Bashar al-Assad's opponents called for elections to end the crisis.
Activists said dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles entered Banias, on the Mediterranean coast, from three directions as electricity and communications were cut. Tanks also encircled the nearby town of Baida.
Residents of Banias formed human chains in a desperate bid to halt the military operation when it began around dawn, said activists reached by telephone.
Heavy gunfire was heard in four neighbourhoods, including the southern seaside area of Banias where most of the protesters live, while naval boats patrolled offshore, a witness and an activist said.
The army was "securing" the neighbourhoods and security forces carrying out arrests. Snipers were posted on rooftops, the witness added.
"There are two killed and several wounded by intense gunfire but we don't know who fired," a spokesman for the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told source via phone, adding several others were wounded.
Witnesses said people took to the streets after calls for jihad (holy war) rang out from the minarets of mosques.
A rights activist said security forces killed four women who were among around 150 people demonstrating on a road outside Banias calling for the release of dozens of people who had been arrested.
"Members of the security forces asked them to leave and, when they refused to do so, they opened fire," the activist said, adding five women were also wounded.
The military confirmed it conducted an operation in Banias.
"Army units and security forces today pursued members of terrorist groups in and around Banias and neighbourhoods of (the southern flashpoint town of) Daraa to restore security and stability," a military official said.
"They arrested people and seized a quantity of weapons that these groups have used to attack the army and citizens and scare people."
A opposition group suggested the embattled Syrian president hold elections within six months to help end the crisis that has engulfed the country for more than seven weeks.
The Syrian Revolution 2011, a Facebook group that has been a motor of the protests, urged Assad to "stop shooting at demonstrators, allow peaceful demonstrations... release all political prisoners, allow political pluralism and free elections in six months."
"You will be the pride of contemporary Syria if you can transform Syria from a dictatorship into a democracy," it said in an Internet statement.
Analysts said the offer comes as protests have failed to reach the level of a full-blown revolution.
"This statement shows that the flame is flickering. We have not reached the level of a (real) popular revolution, and there is no agreement so far on the means necessary to change things," a Syrian human rights group chief said.
The Facebook group had called for Friday's "Day of Defiance" protests, which saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets calling for democratic reforms.
Rights groups said 26 protesters were shot dead by security forces on Friday while the military said 10 soldiers and policemen were killed in Homs by "armed terrorist groups."
Residents had expected the army to attack Banias and reported seeing dozens of armoured vehicles, including tanks and troops reinforcements, deployed on the outskirts of the coastal city this week.
"It looks like they are preparing to attack the town, like they did in Daraa," which the army had locked down for 10 days until they began to pull out on Thursday, one activist said.
Dozens of people were killed during the operation in Daraa, the epicentre of protests which erupted March 15 in Syria.
General Riad Haddad, the military's political department chief, said troops in Daraa "did not confront the protesters."
The army had entered Daraa at the request of residents to help rid them of "armed gangs" responsible for a spate of killings and vandalism.
Human rights groups say more than 600 people have been killed and 8,000 jailed or gone missing in the crackdown on protesters since mid-March. One group, the Committee of the Martyrs of the 15 March Revolution, put the death toll at 708.
The United States warned it would take "additional steps" against Syria if it continues its brutal crackdown, a week after imposing tough sanctions on the Arab nation.
It also welcomed the European Union's decision to impose sanctions on Syrian officials "responsible for human rights abuses."
The EU on Friday agreed to impose sanctions on 13 Syrian officials involved in the regime's brutal crackdown on protests and will meet Monday to discuss whether to target Assad as well, diplomats said.
Meanwhile Human Rights Watch called on the UN General Assembly to strongly reject Syria's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council.
"Syria's candidacy is an affront to all those facing its brutal repression, and to human rights supporters everywhere, and should be decisively rejected," said Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director at HRW.
New members to the UN Human Rights Council are to be elected on May 20.

Libyan forces destroy Misrata fuel tanks: rebels..

TRIPOLI – Libyan government forces destroyed four fuel storage tanks and set several others ablaze in rebel-held Misrata, dealing a blow to the port city's ability to withstand a government siege, rebels said on Saturday.
The bombardment of the western city came as artillery rounds fired by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi fell in Tunisia in an escalation of fighting near the border with rebels trying to end Gaddafi's rule of more than four decades.
Misrata, the last remaining city in the west under rebel control, has been under siege for more than two months and has witnessed some of the war's fiercest fighting.
Rebels gave varying accounts of the bombardment but said the attack hit fuel used for export as well as domestic consumption.
"Four (fuel) tanks were totally destroyed and a huge fire erupted which spread now to the other four. We cannot extinguish it because we do not have the right tools," rebel spokesman Ahmed Hassan said..
"Now the city will face a major problem. Those were the only sources of fuel for the city. These tanks could have kept the city for three months with enough fuel," he said by telephone.
Video of the incident posted on YouTube by Libyan students in Misrata showed firefighters turning water hoses on a raging fire in a vain attempt to extinguish it.

NATO SAID:
Hassan said rebels notified NATO about the planes before the attack but there had been no response. Government forces last month flew at least one helicopter reconnaissance mission over Misrata, according to rebels.
NATO coalition aircraft have been bombing Libyan government military targets and enforcing a no-fly zone under a U.N. resolution. Western and Arab countries this week agreed to provide rebels with millions of dollars in non-military aid to help them keep services and the economy running.
Rebels have long been demanding they also need more heavy weapons to take on the Libyan leader's better-armed and trained forces.
On Saturday, the rebels said they had reached an agreement with Italy to supply them with weapons, but the former colonial power denied the report.
Abdel-Hafiz Ghoga, spokesman for the rebel Transitional National Council, told journalists at a news conference in Benghazi that the weapons would be supplied to the rebels soon.
In Rome, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said no such agreement had been reached.
"There has been no agreement to supply them with weapons," the spokesman told Reuters.
Italy has thrown its full support behind the rebels, formally recognizing the transitional council as the only legitimate representatives of the country, but it is unlikely it would go further than other countries in the anti-Gaddafi coalition.

BORDER FIGHTING
Fighting has intensified in Libya's Western Mountains region as Gaddafi loyalists and rebels, backed by NATO bombing, reached stalemate on other fronts in the civil war.
Government forces surrounding the rebel-held Zintan fired 300 rockets into the town on Saturday, rebel spokesman Abdulrahman al-Zintani said. He gave no details of casualties in Zintan, which is largely empty of civilians.
"NATO aircraft can be heard but there have been no air strikes," al-Zintani said.
The Tunisian town of Dehiba has been hit repeatedly by stray shells in recent weeks, and on Saturday Tunisia condemned the "extremely dangerous" shelling and said it would take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.
The Libyan government denied it targeted Tunisian soil deliberately.
"We said this (shelling) was an error and we have apologized that this took place and have asked the military forces to ensure this doesn't happen again," Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi told a news conference in Tripoli.
The battle is for control of the Dehiba-Wazzin border crossing, which gives the rebels a road from the outside world into strongholds in the Western Mountains region.
Although the rebels hold the border point, Gaddafi's forces are in charge of a far bigger one to the north.
On Saturday Dehiba's schools were evacuated and residents scurried for safety as close to 100 mortars and missiles fell.
The crackle of small arms fire as well as larger weapons could also be heard about 4 km (2.5 miles) inside Libya, a witness on the border said.
"We are very afraid. The missiles are falling right around us, we don't know what to do," said Tunisian Mohammed Naguez, a resident of Dehiba. "Our children are afraid. The Tunisian authorities have to stop this."
Most of the people in the Western Mountains belong to the Berber ethnic group and are distinct from other Libyans.
They rose up two months ago and say towns such as Zintan and Yafran are under repeated bombardment from Gaddafi's forces, running short of food, water and medicine.
The civil war over Gaddafi's rule has split the oil-producing desert state into a government-held western area round the capital Tripoli and an eastern region held by ill-disciplined but dedicated rebel forces.
The revolt is the bloodiest yet against long-entrenched rulers across the Middle East and North Africa, which saw the overthrow of the veteran presidents of Tunisia and Egypt.

Sex Life-Style !!

5 Moves Women Love In Bed, But Can Be Too Afraid To Ask For..

I've never been afraid to ask for what I want in bed. I guess because during my teenage years I figured out I was/am a perv and I just owned it. But in my decade-plus of hooking up with dudes, I've come to see being clear about what I want is a bit rare: Guys have told me other women become self-conscious when asking for something risqué or kinky.

So, I'm going to help you out, boys. Here are some things your lady might want, but she's too self-conscious to ask for. Don't pressure anything, of course — but if you offer, you may be pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastically she accepts ...

1. She wants you to eat her out more: Our culture has a weird relationship with vagina, if you haven't noticed. Your lady has likely been exposed to a lot of lame-o messages telling her that her vag is "too hairy," "too smelly," "tastes gross," "ugly," etc. She might really love getting oral sex, but she's afraid to ask you to do it because she's afraid you've internalized the same messages that she has.

How to ask: It's time to start sincerely praising her lady parts big time: "Your pussy is so pretty!" "I love the way your vagina looks." "I love the way your pussy tastes." "I love hearing you moan while I eat you out!" And so on. (If she is offended by the word "pussy," obviously you should say something different.) If she is still skittish about being eaten out, don't push it. Offer to give a massage all over her inner thighs and on the outer folds of her labia; keep offering to do this, and keep praising her vag, until she mellows out. And if she never does, hey, maybe she's just not into oral sex!

2. She wants to fool around in public: Let me be clear: Having full-on sex in public might be a little too risqué — not to mention messy — for some women, myself included. But that doesn't mean a lady wouldn't love a heavy-duty make-out session at that banquet in the far corner of the bar, the backseat of her car, or on her front steps!

How to ask: Download the Kelis song "In Public" — the chorus goes "Let's get it on in public" — and when it plays, ask your girl if she thinks it's sexy.

3. She wants to be dominated: Even big-mouthed ballsy women like me enjoy being dominated! Yet dominating a woman scares a lot of men because they are afraid — rightfully so — of being rape-y. But with tons of trust and communication, she'll be creaming her panties in no time! You just need to take baby steps and constantly read her body language to make sure she's comfortable, both physically and emotionally. I want to emphasize the importance of baby steps: If you're going to play around with domination, it's never a good idea to start off with anything that might hurt her feelings or humiliate her, i.e., barking orders at her ("Go down on me NOW!") or name-calling ("Slut!"). Playing around with restraints — loose restraints, of course — is definitely a better way to go.

How to ask: Start simple. Really simple. "Would you like it if I blindfolded you the next time I go down on you?" If she likes that, next time ask, "Would you like it if I loosely tied your wrists to the bedposts?" If she likes that, next time ask, "Would you like it if I held down your arms while I lick your breasts?" If she likes that, the two of you can figure out what else she might like. It's also a good idea to create a "safe word," which is something she can say when she wants you to stop immediately. (Sometimes in the heat of the moment people say "Oh, noooo!" when they really mean "Oh, that feels good!" So it's good if your safe word is something other than "no.")  My safe word is this sentence: "I want you to stop now." Because it makes my intentions clear.

4. She wants you to be the submissive one: Getting dominated might not be her thing, but she might want to dominate you. Yes, even if she's the meek and shy one! Speaking from a lady's point of view, it can be awkward to tell a guy you want to dominate him because it's hard to ascertain which guys will think it's too emasculating. (I am not saying a man getting dominated has to be emasculating; some guys just perceive it that way.) But if you think your woman might get her rocks off by playing the sex goddess, you getting dominated is worth bringing up.

How to ask: Does your lady ever ride cowgirl? If that's your favorite move — and in my experience, for a lot of guys, it is — tell her that you just LOVE her in control. Then suggest the same things that I recommended under the "She wants to be dominated" section — say you want her to give you a BJ while you're blindfolded, then with your wrists tied to the bed post, etc. If she finds her inner domination queen, you're a lucky guy!

5. She wants to be spanked: Lightly spanking a woman (i.e., nothing that could cause a bruise) can feel amazing for both of you: I've heard lots of women say that getting spanked sends lots of tingly feelings to their vaginal and anal areas and I've heard lots of men say spanking a woman makes them feel like they are physically demonstrating their lust. I've been pretty open about my own enjoyment with getting spanked and, I promise you, lots of women really like it. Unfortunately, asking to be spanked can be embarrassing for a woman because, well, it is sort of silly!

How to ask: Just like when you're asking a woman if she wants to be dominated, the key is to take baby steps. While you're making out, touch her ass a lot; squeeze it, rub it; show her you think her booty is a-maz-ing. Whisper in her ear, "Can I give you a little spank?" If she says yes, do it once, softly. Ask, "Do you like that ?" If she says yes or even if she's ambivalent, ask if you can do it a few more times, all the while kissing her and still squeezing and rubbing her ass. Then you should probably stop. Next time you guys are cuddling, bring up how you liked giving her little spanks and ask if she wants to try it again sometime. If she's receptive, ask her if she wants you to do it harder or if she'd like to lie in your lap while you spank her. One more thing: my advice about dominating a woman is the same here, too. Do not call her names or humiliate her unless she tells you that's what she wants. For all you know, she has issues left over from childhood about being physically punished and calling her a "bad girl" might be upsetting. The same goes for women who might have had abusive relationships in the past: Even if your woman really likes getting spanked, it's important to remember that spanking is still hitting and you need to make it 100 percent absolutely clear that you're only doing it in the context of sexual arousal. Understood? Now go get it on.

Help me, Frisky-verse: What other things do women love to try in bed that we're sometimes too self-conscious to ask for?

9 Things You Have To Do In Bed..

Last week, John "Mind Of Man" DeVore warned us not to compliment a man when his is naked. Noted, buddy. But I have to say, as a woman, and a whole lot of one at that, even though you've already taken me home and gotten me naked, I still need to hear that you are ready for this jelly. Say something nice. Otherwise, I'll think you're not telling me how nice my booty is because you don't like what you see. I swear, I'm not normally so insecure, but when I drop my dress, you need to start the sweet talkin'. Even if it's a lie and you're glad I turned the lights off, just tell me I'm pretty. You gotta do that, gentleman, and eight more things during sex besides get off ...

1. Take Some Initiative: Don't just do what you know is going to get me off. Have fun, show me what you like to do to me. Don't simply go through the motions.
2. Kiss Something Besides My Mouth: My lips are like one percent of me; your kiss feels good on the other 99 percent.
3. Take All Your Clothes Off: Shirt, shoes, no service. I want it off. I want it all off!
4. Make Some Noise: You don't have to impersonate R. Kelly, but please let me know when and where I'm pleasing you.
5. Watch The Hair: Unless you're pulling it intentionally, please don't pin my hair down accidentally. It hurts and I don't want to ruin the mood by complaining about it.
6. Look Me In The Eye: We don't have to lock eyes forever, but a solid check-in makes me feel desired and gives me the chance to flash you a sexy look.
7. Focus On The Sweet Action: Don't be high-five-ing yourself in the mirror, writing your grocery list in your head, etc. I'm right in front of you, and I'm naked. Focus!
8. Ask Me What I Like: You might really like what I say.
9. Let Me Know What You Like: If I'm sleeping with you, I want to make this fun for everyone. So, don't be shy, boys...

Infrared Lasers..

Infrared or IR lasers have a beam that is in the infrared spectrum which is from 750nm to 1nm in wavelength. This is a longer wavelength than visible light and a shorter wavelength than radio waves. With a beam that is invisible to the naked eye, IR lasers cannot be used for many normal applications such as light shows or alignment. This makes our Stealth IR laser pointer a specialist laser pointer that is not used by the average laser enthusiasts.

IR lasers are used by military forces and government agencies world wide in a number of uses. IR lasers are ideal for target acquisition on the battle field where a target can be “painted” with out revealing the lasers location. IR lasers are ideal for use with night vision devices that enhance IR. The invisible nature of IR lasers also makes them ideal for covert monitoring and surveillance. IR lasers are also used in both civilian and military capacity for explosive detection. CWE (chemical warfare agents) absorb IR light, giving them a unique fingerprint detectable by IR lasers. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the USA is working on a portable system for using IR lasers to detect CWEs.

Security systems and alarms based on IR laser beams are very effective because intruders are unable to see the beam or know they have triggered an alert. IR lasers have featured in a number of block buster movies in this capacity though normally with technical inaccuracies.

There are also a number of medical applications for IR lasers such as treating soft tissue injuries, promoting healing and as a treatment for acne. There are numerous documented cases where IR lasers such as our Stealth laser pointer have been successfully used to reduce swelling and inflammation of acute and chronic injuries.

Safety
Safety is a very important issue with IR lasers for two major reasons. Firstly because the beam is invisible, there is no way to avoid the beam and the eyes natural protective blink reflex will not work. The second is that normal protective eye wear for lasers will not work on IR lasers. Safety glasses that are opaque to 532nm and provide more than adequate protection against green laser pointers and portable lasers BUT will be completely transparent to IR lasers such as our Stealth laser pointer. IR lasers need safety glasses specific to IR light.

A STUNNING modern-day recreation of the mystical world of angels !

This show is a spell-binding fusion of costumes and laser technology from Europe, and is performed by international gymnasts of Olympics fame.

Lazer Angels Re-Loaded is very Powerful, very Grand, very Unique... and VERY ENTERTAINING !

Show Duration: 20 Minutes

This Act can be performed by 1 - 15 international performers depending on the audience size.

Why Osama bin Laden was world's most hunted...??..

OSAMA bin Laden has been killed, US President Barack Obama has confirmed. The following explains why he was the world's most wanted man.
Who was Osama bin Laden?

Osama bin Laden was the leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization and the number one target in the United States' "war on terror". He was born in Saudi Arabia in 1957 as part of a billionaire family and used that wealth to establish and fund his global terror network.

What did he do?

Al-Qaeda is blamed for the September 11 attacks in the United States which killed almost 3000 people. He had been on the run ever since, with most intelligence reports suggesting he was moving back and forth in the border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
While al-Qaeda did not immediately claim responsibility for the September 11 attacks, a video recording later released apparently showed top figures saying it went "better than expected".  Other videos purportedly show similar planning and training sessions.  The group rarely claimed responsibility for attacks.
Al-Qaeda was formed out of the CIA-backed resistance fight against the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.  By 1988 it was being reported to be a "formal" terrorist organization.  Before September 11, the group had been responsible - or blamed - for widespread bombings across Africa and the Middle East, including the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania which killed over 200 people and injured thousands.  It was also blamed for the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, which killed 17 American sailors and wounded 39.

How was he killed?

President Obama has said he was briefed last August on a report about the location of bin Laden, hiding within a compound deep within Pakistan and last week authorized the assault on the compound near Abbottabad, about 100km north of the capital Islamabad.
The attack was carried out in four helicopters on Sunday (US time) by a small group of the Navy's elite SEAL Team Six under the command of CIA Director Leon Panetta. After a firefight they killed bin Laden with a shot to the head.  Sources have said one of the helicopters crashed, possibly as a result of enemy fire, although US officials later said the chopper was destroyed after suffering mechanical failure.  There were no American casualties in the raid, which also killed three other men and one woman.
"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's efforts to defeat al Qaeda," the president said.

What happened to his body?

After bin Laden was confirmed dead, US forces took custody of his body. A US official has since confirmed that bin Laden was buried at sea, in accordance with Islamic law and tradition, which dictates the body must be buried within 24 hours of death.
Earlier reports that journalists would be invited to view the body seem to have been unfounded.  A sea burial was favored to prevent a grave site becoming a shrine.
After Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay were killed, pictures of their bodies were broadcast around the world, ostensibly to reassure tormented Iraqis that they really were dead.  Video of Saddam's execution emerged on YouTube.
A similar public display in this case would risk sparking a backlash from al-Qaeda cells and sympathizers and possibly anger moderate allies.  However officials have said the burial was recorded and video could be released.

Had he come close to capture or death before?

Soon after the start of the war in Afghanistan and the ousting of the Taliban, a fierce battle in the hills of Tora Bora raged for days in October 2001.  That battle has long been acknowledged as the closest the US had come to catching bin Laden.  It was later confirmed by military and intelligence bosses that they still believed bin Laden had only narrowly slipped away from them in that battle.

After that, the trail largely went cold.  Former president George W. Bush said bin Laden had gone from being "wanted dead or alive" to being just one part of the campaign, and one he rarely thought about.

What did bin Laden do while on the run?

The precise details of his movements are unknown, of course.  But he did not stay silent.  Several times over his first few years as a fugitive, he released audio tapes commenting on recent events, including the war in Iraq and al-Qaeda activity there under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and other terrorist attacks from al-Qaeda groups or their satellites.

Those tapes underlined his status as a global terror figurehead and inspiration and provided a powerful propaganda tool.  Later, such tapes were also issued by Saddam Hussein and the al-Qaeda no.2 Ayman al-Zawarhiri, who remains a fugitive.
It is possible a tape was prepared for use in the event of his death.

What does this mean for al-Qaeda?

It is a big loss of a figurehead leader, but ultimately the group was always established to be able to survive the elimination of its top ranks.  Rather than having one command structure and hierarchy with cells taking commands from bin Laden at "al-Qaeda HQ", they have always been set up to act more as franchises, operating independently along similar goals and with similar methods.
Announcing the death, President Obama warned Americans this was not the end of al-Qaeda.  "There is no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us," he said.
However many of the al-Qaeda leadership of 2001 is now dead or captured and either in Guantanamo Bay or other US-run locations, or - in the case of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - awaiting trial in New York on Sepetmber 11-related charges.  Possibly the largest blow will be to future recruiting of militants, with the loss of the propaganda boost of having a leader successfully evading the most powerful military in the world.

What does this mean for the war in Afghanistan?

The main opposition in the war in Afghanistan is a resurgent Taliban, with some al-Qaeda remnants in support.  The Taliban figurehead leader Mullah Mohammed Omar remains at large.
The NATO-led military alliance in Afghanistan is due to begin handing tactical control to local forces this year, paving the way for troop withdrawals.  The US had been scheduled to start drawing down its troop commitment from July this year.

How did bin Laden and al-Qaeda impact Australia?

Ten Australians were killed in the September 11 attacks and more were caught in other attacks in the years after, which were either planned by or "inspired by" al-Qaeda, such as the 2005 London bombings and attacks in Jakarta, Egypt and Morocco.
But the deepest impact was felt in 2002 in Bali.  The bombings at the nightclubs there in October 2002, which killed 202 people, claimed 88 Australian lives.  While the attacks were blamed on regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, experts have claimed links between JI figures and linkmen to al-Qaeda, most notably Hambali, known as "Asia's bin Laden". 
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said she hoped the news would give their loved ones some closure.  "We as a nation still remember their loss and we remember it today.  I trust that today's news comes as some small measure of justice for those who still grieve the loss of their loved ones."
Australia has also spent nearly 10 years as part of the war in Afghanistan.  That conflict has claimed 23 Australian lives.

What has been the reaction so far?

As news broke in anticipation of the President's announcement, crowds numbering in the thousands began gathering to celebrate on the grounds in front of the White House and at the site of the World Trade Centre in New York, destroyed nearly 10 years ago.  People waved American flags and chanted "USA! USA!"

Former presidents Bush and Clinton issued statements welcoming the mastermind's death.  "The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Mr Bush has said.  Mr Clinton was president at the time of the embassy and Cole attacks and during the first bombing of the World Trade Centre.

The Anger From Pakistan !!

As the world reels from the death of Osama bin Laden, the mood in Karachi is changing from indifference to anger at the continuing American presence there. Eliza Griswold reports from Karachi.

Even though Karachi, a Pakistani port city of roughly 15 million people, has served as an al Qaeda way station for nearly a decade, the streets are hot and sleepy today. Seven high value detainees still at Guantanamo Bay have been arrested here, and yet there is little outward reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death rocking the rest of the world. Most of the action is virtual. It’s taking place behind closed doors in one neighborhood coffee house, Peace Niche, where a handful of young Pakistani men and women are blogging and tweeting furiously about the unfolding events.

“Obama’s speech sounded like a Morgan Freeman voiceover,” Mariam Bilgrami, 29, the projects manager at the second-floor shop and art gallery downstairs taps onto her Facebook page. “I’m not a hater,” she’s quick to add. It’s just that she feels that the President of the United States is missing an opportunity to say, “Even though this is important, it’s just the beginning.” There will still be drone strikes in Pakistan, she goes on. The U.S. will not withdraw from Afghanistan.

Her status update draws immediate angry reactions from some Canadian friends, among them soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. How would the 9/11 firefighters families feel to read such a post? She understands this and means no disrespect. She too is glad that bin Laden is dead. But “celebrating death” feels odd to her, she writes back.

“To many he is Bin Laden the Hero,” the shopkeeper in Karachi says. “He’s not as bad as what America makes him out to be."

Facebook and Twitter, she adds, are the only way most Pakistanis are truly able to express what they think. In what other forum could a sharp and outspoken young Pakistani intellectual like her go back and forth in real time with soldiers fighting in Afghanistan? “It’s the only way you can tell how people really feel,” she says. Anonymity is an essential part of the exchange.
So is security. Al Qaeda has used Karachi, she explains. According to the recently released WikiLeaks documents, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of 9/11 made Karachi his operational home. It was from here that al Qaeda ran much of its media wing, set up its financing and distributed money through couriers, ran bomb-making workshops, laundered money through phony import-export businesses, shipped cases of anthrax, and planned to attack U.S. soldiers at two local hotels.

Now Bilgrami is worried about possible militant backlash. Only last week, a suicide bomber blew up several Navy busses here. “This city is a pressure cooker,” she said. Things build up until they explode.

Curious about the outsider asking questions, other customers in their twenties and thirties at Peace Niche gathered around an empty table to chronicle their excited versions of the day’s events. One café goer, Mariam Aziz, a graduate film student at NYU who happens to be at home in Pakistan on vacation is following the twitter feed of @reallyvirtual, a young man from Abbotabad who has been tweeting about the events unfolding outside his window—the late night raid, the sound of a crashing American helicopter—before he knew that all that fuss had to do with bin Laden. Within hours, he’d become a kind of citizen counterterror analyst.
She’s also monitoring heated online debate as to whether or not one Pakistani newspaper had the right to call Osama bin Laden a shaheed, or martyr, a word ostensibly reserved for those who die for their faith. How could anyone argue that bin Laden was a good Muslim, another customer asks in disgust. After all, most of his victims weren’t godless foreigners, they were fellow believers. One reason this café is so busy is because it was one of the few still safe places to be out in public.

Many parents now have to hire armed guards to bring their children home from school. Life now revolves around the issue of being cooped up at home as it never did before. "The first time I heard gunshots, I was scared," another girl says. "Now I'm used to it."
Life in the shadow of a war between militants and America has become de rigueur here.
“We’re glad he’s dead,” one accounting student tells me. “If anything he’s one hell of a hider.”
Outside in the street, among those who don’t blog and drink cappuccino, the story changes. In the midday heat, the shops are closed for lunch. On the steps nearby a tailor shop, a man debates the public image of Bin Laden the Terrorist. It all depends on whether or not you know him, how he has treated those close to him. “To many he is Bin Laden the Hero,” the shopkeeper says. “He’s not as bad as what America makes him out to be." What does that mean? He scowls. "America wants what it wants.”

In part, his comments reveal the gap between the haves and have nots here in Pakistan. The mood on the streets and the media tone seems to be changing. The morning’s shock giving way to anger at the U.S. presence on Pakistani soil, which has been one of the largest public stumbling blocks to cooperation between the two countries for nearly a decade now.
The man on the street would rather not say more. Behind him, the alley begins to fill with more onlookers, a tea seller, other bored men who seem less curious than suspicious.“OSAMA BIN LADEN HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED,” the paper boy cries as he flashes the Urdu paper EXTRA and weaves through traffic.