Why did the US bury Osama bin Laden at sea? 

The answer might surprise you.

In May of 2011, after nearly a decade of hiding, the al Qaeda leader was killed by Navy SEALs at his compound in Pakistan. After identifying bin Laden’s body, the SEALs transported him to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, and buried his body in the Arabian Sea that same day. 

But why was this method chosen?

A top concern was that if bin Laden was buried on land, his grave could become an important symbol to other extremists, something the US badly wished to avoid. They also had to balance this concern with Islamic tradition, which dictates that a body should be buried within 24 hours of a person’s death. Ignoring this tradition could have caused more violence from bin Laden’s followers– so the decision was made to bury him quickly in the middle of the sea, while still adhering to Islamic practices. 

But what do you think: did the US make the right choice in burying its greatest enemy at sea? 


#themilitaryshow