An Out-of-the-blue Midnight Post

Hey guys! How's everybody doing? It's been years now since I last posted here. I hope everybody is doing fine.

Osama bin Laden: Dead

By Bob Drogin, Ken Dilanian and David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times

May 2, 2011, 12:19 a.m.

Reporting from Washington— A U.S. special forces team killed Osama bin Laden at a compound inside Pakistan and recovered his body, bringing a close to the world's highest-profile manhunt after a decade-long search, President Obama announced to the world Sunday night.

"Justice has been done," the president said solemnly in a hastily arranged late-night televised address from the East Room of the White House.

Bin Laden, he said, was "a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children," and his death was "the most significant achievement to date" in the U.S. war against the Al Qaeda terrorist network.

As described by the president and top administration officials who briefed reporters after the president's speech, the successful effort to track down Bin Laden centered on a trusted courier for Al Qaeda, a man whom officials described as a protege of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the operational mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.

U.S. intelligence officials had identified the courier four years ago, based on information from detainees in U.S. custody who said he was one of the few Al Qaeda couriers trusted by Bin Laden, a senior official said. Two years ago, they succeeded in identifying areas in Pakistan in which the courier operated. In August, they succeeded in finding the man's residence, a walled compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

The compound had drawn the CIA's interest because it was far larger than residences around it, had walls 12 to 18 feet high that were topped with barbed wire and had few windows in its three-story building. The compound was valued at $1 million but had no telephone or Internet, and all trash was burned on the premises.

To the CIA, the compound appeared custom-built to hide someone of major significance. After years of speculation that the world's most-wanted man was hiding in the caves and rugged redoubts of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, officials now came to believe that he was hiding there, less than 40 miles north of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

Obama was briefed on the intelligence in August, but "it took many months to run this thread to ground," the president said Sunday.

"The bottom line of our collection and our analysis was that we had high confidence that the compound harbored a high-value terrorist target … and strong probability the terrorist who was hiding there was Osama bin Laden," the senior official said.

By early Friday morning, the official said, the evidence had become sufficiently certain that Obama, meeting with his top national security advisors in the White House Diplomatic Room, was able to give the go-ahead for a helicopter-borne team of special forces, including Navy SEALS, to attack the compound. It was the fifth formal meeting of his National Security Council on the progress of the hunt, officials said.

The president then left Washington to fly to Alabama to survey tornado damage. As he did so, his national security advisor, Tom Donilon, prepared the formal orders for the operation. On Saturday, White House officials gave a few key congressional leaders advance word that an unspecified national security development could happen over the weekend.

On Sunday, the special forces launched their raid, which lasted approximately 40 minutes, the senior official said. After what the president described as a firefight, they killed Bin Laden. No Americans were injured in the raid, Obama said, although the senior official said that one of the helicopters used in the operation was damaged and had to be destroyed.

Also killed were the courier, his brother, one of Bin Laden's sons, and a woman who officials said was being used as a shield.

White House officials were told at 3:50 p.m. Eastern time that Bin Laden had been tentatively identified as among the dead. DNA tests confirmed his identity later in the day, U.S. officials said.

Vice President Joe Biden and CIA Director Leon Panetta called members of Congress and leaders around the world earlier Sunday night to break the long-awaited news. Obama, himself, called House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), officials said. Shortly afterward, White House officials began alerting reporters to prepare for a rare, late-night broadcast statement by the president on an unspecified national security topic.

In announcing the news, Obama praised the joint efforts of U.S. and Pakistani intelligence, and appealed to Muslims around the globe to support the U.S. action.

"Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader," he said. "He was a mass murderer of Muslims."

In Islamabad, a Pakistani intelligence official also confirmed Bin Laden's death and said that Pakistani forces were involved in the attack on the compound, an assertion that U.S. officials denied. Pakistan had not been informed of the intelligence in advance, U.S. officials said.

Analysts said Bin Laden's death was likely to accelerate the fracturing of militant groups loosely associated with Al Qaeda, especially in the Middle East, that have taken their inspiration from Bin Laden's call for attacks on the U.S. and its allies for more than a decade.

His killing deprives Al Qaeda of its most charismatic and important leader. It leaves Ayman Zawahiri, an Egyptian physician and Islamist ideologue, as the putative leader of the group, whose ranks already have been badly depleted in recent years as a result of arrests and attacks by the U.S. and allied nations.

It was Bin Laden's fervent call for attacks on the U.S. — which he referred to as the "far enemy" — and Al Qaeda's ability to recruit and train operatives from its sanctuary in Afghanistan that led to some of the world's deadliest terrorist attacks.

As the first word of Bin Laden's death leaked out, a jubilant and fast-growing crowd gathered outside the White House. The throng waved flags, chanted "USA! USA!" and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Elation over his death crossed hardened party lines.

Obama called President George W. Bush, who issued a statement saying that he had "congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission."

"Tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done, " Bush said.

Boehner called the development "great news" and congratulated U.S. forces.

"I also want to commend President Obama and his team, as well as President Bush, for all of their efforts to bring Osama bin Laden to justice," Boehner said.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also commended "the president and his team" for the achievement. "I am overjoyed that we finally got the world's top terrorist," McCain said. "The world is a better and more just place now that Osama bin Laden is no longer in it."

But there was a sense that the development would accrue to Obama's political benefit in tense dealings with Republicans on other issues.

"It's the mission-accomplished moment that President Bush only fantasized about," said Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.).

Inside the White House, aides said Obama's mood was not celebratory when told of Bin Laden's death, but rather was "sober and serious."

Aides walked through the corridors after the president's announcement with looks of elation and relief. "We're not going to gloat," said one aide who was not authorized to speak publicly. Such was the level of secrecy surrounding the Bin Laden mission that even veteran White House aides who work steps from the Oval Office were caught by surprise.

One aide was wearing a Washington Capitals hockey jersey, having come to the West Wing directly from a playoff game at Washington's Verizon Center. Others who are normally never seen in the West Wing without a jacket and tie wore jeans and sneakers.

Asked what the day was like, one top national security advisor gave a one-word answer: "Excruciating."

The news came months before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which were orchestrated by Al Qaeda. More than 3,000 people were killed

The horrifying attacks set off a chain of events that led the United States into wars in Afghanistan, and then Iraq. As the nation girded for more attacks, America's entire intelligence system was overhauled to counter the threat of terrorist bombs or other attacks at home.

Al Qaeda also was blamed for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa that killed 231 people and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors in Yemen, as well as countless other plots, some successful and some foiled. It has generated local organizations in hot spots from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Bin Laden first gained attention in the 1980s, when he drew on his family's vast fortune, derived from the construction industry, to build hospitals, mosques and other facilities to help support Afghans then fighting Soviet troops in Afghanistan. The CIA considered him a financier, not a terrorist leader.

In 1991, Bin Laden bitterly opposed the introduction of U.S. troops onto bases in Saudi Arabia during the run-up to the first Persian Gulf War, which ousted Saddam Hussein's Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

His fiery sermons demonized the Saudi rulers, and infidel Westerners, and soon attracted like-minded extremists to Al Qaeda.

The CIA had been on Bin Laden's trail since the mid-1990s, when it set up a separate intelligence unit to penetrate his organization and track his whereabouts.

After the embassy bombings in 1998, the Clinton administration undertook several intelligence and military operations aimed at killing him, including one in which cruise missile attacks were ordered against al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. All failed.

Though the U.S. had made plans to hold and interrogate Bin Laden if he was captured, most U.S. officials assumed that he would never be taken alive.

"You're talking about a hypothetical that will never occur," said Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. when asked in early 2010 if Bin Laden would enjoy constitutional protections. "The reality is that we will be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Osama bin Laden. He will never appear in an American courtroom."

James Oliphant in the Washington bureau contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

The sudden death of young actor Anotnello Joseph "Aj" Perez seemed to have hurt many people all over the county. Sunday, April 10, early in the morning, the young actor died due to multiple injuries detected in his head. However, autopsy result shows that the actor died because his ribs punctured his heart and his left lung due to the hard impact.

Until now, many people are still mourning and have not recovered from his death. Even though Aj Perez is dead, it would not still stop him and his family to do good deeds. His family have decided to donate the young actor's eye to Miracle Child Fatima Soriano who was born blind.

Due to the fact that the cornea can only be donated and not the whole eye, the Miracle Child's doctor stated that it would be impossible since the defect was on the retina and not the cornea, thus, simply stating that the plan of donating the actor's eye was impossible. However, Fatima Soriano was still happy and contented since she knew that someone else, need it more than her.

The young actor's last tweet was "On the way home already from Dagupan.Long drive ahead.. Thanks to everybody who watched, thanks to zui for the gifts.And hi again to jarred!"

It was said that when the accident happened, the young actor was asleep. He was then brought to a hospital but he was reported dead when they arrived.

The death of the young actor stunned the whole country. Even his friends, relatives, loved ones and avid fans could not believe the news and left them shocked and in horror.

Even though everyone was horrified of this shocking event, they still bore into their minds and heart that Aj Perez is in good hands right now.

Antonello Jospeh Perez may be gone but his influences in the movie industry, his impact to the fans and people around him will never be forgotten and will forever be tattooed inside their hearts and minds.

Rest in peace Aj.

Out of my mind

Oh my. I really do not know what came up into my mind that I said I would get some exercise and document it via blogger? I really do not know. Well, it's true I will be doing some exercise but not document it here. Who would want to read a blog about a blogger writing the details about his daily activities to have a physically fit body? Well, anyway, I'll still be pursuing my plan. HEHE.

Good DAY!

First Day of Summer

Today! Whoah! was a very unproductive day. Except for the fact that I cleaned the entire house! YEY! Well, anyway, I will consider today as the first day of summer since I'm totally done with school. I'm cleared and I will not be going back for a long long time. Back when it wasn't summer yet, I was wondering what I should do to somehow make this long holiday very useful for myself.

So now, I thought of doing some exercise. You read it right. I want to have a body which is physically. I do not really dream of having large 6-packs abs, just average ones that will reduce my belly fats due to water therapy. So, starting next week, I'll be proceeding as planned. So, why am I telling this?

Because I'll be using blogger to document my improvement. Well, I really don't know if an improvement shall fall upon me but I'll just pray it will. I'm doing this because I really don't like the way I look right now. I feel like I can't do anything. So, I've decided to change something. Only a little bit. I'll spending my whole summer to achieve that goal.

What are your plans anyway? Comment below ^__^ [ I know the arrow sucks BIG TIME]
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Count on me like 1,2,3

All of us can never live alone. We need someone we are able to communicate openly and share everything regardless of the topic and that is probably one of the purposes being inside a family. However, there are some things, some experiences, problems, which you can never tell your family. That is the time where you run to someone and express these feelings you were unable to do so. That someone or someone'S[plural] are your friends.

So, why did I post that video up there?

Because a friend of mine posted it on our group's wall. I thought it was another "OTHER" song so I ignored. Then I stumbled to it once again and unconsciously, my hand moved on its own and clicked the play button.

I was amazed. It struck me in the heart that it hurt me instead of appreciating. My friends have always been there for me. Every time I call for their help, they were always there. Yet I do nothing for them. 2 days ago, I called for their companion because I have to take an exam for approximately 1 hour and they waited for me. Yeah and after my exam, they wanted to chill, hang out, take a walk. But guess what I did,I refused to go. For no apparent reason I refused to go. I know they were hurt because of that. I took them for granted. That's why every time I hear this song, it reminds me of them. Sometimes I wished that I could be a better friend. Someone they could rely on whenever they are in trouble and someone whom they can share their problems and somehow give them advices and help them feel well. Somehow I want to be that kind of friend, because they have always been like that to me. Somehow... :[

Anyway! back to where we are! It's an amazing song related to friendship and stuffs like you can count of your friends and your friends can count on you. You should try listening.

PEACE! V(^__^)V

Second semester is almost done! I can't wait for summer to come! A few more exams and I will be experiencing again paradise - a time that I do not have to study, free from all the pressures. Finally, I can sleep!