Mother Jones reads the jihadi forums -- and Free Republic.

Bin Laden's supporters (and the president's detractors) share their frustrations online, while active-duty soldiers rejoice.

— By Adam Weinstein

Mon May. 2, 2011 2:00 AM PDT

On the English-language Islamic Awakening web forum for friends of jihad, Saif Ul Haq started a new thread just after 11 p.m. Eastern time Monday with a single sentence: "I just saw on the news that they killed Osama and will be showing his body soon."

Minutes later, another poster responded: "shut up and delete this thread."

So began the long, difficult journey of defeat and disillusion for sympathizers of Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on America, on learning that US forces had killed him in a Pakistani safehouse. What followed in the next hours was an online outpouring of denials, anger, and muted acceptance—not only from Islamist militants and sympathizers, but from domestic political critics of President Barack Obama, as well.

"I will wait for the Mujahideen to confirm this, and will not believe until I see a picture of his dead body," wrote one jihadi sympathizer on Islamic Awakening (IA)—one of several such forums provided to Mother Jones by Aaron Y. Zelin, a researcher at Brandeis University who tracks online militant activities on the website Jihadology.net.

This sentiment, and many others by Islamists, were echoed by conservative detractors of the president. "Obama can claim what ever he wants but his word is no good," wrote one commenter on the right-wing site Free Republic. "Without proof that Osama is dead and staying dead, I don't have to believe anything he says."

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/234OlR/motherjones.com/politics/2011/05/bin-laden-dead-jihadi-right-wing-reaction




:rofl:

Another soldier at Bagram, Spc. William Baxter, had a much simpler thought fo the Times' reporter.

"OK, he's dead," he said. "Can we go home?"

Good enough reason for me, get out now.

Who could have predicted that wing nuts would be in a major snit over this?

First time I've seen that term. Perfect. :thumbsup:

:shrug: