The specifics in the story of terrorist Osama Bin Laden’s death are sure to make their way to light in the coming days, or possibly, hours. Yet, had you searched on Twitter, youwould have seen the story told long before President Obama even announced his press conference. Because some guy live-Tweeted it as it happened, without knowing he was doing so.
A fellow named Sohaib Athar, who’s an IT consultant in Abbottabad, Pakistan – where Bin Laden was killed – Tweeted about hearing a blast and a helicopter hovering over Abbottabad, which Mr. Athar considered to be a rare event. It was apparently a slightly irritating one at that, as he threatened to take out his “giant swatter” to get the helicopter to leave the area.
“:-/” indeed. Little did he know: that helicopter very well might’ve ended up carting the body of the world’s most infamous terrorist out of town. Someone found him on Twitter after this evening’s news, and of course, quoteth Mr. Athar:
“Uh oh, now I’m the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it. and here come the mails from the mainstream media… *sigh*“
Such are the perils of Twitter, and American forces finding the most wanted terrorist in the world not too far from you. It happens. Mr. Athar was even kind enough to provide his new friends with a picture of sunny Abbottabad late Sunday evening (Monday afternoon in Pakistan) where Mr. Bin Laden was killed:
It looks like the San Fernando valley. If it is indeed anything like the San Fernando valley, those who take pleasure in that kind of thing will be glad to know Mr. Bin Laden suffered a particularly torturous death.
[h/t Eric Spiegelman]
