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See our two-page spread reflecting on the death of Osama bin Laden and his place in the U.S. consciousness over past decade

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

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bin Laden’s death opens doors American intelligence beneﬁts from al-Qaida leader’s killing, boren says KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

The death of Osama bin Laden has demonstrated the ability of American leaders and is beneficial to our national goal of ending

terrorism, OU officials said Monday. Many groups deserve credit for the achievement of a goal many years in the making, OU President David Boren said in a statement. President Barack Obama acted decisively, Boren said in the statement. “The special operations forces performed with great heroism and precision,” Boren said. “The intelligence community worked tirelessly

and effectively.” The credit for bin Laden’s death will go to Obama because of his changes to U.S. strategy in the Middle East, Joshua Landis said, director of the OU Center for Middle East Studies. “His focus on policing actions has paid off,” SEE BOREN PAGE 2

VACCINATIONS

Grant funds vaccine video video by nursing school attempts to quell rumors that shots cause autism

STUdenTS CHeer For bin LAden’S deMiSe

HILLARY MCLAIN

The Oklahoma Daily

OU’s College of Nursing has developed an educational video to refute claims about the negative effects of immunizations. The video is intended to dispel rumors about immunizations and provide students with up-to-date information on the subject, said Sheryl Buckner, coprincipal investigator of the program. There has been a decrease in immunization rates in the past few years because of a belief that immunizations cause autism, Buckner said. The video was produced using money provided through a twoyear, $300,000 Nursing Initiative Promoting Immunization Training federal grant, Buckner said. “The [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] had loads of information about immunizations on their website, but it really had little organization to it, Buckner said. “I was convinced we could make the immunization material on the CDC website come alive in an engaging manner on our website.” Using Adobe Flash and the Suddenly Smart platform, a training module was set up for students to learn about diseases, immunity and the potential impact of immunizations, Buckner ALEX EWALD/THE DAILY

Students Michael Kahle, left, David Gagne, Tim Supinie, Tim Marquis, Steve Sichterman, Stephen Jones and Ashton Robinson Cook cheer with the American flag after hearing about Osama bin Laden’s death Sunday night on the North Oval. Pres. Obama announced Sunday that Osama bin Laden was killed in a special operation by U.S. forces in Pakistan.

Petroleum engineers to take Amazon trip University to sponsor 12-day summer study-abroad course in Columbia DIONNE BUXTON

The Oklahoma Daily

An OU college will sponsor a 12-day study abroad course in the Colombian Amazon this summer. Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy petroleum engineering majors will travel to Colombia from July 18 to 30, and the course will provide information on applied reservoir engineering and advances in enhanced oil recovery techniques, according to a press release. The three-credit course will be

taught in English by OU petroleum engineering professor Yucel Akkutlu and Colombian National University petroleum engineering professor and OU alumna Dora Restrepo, according to the press release. Students interested in participating in the course can still sign up to participate, said Yoana Walschap, Mewbourne professor and Energy Institute of the Americas director. “We are going to provide a travel scholarship to most of the students,” Walschap said. “Right now I have only five students, and would like to have a few more enrolled.” Students who travel to Colombia will perform field work on the local environment and study

the indigenous communities, Walschap said. “I think that our students will learn more than simply the content of the course with this experience, but also will witness firsthand the local environment, the beauty of the area, a different culture and will appreciate more this world’s treasure and help to maintain it for future generations,” Walschap said. The trip and course are unique opportunities for petroleum engineering students to take what they learn in the classroom to the field, Walschap said. Students majoring in petroleum engineering have very few opportunities to study abroad at OU, Walschap said.

How to apply for the course 1. Course prerequisites: Petroleum Engineering 3413, 3513, 3723, 3813 2. Acquire an application from Yaona Walschap’s office, Sarkeys Energy Center 1414 3. Provide with the application: » Statement of purpose » Letter of recommendation » Copy of student passport — Source: Yoana Walschap, Energy Institute of the Americas director

CONSTRUCTION

OU to close seven classrooms for technology update renovations will bring up-to-date technology to more oU classrooms SARA GROOVER

The Oklahoma Daily

Several classrooms will undergo major renovations as the university updates them with newer technologies, a university official said. Renovations will close seven classrooms in the Physical Sciences Center and Felgar and Copeland halls this summer through spring

A LooK AT WHAT’S on Visit the news section to read about four students who received fellowships for summer internships

2012, said Breck Turkington, director of enrollment services and academic records. OU seeks to update and install new technology — such as projectors or computer systems where necessary in all of the classrooms, Turkington said. Room 201 of the Physical Sciences Center will undergo renovations to install new seating, lighting and to raise the stage, Turkington said. Due to construction noise, two adjacent rooms will not be available for scheduling through at least the fall, Turkington said. The

renovations will be countered by the opening of five centrally operating classrooms in Gould and Zarrow halls. Several departments located in Dale Hall Tower will be relocated while tower renovations are made during the next year. Only two small classrooms will be affected by these renovations, Turkington said. “That is what this renovations’ committee is set on doing,” Turkington said. “We are getting very close to having very little classrooms without up-to-date technology.”

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boren recommends College of Medicine dean as HSC provost A new Health Sciences Center provost and senior vice president will be named July 1 to succeed current Joe Ferretti. Dr. Dewayne Andrews has been recommended for the position by OU President David Boren in addition to his current role as executive dean of OU College of Medicine. His appointment is contingent upon approval by the OU Board of Regents. Andrews has served as the executive dean since 2002 and is also on the hospital staff of OU Medical Center. Andrews was selected because of his outstanding leadership at the HSC and the College of Medicine, Boren said. “After a broad consultation to assure a smooth transition and continued forward momentum, I have decided to recommend the appointment of Dr. Andrews to succeed Dr. Joe Ferretti as provost,” Boren said. Andrews received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, and his medical degree from the OU College of Medicine. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the HSC, after joining the faculty in 1977 as assistant professor. — Hillary McLain/The daily

TodAY’S WeATHer

73°| 50° Tomorrow: Sunny, high of 79 degrees

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CAMPUS

Chase Cook, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

boren: Diplomacy easier without bin Laden Continued from page 1

Today around campus » University College will host an event providing tips on managing stress from 4 to 5 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.

Wednesday, May 4 » Students will be able to make free stress balls from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s first floor lobby. The event is part of the Union Programming Board’s Dead Week De-Stress. » University College Action Staff will give tips on test management for final exams from 2 to 3 p.m. in Adams Center’s Muldrow Tower, Room 105. » Director Beth Sievers will present the Sooner Strings Project from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Catlett Music Center’s Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall.

Thursday, May 5 » There will be a Mark Allen Everett poetry talk from 10 to 11 a.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 280. Professionals will also come to talk to aspiring writers about the poetry business. » A Nintendo Wii will be provided from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Union’s first floor lobby as part of the Union Programming Board’s Dead Week De-Stress. » OU softball will play North Texas at 6 p.m. at Marita Hynes Field. » The Oklahoma Festival Ballet will present a variety of dance numbers from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. Tickets are $14 for students, $18 for OU faculty and staff and $22 for adults. » A free helping of breakfast food will be served for dinner from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Union’s food court. The event is part of the Union Programming Board’s Dead Week De-Stress.

Friday, May 6 » Final day of spring classes. » Free screenings of the film “I am Number Four” will be provided by the Oklahoma Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council. Screenings will take place at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 10 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium. » OU baseball will play Kansas at 6:30 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. » The Oklahoma Festival Ballet will present a variety of dance numbers from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. Tickets are $14 for students, $18 for OU faculty and staff and $22 for adults.

» This day in OU history

May 3, 1999 Tornadoes rip through Oklahoma Today marks the 12th anniversary of 66 tornadoes breaking out across Oklahoma and Kansas, including an F5 tornado that touched down near Chickasha and lasted for hours. It was the worst storm outbreak in Oklahoma history to date. In all, 44 people lost their lives, including three children. More than 7,000 homes were destroyed or damaged as a result. — Source: NewsOK.com

Landis said. “Rather than waging largescale wars, he has been focusing on policing actions, which has been more fruitful and less wasteful.” Boren was the longest serving chair of the United States Senate Intelligence Committee and serves as co-chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, university spokesman Chris Shilling said. The successful strike on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan highlights the success of changes in American intelligence policy since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Boren said. “These reforms have brought together the specialized skills of each separate part of the national security community into a shared unified effort,” Boren said. The death puts Americans closer to withdrawing from Afghanistan, and Americans will probably have an easier time creating a diplomatic solution now that bin Laden and what he represented are gone, Landis said. However, U.S. officials must consider the situations and environments that created opportunities for al-Qaida and bin Laden to become established in the first place, Landis said. “At the same time, one of the things we’ve learned is that failed states such as Afghanistan become breeding grounds for extremism,” Landis said. “We will not be able to leave without some form of

government that seems stable. Whether that is making a deal with the Taliban, I don’t know, but it will be easier to make deals with bin Laden dead.” Poverty and harsh economic situations also contribute to extremists’ ability to establish authority in the Middle East, however, recent uprisings in the region’s countries are a good first step, Landis said. “The Arab spring will have long-term positive effects because it was about governance and about liberty and about getting rid of dictatorship,” Landis said. “It’s not going to be done overnight, but this is the beginning.“ Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will still deliver the commencement address May 13, OU graduation office director Becky Heeney said. Gates has served in both the Bush and Obama administrations during military action in the Middle East. He may tailor his speech to address recent events, Heeney said. “Commencement speakers in general are finalizing talks and tailoring to specific audience until right before they deliver the address to a class,” Heeney said. “I think it’s a moving target until right before they deliver the address, so he might speak on what happened [Sunday] night.” OU has a good security system in place, so officials are not worried about any threats, Heeney said. All guests are checked before entering the stadium, and all graduates will have to open gowns to show they are not hiding anything.

By the numbers Less than 40 — Number of minutes U.S. special forces spent at bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, to complete the mission that killed him At least 9 — Number of planning meetings Obama participated prior to the raid that killed bin Laden 20 to 25 — Number of Navy SEALs who carried out the raid mission 0 — Casualties sustained by U.S. forces in the raid 4 — Number of people killed in the raid. One of which was bin Laden’s son. 99.9 — Percent accuracy, according to officials, of a DNA test confirming that the man shot in Abbottabad on Sunday was indeed Osama bin Laden — Sources: Newsweek, TIME

video: Project completed in 2 years Continued from page 1 said. Most textbooks do not properly address immunization training, because the knowledge on the subject changes every year, said Beverly Bowers, Center for Educational Excellence assistant dean. Project administrators wanted to make the project interactive, and videos and games were used with actors hired from a local agency, Bowers said. The grant was distributed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the project has been underway since September 2009, Buckner said. 1,700 nursing programs across the country were contacted about the training module. 500 returned contact with an interest in the program, project manager Loren Stein said in a press release. 4,000 people in all 50 states now use the program, which is free for registered students, Buckner said. Close to 1500 participants have completed the program. Funding for the program will end in September, but Buckner said there are plans to come up with a way to offer it after it expires. Stay connected with The Daily on Twitter for campus, sports and entertainment news

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Terrorist threat not gone, experts warn Small extremist groups could seek revenge for al-Qaida head’s killing, intelligence experts say WASHINGTON (AP) — Osama bin Laden’s death may temporarily decapitate al-Qaida, but the threat of terror attacks remains, and it could spike in coming days from individuals or small extremist groups inspired to take revenge for the killing, terror experts said Monday. Would-be successors to the terror leader pose a threat as they jostle for power and attention. And other jihadists inspired by the extremist messages may decide to act on their own — a threat that law enforcement officials say is much harder to detect and prevent. “People who are angry at us will be more so,” said Matthew Levitt, a counterterrorism and intelligence expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies. “They had attacks in the works last week, last month, today — and those things can still happen.” While the terror threat to the U.S. erupting from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has been rooted in al-Qaida, it has spawned a broad range of affiliated groups operating out of Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and the Pakistan border region. And with the Internet as their tool, terror leaders have worked to inspire individuals around the globe to take up the fight and launch their own attacks on Main Street USA. Bin Laden’s death, at the hands of U.S. special operations forces who stormed his private compound Monday in Pakistan, may ignite simmering passions, and no one knows how or where the danger could surface next. Pete Souza/AP “The biggest threat in the coming days is the recentPres. Barack Obama, Vice Pres. Joe Biden and Sec. of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with members of the national security ly radicalized people, or people that have been thinking about participating and are part of this demographic of ji- team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House Sunday in Washington. hadists that do not bear formal membership to any group, that have not necessarily traveled to a training camp, but have been encouraged by groups like al-Qaida, al-Qaida in At Fort Hood, Texas, a shooter reportedly inspired by al- the U.S. the Arabian Peninsula and others to conduct their own mis- Qaida-linked extremists gunned down 13 and wounded For al-Qaida, the future is at best uncertain. sions themselves,” said Ben Venzke, director of IntelCenter, 32 more in November 2009. And another man seeking Bin Laden’s heir apparent, Ayman al-Zawahri, is deeply a Virginia-based company that studies terrorist groups and to avenge the deaths of Muslims by U.S. forces shot and unpopular, and any struggle to replace the terror leader monitors their Internet messages. killed a soldier at a Little Rock, Ark., recruiting center in could divide and further weaken the group. Law enforcement officials said Monday that they are see- June 2009. Al-Qaida and its core leaders have been under great ing no specific, bin Laden-related threats at this point, but Then there have been the near-misses: the attempted pressure in Pakistan in recent years from the escalating they issued a bulletin warnTimes Square bombing a barrage of U.S. drone attacks. And the Pakistani military ing that homegrown exyear ago, the plot to bomb has pushed into many of the group’s strongholds along the tremists could use this as an New York subways and border, making communications, fundraising and attack “People who are angry at us will be more so. excuse to launch an attack. the failed effort to deto- planning far more difficult. They had attacks in the works last week, last Offsetting that, experts nate mail bombs on cargo But officials also warn that al-Qaida has proven to be resaid, are the reverberaplanes last October. silient and patient, White House counterterror chief John month, today — and those things can still tions of the successful U.S. The Homeland Security Brennan said. happen.” operation. Department and FBI conFor would-be bin Laden successors waiting in the wings, Extremists in the midst of fir med the retaliator y this presents a prime opportunity to snatch the mantle. — Matthew Levitt, a counterterrorism and attack plans, or looking to threat Sunday, issuing a “We should expect them to fast-track any and all plots intelligence expert at the Washington Institute for bulletin to law enforce- that have the chance to produce high-visibility, mass-camake a revenge strike, “are Near East Studies looking over their shoulment around the coun- sualty attacks against U.S. targets overseas or on the homeders,” said Levitt. try. The warning said bin land,” said Frank Cilluffo, director of George Washington “They’re assuming everything is penetrated, they’re afraid Laden’s death could inspire extremists to speed up their University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute. of talking on the phone — they’re afraid of using their cou- plans for attacks, and the threats could come from unidenCilluffo, a former special assistant to the president for riers,” he added. “It really shakes the tree in a very violent tified al-Qaida operatives in the country. homeland security, said terror leaders “will be motivated way.” “Bin Laden’s death may provide justification for radical- to prove they are relevant, that they can continue to pose In the near term, Venzke and other experts say the attacks ized individuals in the United States to rapidly mobilize for a threat and most of all that they deserve to be the heir apwould likely be small and planned quickly by would-be ji- attacks here,” the document said. parent to bin Laden.” hadists. But history shows such ad hoc, individual attempts Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the can as easily be deadly as they can be duds. government does not plan to raise the terror alert level in — AP

Bin Laden buried at sea Al-Qaida leader’s remains handled according to Islamic law WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden’s burial at sea largely followed widely accepted interpretations of Islamic law — a politically expedient step by a White House navigating the balance of satisfying Americans’ desire for justice and the powder keg of geopolitics. “The burial of bin Laden’s remains was done in strict conformance with Islamic precepts and practices,” John Brennan, White House adviser on counterterrorism and homeland security, told reporters Monday at a White House briefing. “It was prepared in accordance with the Islamic requirements. We early on made provisions for that type of

burial, and we wanted to make sure that it was going to be done, again, in strictest conformance.” It ’s c l e a r t h e U n i t e d States took great care not to anger the mainstream Muslim community, said Ebrahim Moosa, professor of Islamic studies at Duke University in North Carolina. Fo l l o w i n g P r e s i d e n t Barack Obama’s dramatic late-night announcement Sunday, the White House faced a barrage of questions on exactly how bin Laden was bur ie d. Bin Laden, the elusive leader of the al-Qaida terror organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was also sought for the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa. A land burial in the United States or in some other country might have

ignited tensions and violated a religious requirement that bodies be buried within 24 hours. His gravesite might have served as a galvanizing symbol to radical Islamic sympathizers, religious experts said. “To a large degree it had to do with not wanting to create a shrine extremists would use,” said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations, a Washington-based Muslim civil liberties advocacy group. Moosa, the Duke professor, agreed. “The U.S. was in a difficult situation of what to do. The best way to keep him out of gaze was to bury him at sea,” he said. “It was a strong strategic and political move.” — AP

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OPINION

Tim French, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

What’s next? OUR VIEW

We cannot sit idly by

DECEASED

America’s public enemy No. 1 has been as Sooners and as the future of this nation killed, President Barack Obama told the na- to demand answers. tion Sunday night. It is time to scrub our hands clean of Osama bin Laden died in a firefight blood. It is time to demand the end of the after U.S. forces stormed a compound in war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The Pakistan. Once word spread about bin government’s excuse of potential danger Laden’s death, U.S. citiisn’t enough because our zens celebrated with prosoldiers are in actual danAmerican chants as they ger right now. It is time the marched in the streets If a demand to stop isn’t government explains across the nation. heard, the overly aggreshow we can continue to sive outlook other counNow that bin Laden is sacrifice American lives tries have about America dead, it is time the governin order to complete a ment answer some queswill not improve. tions. Americans need to Foreign relations poligoal we symbolically use this feeling of unity to cies will continue to sufjust achieved.” amplify their voices. The fer and the United States United States has defeatwill slip further as a world ed the poster boy of al-Qaida, and now it’s superpower. More humans will be killed time to unleash the voice of the American for nothing but religious ideology, oil and public. Western stubbornness. No matter your opinion on the war, now We must use bin Laden’s death to unify is the time to make your voice heard. We and create change. This is a call to action. are at a turning point in the war on terror, Stand up and let your voice be heard. Don’t and it is time the government explains why just say you are going to do it — do it. we continue to sacrifice American lives in Call your city council members, state order to complete a goal we symbolically politicians and federal politicians and tell just achieved. them enough is enough. We need to hold Terrorism is an idea, and one that can- rallies and march in protest. We must take not be defeated in the traditional sense. to the streets as millions of Americans raisThe United States is battling ideas and being our voices in a unified, undeniable song liefs that have lasted thousands of years and demanding the end of violence or the justihundreds of conflicts. fication of its use. Our hands are stained with the blood We have covered too many coffins with of American citizens, Iraqis, Afghanis, flags and filled too many graves to do anycoalition soldiers, children and women. thing otherwise. Collectively, hundreds of thousands of people have died. It is time for us as Americans, Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

COLUMN

U.S. foreign policy must change after bin Laden’s death When I read the news on Twitter — about 45 minutes be- under a medieval Islamic caliphate. fore President Barack Obama gave the official word — that Another key to understanding bin Laden’s U.S. forces had killed the world’s most infamous terrorist lead- militant anger is U.S. support of Israel. After STAFF COLUMN er, I admit I was elated. World War I, Britain had conquered Palestine I felt the same as the thousands of people who gathered on and was given the responsibility of partitionJared Rader the White House lawn and at Ground Zero felt. But then real- ing the territory under the League of Nations ity started to creep back into my rational mind. Mandate. Zionist influence in Britain’s Those reveling in the catharsis of the United States’ revenge Mandate of Palestine also established a naneed to understand one critical point: Osama bin Laden was tional homeland for the Jewish people, leading to the etha direct byproduct of U.S. foreign policy. Understanding this is nic cleansing and displacement of hundreds of thousands of key to ending the disastrous War on Terror and avoiding end- Palestinian Muslims and Christians. Following the Holocaust less war in the future. and Israel’s establishment in 1948, the U.S. took the lead in I was first educated about bin Laden’s origins and reasons supporting Israel. for attacking the U.S. when I covered a speech given at OU by When Iraq — under the brutal, secular leadership of Michael Scheuer, the head of the CIA’s bin Laden tracking unit Saddam Hussein — invaded Kuwait in 1990, bin Laden told from 1996 to 1999 and adviser to the unit from 2001 to 2004. Saudi Arabian King Fahd that he and his holy warriors sucScheuer devoted his years to understanding the al-Qaida ceeded in driving out the godless Soviets from Afghanistan leader and the message he delivered was one I didn’t normal- and could do the same to Hussein’s forces. ly get from the mainstream media. Fahd however enlisted the help of U.S. forces — whom “It is likely that the maintenance of Washington’s prevailing bin Laden considered infidels. Realizing the dictatorships assumption that Muslims hate Americans for who we are and in the Middle East were so powerful because they were how we live, rather than what the [U.S.] govbacked by the U.S., and Palestinian Arabs ernment does in the Islamic world, will lead were suffering as a direct result of U.S. supto nothing less than a vast and willful case of port for Israel, bin Laden focused his efforts Instead of building self-deception that ultimately will yield caon drawing the U.S. to the Middle East. He nations with military lamity for the nation,” Scheuer said. knew if he could engage the U.S. in a long, force or backing Directly motivating bin Laden’s enmity drawn out war, it would bring sympathy to oppressive regimes, toward the U.S. were: his cause. President George W. Bush was • the presence of U.S. forces in the Arabian more than willing to comply. Obama should get Peninsula After orchestrating a number of terrorist behind the pro• the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan attacks against U.S. embassies in East Africa democracy movements • U.S. political pressure on Arab states to and the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen and support a new era — attacks that killed hundreds — bin Laden keep oil prices low of U.S.-Arab relations.” finally got what he wanted after helping or• U.S. support for tyrannical governments in Muslim countries chestrate the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. • and blind U.S. support of Israel and indifference to The attacks brought bin Laden to the forefront of Palestinian Arabs. Americans’ consciousness, and it was clear he and his netIt may come as a surprise that bin Laden, during President work in Afghanistan needed to be exterminated. However, Ronald Reagan’s administration, was an ally to the U.S. during the Bush administration had little interest in destroying althe Cold War. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in Qaida or capturing bin Laden. 1979, Reagan expanded the funding and CIA training of guerWith a cabinet full of former members of the Project for a rilla fighters — whom Reagan called “freedom fighters.” Many New American Century, which streamlined the neoconserof these freedom fighters, it turned out, were radical Islamic vative ideology of spreading American hegemony through fundamentalists who would use the money and arms the U.S. military domination abroad, Bush’s focus immediately gave them against us later. began shifting from capturing bin Laden and toppling the Before bin Laden targeted the U.S., he and his radical Taliban and the al-Qaida network in Afghanistan to toppling Islamic followers were focused on the “near enemy” — the Iraq — a country that was in no way involved in the Sept. 11 tyrannical U.S.-backed governments in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, attacks. Iraq and the Sudan. He wanted the Middle East to be ruled Had Bush focused military efforts solely on bin Laden and

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al-Qaida, bin Laden would probably have been disposed of years ago. Instead, Bush lied to the American public and pursued an imperialist agenda in Iraq that resulted in widespread sectarian violence, a surge in al-Qaida recruits and the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians. The Iraq War remains to be one of the greatest lies perpetrated on the American public and the scourge of the Bush administration. Obama was right to shift focus from Iraq back to Afghanistan, and his decision to carry out a small, focused mission succeeded in completing a job in two years that Bush couldn’t accomplish in eight. Bin Laden was a resistance fighter to the oppressive U.S.backed tyrannies in the Middle East, but his ideology of violence and terror failed to topple any regime. Indeed, the wake of peaceful pro-democracy uprisings in the Middle East accomplished what bin Laden never did: ousting the despots in Tunisia and Egypt. However, these Arabs didn’t take down their governments because they want another Islamic caliphate; they did it for freedom and democracy and their struggle continues in Syria, Libya, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. These are the forces that will ultimately destroy terrorism, not violent U.S. military intervention. Instead of building nations with military force or backing oppressive regimes, Obama should get behind the pro-democracy movements and support a new era of U.S.-Arab relations. Also, Obama must be willing to reconsider America’s relationship with Israel, which has brutalized its Palestinian neighbors, demolishing homes and expanding illegal settlements in their territory. In September, the U.N. will consider declaring a sovereign Palestinian state. Obama should get behind this initiative and allow the Palestinians the right to their own government. If he doesn’t, anti-American sentiment will continue to permeate the Middle East. Students should keep an eye on these events and remember the past. If students look at the War on Terror simply as a good-vs.-evil battle rather than consider U.S. foreign policy and its complex history, our nation is doomed to repeating the same mistakes. — Jared Rader, journalism and Chinese junior

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OPINION

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COLUMN

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 • 5

COLUMN

Bin Laden has many atwitter Students answer I didn’t find out about the death of Osama moment of our lives. However, instead of bin Laden through traditional means. I harmless status updates about sandwiches STAFF COLUMN wasn’t flipping through news channels or and lunch, some people began to make inapscanning news sites online. propriate jokes. “Obama must be taking the I was on Facebook. death of his close cousin Bin Laden very hard;” Kate McPherson At first, I saw a steady stream of statuses “I like how the names Obama and Osama are telling me the president was about to make so similar, and ones our president and ones a special, Sunday night announcement, followed quickly by our supposed enemy. I bet they’re like brothers;” “wait didn’t all-caps exclamations telling me the man whose acts of terror- bush plan 9/11? confuseddd” and similar comments. ism colored my childhood had finally been killed. Seriously? There is so much that can be said about the death of bin After a 1993 bomb at the World Trade Center, bombs at Laden; a single columnist cannot hope to say it all. From mo- the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, an attack on an rality issues to political catfights, everyone has an opinion American ship and the September 11 attacks, bin Laden is about something. I’m no expert on politics or the military, but finally dead. Presidents George W. Bush and Obama both I do know Facebook and Twitter. worked to bring him to justice. Social media is impulse media. If you’ve got something to This is not a time to make partisan comments. I don’t care say, type 140 characters and share. There is virtually no time what you think about Bush or Obama: both presidents paved to stop and ponder what you’re writing, no filter between you the way for this momentous stride in the war on terrorism. and your friends or followers. Usually, I can ignore the mean- To accuse either one of being in league with terrorists or in ingless tweets about the latest episode of “Glee” and the inane any way permitting Bin Laden to kill Americans is insulting statuses of the awkward guy who sat behind me in high school not only to them but to America. The majority of voters chose geometry, detailing his marijuana use. those presidents accused of being in league with Bin Laden. But when something like this happens — something so big To quote another Internet meme, facepalm. it causes the president of the United States to come on live TV An event as important as the death of bin Laden calls for at almost midnight EST — people need to use some sort of Internet posters to think before they write. By all means, celjudgment and filter their thoughts. ebrate, make jokes and enjoy a world without the FBI’s most Twitter reported more than 4,000 tweets per second were wanted fugitive, but use some common sense. This is a time to sent during President Barack Obama’s speech. By Monday focus on the bigger picture rather than play the blame game. morning, more than 350,000 people had liked the Facebook page “Osama Bin Laden is DEAD,” almost 300,000 people — Kate McPherson, liked the page “And That’s how the USA outdoes a Royal journalism sophomore Wedding.” Memes began to circulate immediately. We flocked to social media, as we do with every important Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

CARTOON

call to unite, but apathy looms Unless you have been living under a rock for the STAFF COLUMN last few days, you know Osama bin Laden — the Mubeen Shakir leader of the terrorist organization Al-Qaida and the man responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent people in the 9/11 attacks — has been killed and brought to justice. Bin Laden’s death does not equate to the end of terrorism around the world, nor does it mean the world can sleep any easier at night, but his death provides our country with a great sense of victory. Bin Laden’s actions, thoughts and motivations have shaped our foreign policy for 10 years, perhaps more so than any other individual. However, while the fight is not over, there is something greater to be learned from bin Laden’s death. We will all probably remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news, just like the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. If you went on Facebook on Sunday night, your newsfeed was probably filled with updates of “USA!” or various versions of “Osama’s dead!” In cities across the country, celebrations erupted as an influx of patriotism and civic pride filled the streets. Never had I seen our country unite under such a common cause. For one night, those who probably have never spent more than 10 minutes on CNN or any news channel were glued to their TV sets, waiting for President Barack Obama to make a statement. All of us dropped what we were doing to witness history unfold. Bin Laden’s death served as a temporary cure to the greatest problem facing our generation today: apathy. Amidt our government nearly shutting down, an everstruggling world and U.S economy, chaos in Libya and the Middle East and a plethora of other domestic and international issues we — as a generation — remain trapped in our own bubble, often ignorant of the changes that await us outside of this campus. For a few hours Sunday night, this bubble popped. As the days go by, I fear normalcy will be restored. Most of us will always remember bin Laden’s death, but will we return to our bubbles of apathy, or will we remain engaged in the matters that will affect us in years to come? Although it is often difficult to imagine, our parents and professors will someday be gone, we will be forced to become the grown-ups of society, and the changes made today will have a profound effect upon our future. Like it or not, the world will go on, with or without us In about two weeks, the most stressful days of the year for most of us will be over. We will have survived the barrage of finals, lab tests, papers and projects we have either been preparing or procrastinating for the last few weeks. Summer will provide the much-needed rest we all have been longing for — internships, jobs and vacations await us. In this time away from the busyness of OU, we must not allow the plague of apathy to grow stronger. Pick up a paper, watch “The Daily Show” and don’t be left behind.

— Mubeen Shakir, University College freshman NATE BEELER/THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

›››› Sooner Sampler: What were you doing when you heard Osama bin Laden was dead?

“I was in chapter, and someone stopped it when they got the announcement on their phone.” — JOE SANGIRARDI, LETTERS SOPHOMORE

“I was in bed, watching a movie.” — SHELBY MARTINKEWIZ, PRE-NURSING SOPHOMORE

“My roommate came and told me. I was about to go to bed.” — SARAH CROFT, ANTHROPOLOGY SENIOR

“I was in my dorm last night, lying down, sore from running the marathon” — MICHAEL MARTINEZ, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN

“I was on Facebook.” — VICTOR MOMPARLER, BUSINESS SENIOR

“I was laughing my ass off.” — PHIL WIGGS, ANTHROPOLOGY SENIOR

“I was at home watching TV, and it came on.” — ELLA ERAPI, PETROLEUM ENGINEERING SENIOR

“I was studying in the Union.” — JOHN DOERFEL, BIOCHEMISTRY SENIOR

“I was watching ‘Waiting,’ and my friend saw it on her iPhone and started yelling.”

“I saw it on Facebook. I thought the first [status] was a joke.”

— ALLISON GRAHAM, ANTHROPOLOGY SENIOR

— EILEEN SCHAUMLEFFLE, ANOTHROPOLOGY SENIOR

“I saw it on Facebook and then googled it.” — KELLY HARKINS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES SENIOR

“I was in bed. My girlfriend told me.” — KEVIN BAKER, CIVIL ENGINEERING SENIOR

6 â&#x20AC;˘ Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

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HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- If you can take something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on your mind and put it into action, it will result in better than average chances of fulfilling your expectations. Do so without hesitation. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- A complex endeavor that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re anxious to wrap up is doable, but only if you put your personal needs aside for the moment and make it a central priority. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Conditions are changing as of now, so if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t given up on an objective youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been trying to launch, try once more. You are closer to realizing your dream than you know.

Previous Solution

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Although you might have to move at a measured pace, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accomplish what you want. Make time and patience your allies, not your pursuing foes. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Fellow conversationalists will be absorbing every word you utter and are likely to repeat what you say, so be sure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t verbalize anything that could be misconstrued. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Joint endeavors in which you get involved are likely to hold much more promise than anything you do on your own. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t battle solo when there are plenty of allies waiting in the wings.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- A close associate might make a critical decision without your knowledge that will also affect you. Fortunately, his or her evaluations and determinations will turn out to be sound. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Doing things in an orderly fashion generally engenders positive results, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the case now. Proper procedures will enhance your productivity while poor planning will be disruptive. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun to try something new and different, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything foolish. However, this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take a chance on something if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve calculated all the risks. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Regardless of your problems, put on a happy face when around others. If your demeanor casts a shadow over those youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re with, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll sour everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- All it takes is common sense to utilize your time effectively. For example, if you fail to call first or make a proper appointment, you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t likely to find most people available. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Keep your eye peeled for something new that could have a positive effect on what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do with your life at this point in time. It should tie perfectly into what you have going.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker May 3, 2011

ACROSS 1 Wheelchair access 5 Get to the other side 10 Up in the air 14 Middle Eastern ruler 15 Treaty goal 16 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aidaâ&#x20AC;? river 17 Type of property 19 Chess result, sometimes 20 Not vacant, as a restroom 21 Windshield extra 22 Little rascals 23 What debaters debate 25 Traffic report adjective 27 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Easy ___ itâ&#x20AC;? 29 High as a kite 32 Water may flow through it 35 Low-cost, in slang 39 U.S. air-safety overseer 40 Gorilla, e.g. 41 Celebrated in history 42 Clairvoyance letters 43 Back muscle, for short 44 Toward the back of a boat 45 Torah chests 46 Natural talent 48 React to a bore 50 Like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romeo and Julietâ&#x20AC;? 54 French Foreign ___

5/3

58 Two-tone sandwich cookie 60 Egyptian fertility goddess 62 ___ Jean (Marilyn, originally) 63 Indian flatbread 64 Out like a light 66 Gaelic language 67 Snacks in Tijuana 68 ___ of Cleves (Henry VIIIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth wife) 69 Tourney rank 70 Flat-bottom boats 71 Untouchable Eliot DOWN 1 Install to new specifications 2 Essential acid 3 Jumbled confusion 4 Officiate 5 Tax-return pro 6 Take a breather 7 Desert watering hole 8 Clue for a bloodhound 9 Heated conflict 10 The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? in ROYGBIV 11 What a home seller seeks 12 Envelope closure 13 Trees used

for archery bows 18 Art ___ (1920s-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;30s style) 24 Splinter groups, sometimes 26 Proceed slowly but surely 28 Tequila serving size 30 To-do list entry 31 Barks sharply 32 Fifty percent 33 Stone for many Libras 34 Make less anxious 36 Stanza writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;beforeâ&#x20AC;? 37 Wellventilated 38 Kind of colony 41 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Two Mules for Sister __â&#x20AC;? (Clint

Eastwood film) 45 Namibianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbor 47 Took creases out of clothes 49 Harmless cysts 51 Boxes with bows 52 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shaftâ&#x20AC;? composer Hayes 53 Panchoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amigo 55 Cara of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flashdanceâ&#x20AC;? 56 Signs to heed 57 Neck backs 58 Dollar bills 59 ___, medium or well-done 61 Put in the overhead rack 65 Burdened beast

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

5/2

ÂŠ 2011 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

STAY! By Paul Jenn

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 • 7

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

SPORTS

TOMORROW ›› OU baseball to visit Arkansas-Little Rock for mid-week nonconference matchup

James Corley, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

COLUMN

Sports can be shoulder to lean on

Pitcher earns Big 12 honors Freshman pitcher Dillon Overton was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday. Overton’s honor marks the seventh time a Sooner has earned conference awards this season. Overton threw a pair of wins last week on the road at No. 7 TCU and No. 4 Texas. In two appearances, he allowed just three hits with a 1.04 ERA and six strikeouts in 8.2 innings. The lefty from Weatherford is 5-1 in relief appearances after his 2-0 stint last week.

STAFF COLUMN

James Corley

As the news of Osama bin Laden’s death spread throughout Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, small pockets of “USA!” chants began to break out. Once the news reached everyone at Sunday night’s Phillies-New York Mets game, the crowd of bitter rivals — 45,000 strong — erupted together in a united chant. “USA! USA! USA!” Moments like those illustrate the complex relationship between society and sports. The crowd heard the news in the ninth inning, but the celebration couldn’t really begin until after the game finally ended in the 14th inning —a 2-1 Mets victory. “Probably a night I will never forget,” Mets starting pitcher Chris Young said. “I was in the training room when I heard the announcement. I got chills hearing that crowd. It’s a historic night and a great victory for the United States.” For the Mets organization, the night’s news and the win were especially meaningful. Almost a decade ago, the Mets’ former home field, Shea Stadium in Queens, was used as a staging site to provide supplies to rescue workers. Then, 10 days later, the city — still trapped in emotional

BRIEFS

Runner breaks Sooner record

MATT SLOCUM/AP

New York Mets relief pitcher Taylor Buchholz, back, and catcher Ronny Paulino hug after a 14-inning 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies late Sunday in Philadelphia. The news that Osama bin Laden had been killed reached fans in the ninth inning. shock — got a small reprieve as Mike Piazza launched a two-run homer to clinch a 3-2 win for the Mets. Throughout modern history, societies have leaned on sports in times of crisis. Three short weeks after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005, the Saints beat the Carolina Panthers with a last-second, 47-yard field goal in what was — in essence — a return to

normalcy for the thousands of displaced and homeless. The nation of South Africa, torn by apartheid and hatred, followed the example of Nelson Mandela to unite around its predominantly white rugby team and cheer the players to upset the favored New Zealanders in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. The Miracle on Ice by a group of American college hockey players at the 1980

Olympics was a joyous celebration for the United States amid decades of international tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. On Nov. 23, 1963, the day after Pres. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, college football fans found solace remembering their president before an OUNebraska game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. In times of crisis, sports

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can bring comfort to people in pain. Sports can be a rallying point for a society to rediscover balance. Sunday night, a small win over a hated rival helped usher in sweet closure for New York City. — James Corley, journalism senior

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Junior George Alex broke OU’s 5,000-meter run record Sunday night at the Payton Jordan Invitational on the Stanford campus in Palo Alto, Calif. Alex’s 13:40.73, and sophomore Kevin Schwab’s 13:40.81, broke the previous record of 13:51.13, clocked last season by current sophomore teammate Kevin Williams. The trio of Sooners now hold three of the top-four spots in the Big 12 in the event. — Daily staff reports

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