The Mystery behind killing Osama

On this Mystery Monday, every human being that has access to a TV, computer, radio, or a noisy neighbor has heard that Osama bin Laden is dead. What still isn’t probably known by all of these folks is who killed him, how and where he was killed, and, most importantly, how his location was finally confirmed. A fantastic article about “The secret team that killed bin Laden” tells in intricate detail the fascinating, yet brief, account of the raid, and, more importantly for us mystery writers, the secretive way in which this team operates.

Besides information about how some covert US military teams work, the death of bin Laden will produce multitudes of rich information, opinion, and conspiracy theories about which direction the War on Terror will now take. Will there be a revenge attack on the US by Al Qaeda? Will the US pull out of Afghanistan and Pakistan? Will Osama’s death allow for the rise of an even bigger madman to head one of the world’s worst terrorist organizations? Or will another entire terrorist organization overpower Al Qaeda to take the number one spot?

These are all questions that will be answered in time, but until then, the news will be overflowing with lesser-known acronyms (HVT, JSOC, and NGIA just to name a few) that us writers might want to learn a little more about if we want to perhaps use these terms in the future. Tom Clancy built a very strong reputation (and sold millions of books) by paying attention to the details of the Cold War and using those details to muscle up the descriptions in his books. Rumor has it that shortly after The Hunt For Red October was published, Clancy was paid a visit by CIA agents. They wanted to know how he knew so much about naval intelligence. To answer them, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his well-worn library card. “Everything I know, I learned at my local library,” Clancy reportedly told them. “Maybe you guys should do the same.”  

Again, whether that story is fact or fiction, it just goes to show that the devil is in the details. So, as the stories unfold about how we got bin Laden, let’s all pay a little bit more attention to the details. Not only could they enrich our own stories, but who knows, one story just might inspire an entire plot. Stranger things have happened, including the long, strange trip of Osama bin Laden.

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Mark Fadden is a freelance writer and author. Bestselling author Sandra Brown recently had this to say about Mark’s latest novel, The Brink: “[The Brink] is a hell of a read. The chemistry between [the main characters] Danny and Sydney is terrific. The action sequences were heart-pounding, and I was left feeling that you have a sequel in mind!” Check out The Brink and Mark’s other books at www.markfadden.com.

The Brink is now available as an eBook for Amazon.com Kindle  and Barnes & Noble nook for only $2.99!