Lado, Erxha Vinzinna V.

May 26, 2020

2019-0725 Public International Law Assignment

A Reaction Paper about the Movie “Zero Dark Thirty”

The movie has narrated as to how Bin Laden was found and killed by a CIA
Analyst Maya together with officer Dan. The movie started with Dan attending to a
black site interrogations of a detainee who was suspected to have links with the
hijackers in the 9/11 attacks. The series of interrogations made by the CIA has led
them to a courier of Bin Laden named Abu Ahmed al Kuwaiti between the former and
Abu Faraj al-Libbi.

There were shooting and bombing incidents that happened in hotels, including
the place where the CIA Agents have dinned in. Upon their discovery of a Jordan
Doctor of the Al Qaeda group and have set a meeting with him. Upon his arrival, a
bomb detonated coming from his pocket, killing several people, including a CIA Agent.
This stirred up Maya and persevered more in finding Osama bin Laden. The search for
Osama bin Laden got closer upon their discovery of the courier’s real name, Ibrahim
Sayeed and was able to trace the compound where Osama bin Laden is possibly
hiding. The US Armed Forces had come up to raid the compound where Osama bin
Laden is suspected to be in. They had successfully retrieved the target’s dead body
and other materials in the compound.

Inspector Maya was able to confirm the body of Bin Laden and went back to the
CIA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

The movie centralized on how CIA worked in order to take down Bin Laden.
This movie made me realize how important it is for a terrorist leader to be traced and
taken down. It also made me think that after years of investigating and searching the
high-valued target, what made the CIA continue on searching is because of the
thousands of lives that the 9/11 attack caused and the mourning families who seeks
justice.

Moreover, the happenings of the 9/11 attack and the US’s search for justice
has affected all other states with regards to its own national security. The national
security of the state was very important for their citizens. Now that a movie like this
was created, the citizens of US, and also to other parts of the world, were given the
answer they wanted to know about. It was able to sink into me how Bin Laden was
much of a threat and how CIA tirelessly searched for him.
 In the movie, it took more than 192 days before the mission to capture the Al
Qaeda leader executed. What was seen in the movie was only the CIA leaders
deliberating. However, there was another side of the story in real life.

An article in the New York Times, entitled How 4 Federal Lawyers Paved its
way to kill Osama bin Laden, have discussed on how President Obama has considered
in setting up a raid inside the compound instead of dropping bombs in the target area
which would possibly lead to many casualties of non combatants and innocent people.
The article also mentioned that this attack towards the targeted area without any
consent from Pakistan would violate the Pakistani sovereignty. After some careful
analysis on what might be legal to do with the situation, the article said that “The
lawyers decided that a unilateral military incursion would be lawful because of a
disputed exception to sovereignty for situations in which a government is “unwilling
or unable” to suppress a threat to others emanating from its soil.” This has paved the
way for a raid to be finally executed upon the consent of the president.

The article pointed out that the federal lawyers have thought of all the
possible scenarios that might happen. Moreover, the legal consequences if Bin Laden
would possibly not be inside the targeted compound. Also, it is being stated in this
article that US asked the Saudi state if they would like to retrieve the body of Bin
Laden, being the native land of the latter.

These political repercussions were carefully decided upon by these lawyers and
which the movie might have not explained. What made this movie a great one was
because it has carefully demonstrated the actual happening behind the works of CIA
in tracking down Bin Laden.

A high-valued target is to be traced and killed for the benefit of national

security is because there was also this possibility of risking other innocent civilians of
the actions that the terrorist leader might put up for the future. This was mentioned
by CIA Inspector Maya in the movie which was highly probable because the suicide
bombings could have possibly caused by the Al Qaeda leader. The CIA director’s
decision was given of importance because it considered more of the cost that the
years of investigation has been putting up and risking so many lives of his people.
However, Maya had proven her point and had become clear to the reality that Osama
Bin Laden should be captured as soon as possible.

Upon the 9/11 attack, another reason that the terrorist leader should be traced
is because of the economic downfall of the country being targeted was drastic. This is
also one of the reasons as to why Osama Bin Laden was considered as the world
enemy and an international criminal. The entire world was greatly affected by the
9/11 attack not only because of its threats to the lives of the people, but it also
stirred up the economy.

The movie has definitely made an impact to all those who have their
own 9/11 story. This movie showed how much CIA has put an effort in order to seek
justice that the victims have been longing for. This has put up also a learning to me
that there are so many factors that has been put up into consideration before
engaging into an action that could not legally impede them in the future. Overall, the
movie is very informative also an eye-opener to everyone.