Pakistan razes Bin Laden compound

The Abbottabad compound where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden lived and died is being demolished by Pakistan authorities. / CBS/AP

ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan — Local residents say Pakistan has started to demolish the compound in the northwest city of Abbottabad where Osama bin Laden lived for years and was killed by U.S. commandos last May.

Two residents say the government brought in three mechanized backhoes Saturday afternoon and began destroying the tall outer walls of the compound after sunset.

They set up floodlights to carry out the work.

The residents spoke on condition of anonymity because they were afraid of being harassed by government authorities.

Pakistani officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the demolition.

The compound has been a painful reminder for Pakistan, which was embarrassed by the unilateral U.S. operation that killed bin Laden.

26 Photos

Osama bin Laden

[MrEthiopian]

27 photos and not one concerning the story? This like the rest of the MSN news is sub-par, what happened to American media its like they all forgot how to do their jobs since 2000. What did you all get together and say I think we are doing too good of a job and need to tone it back for the stupid Americans?

This is why most of us get our news from Blogs, because they still have spine enough to ask tough questions and all you people can do is lob softball questions and walk around like your barefoot on broken glass.

[waynenipper]

Since they were responsible for building the compound for Bin Laden, I guess it's only fitting they should destroy it.

[JRC_903]

Well... take a look at a map someday and you will discover that while clearly Pakistani hates our guts (and we theirs) the US needs them. To conduct the war in landlocked Afghanistan, we had to basically bribe them into pretending to be decent people. That in order to have a sea-bridge into the combat zone. So.. they take this money we pay them and promise not overtly resist us. They also promise that they will keep their GD nukes away from their friends. It really is a cluster-- f.. in more ways then one.
Of course any military man knows it better to keep the number of active enemies at a minimum.. in a perfect world... we would not be playing nice with these folks at all.

[thomasmc1957]

They have to remove the reminder that it was the Pakistani government who protected bin Laden all those years.

[baileyccc]

This is a good call. Nothing should be left to remind the world of this monster.

[DavidFPawlowski]

With all respect to the folks at CBS, this so-called "compound" will be cleared and a radical run mosque built upon its dust along with a Madras to forward the goals of hatred and violence that Usama Bin Laden so loved. The Pakistani's are only embarrassed because they were caught red handed hosting and hiding Bin Laden and his ilk.