Burial at sea was best option for dead Osama: White House

PTI | 06:05 AM,May 03,2011

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"As so therefore we thought that the best way to ensure that his body was given an appropriate Islamic burial was to take those actions that would allow us to do that burial at sea," Brennan said adding that the officials consulted the appropriate specialists and experts. Brennan asserted burials at sea take place on a regular basis.

"The US military has the ability to ensure that burial is done in a manner that is, again, consistent with Islamic law, as well as consistent with for what the requirements are for a burial at sea. "And so that burial was done appropriately." A senior defense official said the justification for burial at sea is when there is no land alternative. "According to Islamic teachings and practice, deceased must be buried with proper procedures within 24 hours.That was the basis for that decision," he said.

"There was no available alternative in terms of a country that was willing to accept the body, and we took pains to ensure that we were compliant with Muslim tradition and law, and sought to dispose of the body, using the appropriate procedures and rituals, within 24 hours," the defense official said. The official did not confirm or deny was any country approached for burial of Osama bin Laden.

"After we had confidence that it was bin Laden and that he was dead, we took the steps that we had agreed to in the interagency that were necessary to ensure that that burial at sea was the most appropriate thing to do. And so we touched base with the right people. "I''m not going to go into any details about who we might have consulted with in the aftermath of his death and before his burial," he said.

source: http://ibnlive.in.com

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