After Osama — U.S. Presidents are tasked with telling the national story in times of tragedy and victory. For President Obama, today’s story is about a nation coming out of decline, writes TIME’s Michael Scherer.
The Scene — Omar Waraich visits Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Bin Laden was killed; TIME’s Ishaan Tharoor explores the history of the “idyllic, verdant town”; Robert Baer asks how the neighbors didn’t know what was going on.
Blood Price — Though Osama bin Laden is dead, the threat to Pakistan lives on in the form of bombs, bullets and drones, says Mohsin Hamid in the Guardian. “Many Pakistanis sense the impending arrival of yet another murderous plane, headed their way.”‘
Rumbles of Revolution — As the Ugandan police force’s heavy-handed tactics against opposition supporters claim more lives, observers question whether the violence could trigger an uprising, reports Ioannis Gatsiounis in a dispatch from Kampala.
The Disease of Empire — Common Dreams publishes journalist Chris Hedges’ reflections on Bin Laden’s death. He argues that American military actions since 9/11 have “done more to engender hatred and acts of terror than anything ever orchestrated by Osama bin Laden.”
Politics on Ice — Here’s my take on what you need (yes, need!) to know about the Canadian election; Jeremy Keehn has an excellent piece on the rise and fall of public-intellectual-turned-politician Michael Ignatieff over at Slate.
Long Reads — GQ has a fantastic interview Werner Herzog, the brilliant German filmmaker. A quote, from Herzog: “There’s very rare moments where I get the feeling sometimes I’m like the little girl in the fairy tale who steps out into the night, in the stars, and she holds her apron open, and the stars are raining into her apron. Those moments I have seen and I have had. But they are very rare.”
In Pictures —Light Box features photographs from Ground Zero, where Lauren Fleishman witnessed chaos, crowds and the search for ‘closure.’