My colleague Carrie Lukas has already noted the non-response over at the National Organization of Women to the killing of Osama bin Laden: Now Yawns.


I took another look, and NOW still hasn’t gotten around to commenting on what has to be one of the epic moments of the Obama presidency. But NOW has always preferred being critical of easy targets (hen-pecked solons on Capitol Hill), while avoiding too much adverse commentary on tyrants in the Middle East.  But surely with all their advocating for women, they should be able to spare a few words about the plight of this poor woman:  



Osama bin Laden’s wife has told interrogators she didn’t venture outside the walled compound where the al Qaeda leader was killed for five years, a Pakistani military spokesman said Thursday….



Abbas said he wasn’t sure from the wife’s questioning how long bin Laden had lived in the compound or whether he had ventured outside during the five-year period his wife described. He identified the wife as “Amal,” but said he could not confirm her full name.



Amal al-Sadah, 29-years-old and originally from Yemen, is the youngest of bin Laden’s five wives. The al Qaeda leader had a total of 20 children, and one of his adult sons was also reported killed in the weekend assault.


Sounds like Amal al-Sadah needed to get out more often. But don’t count on American feminists to take up the cause of women who are really oppressed.


Just a few more words on marriage bin Laden style from the Daily Telegraph:



The Al Qaeda leader’s first wife Saada was said to be furious that she married the son of a billionaire who preferred to live in a hut in Afghanistan rather than a palace at home.



Being aware of her disillusionment, Bin Laden sent a trusted Yemeni aide Abual Fida to look for a new bride for him, one which he wanted to be ‘religious, generous, well-brought up, quiet, calm and young enough not to feel jealous of his other wives’.



According to Time, Amal’s family considered it an honour that their teenage daughter were to marry the Taliban chief – who was already on the U.S. most-wanted list.



He reportedly paid $5,000 in jewellery and clothes for her before she was brought to Afghanistan to marry him.