A US military mission that cornered and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan was nothing short of a miracle, said Peru's President Alan Garcia, who attributed the divine intervention to newly beatified pontiff John Paul II
It was more than just an answer to prayer.
A US military mission that cornered and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan was nothing short of a miracle, said Peru's President Alan Garcia, who attributed the divine intervention to newly beatified pontiff John Paul II.
"His first miracle has been to rid the world of this incarnation of evil, this demon of hatred and criminality," the Peruvian leader said, referring to the al-Qaeda leader.
Wonder! Peru's President Alan Garcia attributed the killing of Osama to
Pope John Paul II. pic/afp
The late John Paul II showed uncanny timing, with his miracle falling on the very same day as a Rome ceremony beatifying him.
Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday bestowed the status of 'blessed' on his predecessor in front of a million people, after the Roman Catholic Church determined that John Paul had performed the necessary miracle for beatification.
Garcia said the late pontiff wasted no time in performing the second miracle needed for sainthood, making it possible for American commandos to find and kill their hated al-Qaeda foe, whom they had hunted for the past decade.
"We hope that with his fall, that entire group that had hoped to spread terrorism throughout the world loses its importance," Garcia said.
The Peruvian leader said the assault on bin Laden's compound "should please President Barack Obama and vindicate former president George W Bush," whose relentless pursuit of a global 'war on terror' became a central focus of US foreign and military policy during his tenure.
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