Was there really porn on bin Laden's hard drive?

Officials say they found sexually explicit videos — taboo in the Islamic world — at the terrorist's Pakistan compound. But some find that tale of hypocrisy too good to be true

Osama bin Laden
(Image credit: REUTERS)

CIA analysts have reportedly found a sizable stash of video pornography among the material commandos seized from Osama bin Laden's hideout, current and former U.S. officials told Reuters. Though pornography is considered haram, or taboo, in the Islamic world, it's unclear whose porn it was, or whether bin Laden himself had even viewed it. Is this a revealing glimpse at a religious extremist's hypocritical private life, or just a clever fiction to discredit our enemies in the war on terror?

This is typical of extremist hypocrisy: Maybe the secret porn stash belonged to Osama bin Laden, says Glenn Church at Foolocracy, or maybe it belonged to one of his sons. In any case, "its presence runs counter to the hardline Islamic views of bin Laden." But that's hardly surprising. "Religious extremists, whether Muslim or Christian, are quick to condemn others as immoral but are often caught with their pants down, literally."

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