Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was synonymous with terrorism while he was alive, but PETA U.K. has put forward a proposal to the government of Pakistan to make the 9/11 mastermind's compound a symbol of peace and respect for all, including other species. PETA U.K. has written to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari asking if the group can paint the walls outside the compound with the message that peace can begin on your plate.
 

 
It is possible that the compound may ultimately be destroyed once investigations at the site are complete in order to prevent it from becoming a shrine, but meanwhile, how fantastic would it be to allow it to serve as reminder that each of us can make choices every day that help to end violence when we sit down at the table or pick up a snack from a street vendor or drive-through window?

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Beverly & Pack/cc by 2.0

Among the 80 Navy SEALs who raided Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad was a member of another species—a dog. The New York Times reports that a dog who was likely trained to detect explosives was strapped to a SEAL's chest and lowered from a helicopter into the walled compound. Like the identities of the SEALs involved in the mission, details about the dog are being kept under wraps, but we can only hope that, since he or she is being described in the present tense as a "hero," the dog survived and was evacuated safely with the rest of the team.

An estimated 600 dogs are being used by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and General David Petraeus has called for the use of even more dogs, claiming that their abilities "cannot be replicated by man or machine." In the year 2011, we would argue that technology can—and should—be used in place of animals in dangerous missions. We are not against working dogs per se (it depends on the conditions, training, and retirement plans), but we are against sending dogs into what will probably be a gun battle.

Written by Alisa Mullins