Jarvis, L and Holland, J orcid.org/0000-0003-4883-332X (2014) ‘We [for]got him’: Remembering and Forgetting in the Narration of bin Laden’s Death. Millennium, 42 (2). pp. 425-447. ISSN 0305-8298
Abstract
This article explores how the death of Osama bin Laden was narrated by the Obama administration between the night of his killing and the 2012 State of the Union address. Three aspects of this unfolding story, in particular, are explored: i) descriptions of the operation itself; ii) constructions of bin Laden’s life and character; iii) accounts of the significance and likely consequences of his killing. The article argues that the narration of these events was characterised, first, by considerable discursive continuity with the war on terrorism discourse of George W. Bush, and, second, by a gradual removal or ‘forgetting’ of bin Laden and the circumstances of his death. Each of these dynamics, we argue, contributed to the legitimisation of his killing, demonstrating the importance of narrative remembrance and forgetting alike for the conduct and justification of liberal violence.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Authors 2014. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Millennium. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy |
Keywords: | Barack Obama, forgetting, memory, narrative, Osama bin Laden, war on terror |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Politics & International Studies (POLIS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 01 Apr 2016 08:08 |
Last Modified: | 16 Apr 2021 10:30 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0305829813516527 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0305829813516527 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:93327 |