Reporters work at the site of the demolished compound of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in northern Abbottabad, May 2, 2012, the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden
Whether you agree with the venture or not, you have to give props to a contractor in Pakistan for using his initiative.
One of the men hired to demolish Osama bin Laden’s former compound in Abbottabad is now reportedly selling the bricks (and supposedly whatever else he could get his hands on) as souvenirs.
Shakeel Ahmed’s brief from the Pakistani government was to strip the infamous property of its fittings such as pipes, curtains and beams. But he’s also selling two baths, two olive trees, cooking oil, window blinds and a homemade TV aerial. Once the compound had been bulldozed, what remained were the best part of 180,000 bricks (the demolished site is currently a makeshift cricket pitch for children).
(PHOTOS: Osama bin Laden’s Pakistan Hideaway)
Ahmed bought the remaining rubble for roughly $5,300 at auction (it’s believed that nervous local businessmen declined to bid).
Word soon got around about his unique haul, and Pakistanis began flocking to Abbottabad to purchase a piece of history. The price? Less than five cents each.
“These bricks can be used by people to build new houses,” he told the Daily Telegraph of his prospective buyers, adding, “some come here looking for just one as so they can have them as a gift.”
According to a report by MSNBC, “thousands of bricks remain, which Ahmed says he plans to donate to the poor and sell off at auction.” Although the New York Daily News seems to imply that he still intends to sell them, noting that “Ahmed said he’s now traveling with a bodyguard — just in case Islamic militants find fault with his making a buck off Bin Laden.”
If you’re looking for a more concrete investment, though, maybe consider saving your nickels for a brick celebrating 100 years of Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox. You may leave the stadium happy or disappointed (depending on who you’re rooting for) but you won’t have anyone from al Qaeda wanting a quiet word.
PHOTOS: Happy 100th Birthday Fenway Park! 25 Moments from an Historic Stadium