The body of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea, according to U.S. officials, so that his grave wouldn't become a shrine. Do we normally bury enemies of state in Davy Jones' locker?
Sometimes. The sea burial of Bin Laden's body—probably in a heavy metal casket with holes drilled in the top and bottom—is a twist on a longstanding practice. Governments hate to see a nemesis' burial place become a focal point for resistance. After the Nuremburg trials, the Allied authorities cremated the remains of Hermann Göring—who committed suicide prior to his scheduled hanging—and his nine executed compatriots. Their ashes were spread in the Conwentzbach River, a minor tributary that flows into the Isar, so that their graves wouldn't become a place of worship for Nazi sympathizers. While the U.S. government might have preferred to cremate Bin Laden's remains prior to disposal, Muslim tradition forbids cremation because it's inconsistent with the resurrection of the body.
Not all U.S. enemies wind up in a watery grave after assassination or execution. Saddam Hussein was treated to traditional Islamic burial rites and interred in a compound he had built for himself near his birthplace. It's not clear, however, whether the Bush administration or the Iraqi government chose Hussein's final resting place. When detainees die at Guantanamo Bay, either through suicide or natural causes, the Pentagon repatriates the remains to their home countries, where the funerals often become scenes of anti-American protest.
