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The million dollar La Den

6th January 2014 | Hasaan Haider

When Dr Evil from the ‘Austin Powers’ films asked for “one billion, gagillion, fafillion, shabolubalu million illion yillion” dollars, his demand was met with simple confusion from the world leaders. Telling the world that Osama bin Laden was found in a mansion or in other words a ‘pad’ worth one million dollars is met with complex confusion.

Click on and take a look for yourselves. – Text and captions by Hasaan Haider/Dawn.com. Photos by agencies.

Everyone wants to catch a view. These children look out from their high vantage point, to see the compound of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Everyone wants to catch a view. These children look out from their high vantage point, to see the compound of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Even the media personnel are not allowed inside the worn out walls of the ?mansion?.
Even the media personnel are not allowed inside the worn out walls of the ?mansion?.
A wider view just so you are sure about the size.
A wider view just so you are sure about the size.
Sure, he was surrounded by lush green trees. But he did not have to pay for scenic nature did he?
Sure, he was surrounded by lush green trees. But he did not have to pay for scenic nature did he?
Now that's how tantalizing the gates to this million dollar compound are.
Now that's how tantalizing the gates to this million dollar compound are.
Yes, it seems there is one valuable thing about La Den?this gate. So much so that this woman just had to photograph her daughter in front of it like those fools who pose every time with the guards at Buckingham Palace.<br><br>Click ahead to peak inside...
Yes, it seems there is one valuable thing about La Den?this gate. So much so that this woman just had to photograph her daughter in front of it like those fools who pose every time with the guards at Buckingham Palace.

Click ahead to peak inside...
Empty?
Empty?
Not much here either. Maybe we can get more details for you if you click further.
Not much here either. Maybe we can get more details for you if you click further.
A door, a few windows, a small lamp post, a random piece of cloth, and of course military vehicles parked inside the compound. The next couple of photos finally show you something after which you decide the answer to the million dollar question.
A door, a few windows, a small lamp post, a random piece of cloth, and of course military vehicles parked inside the compound. The next couple of photos finally show you something after which you decide the answer to the million dollar question.
Anything? Yes? No?
Anything? Yes? No?
Now maybe?
Now maybe?
Hence viewers, the US really has to fix their loose statements and plug in the leaking loop holes as they have left many questions unanswered or in some cases such as these, answered to leave several heads scratching. As the only thing that must have cost ?one million dollars? is the amount of money this artist took to render this illustration showing us a hi-tech villa. However...
Hence viewers, the US really has to fix their loose statements and plug in the leaking loop holes as they have left many questions unanswered or in some cases such as these, answered to leave several heads scratching. As the only thing that must have cost ?one million dollars? is the amount of money this artist took to render this illustration showing us a hi-tech villa. However...
?we don?t care! As inappropriate it is to credit and quote a pop singer such as Miley Cyrus instead of the rapper Notorious B.I.G., ?Yeah! It's a party in the USA!?
?we don?t care! As inappropriate it is to credit and quote a pop singer such as Miley Cyrus instead of the rapper Notorious B.I.G., ?Yeah! It's a party in the USA!?

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Comments (25) Closed



EK May 05, 2011 08:26pm
Hasaan Haider, this is epic hahahahahah brilliant stuff i must say, crazily hilarious i must say. You made me do "next" to your torturous painfully slow media gallery but nonetheless totally worth it :)
ben r May 05, 2011 10:22pm
Journalists' misjudging the value of a property is not as egregious an offense as the nation's top military and intelligence establishment living and working a stone's throw from the compound for years and not knowing he's there!
Taufiq May 06, 2011 01:00am
I sure would like similar photos of what a million dollars would buy in Abbotabad. Let us correct the records on all sides.
holy ghost May 06, 2011 02:00am
in sri lanka there is an exact model constructed as the twin tower site in 911-new york. someone taught a lesson but throughs
rajah May 06, 2011 03:40am
I find it amusing, the Media hype of million $ house. Pakistan has many such houses from Khyber to Karachi. the west call it a bunker, as the houses built in the west are of wood or other materials and not made from cement and concreat as in pakistan.
Mustafa May 06, 2011 09:13am
"One million dollar mansion" reflected highly furnished accomodation with luxary living. Seeing inside pictures, it look very moderate but average class building. Its value because of vacant area of compound may be slightly more but not more than $ 0.6 million in Abbotabad. Number-1 terrorist lived their for 5 years a simple life, without high security & weapons was not noticed by World Intelligence Agencies.
Anoop Saxena May 06, 2011 10:02am
The amount mentioned One Million Dollar in this case appears to be highly overquoted. This building appears to be just a normal building and may have extraordinary materials used in its construction, even then it cannot be one million unless otherwise the land prices are fetching astronomical prices.
salim May 06, 2011 11:01am
Did you factor the land price in your calculations... Assessment made by US was given by a Pakistani ! I own a farm house like this in a 3rd world country in a similar city as Abuttobad- Just the land cost me $800,000 !
nagaraja May 06, 2011 11:03am
got the point. americans speak half truths. but what is that you want to drive.? A similar house in Delhi or Mumbai would cost 10 million dollars.
salim May 06, 2011 11:09am
Assessment of price of house was provided by local pakistani's.. ! Perhaps you forgot to add the land price into your cost + the electric barb wire etc.. I own a farmhouse in a similar elite town and just land cost $500 K....
vcf May 06, 2011 11:48am
No pics of the interiors? Without those you wouldn't know how "luxoriuosly" Osama was living, and the true worth of the furnished building.
kulsoom May 06, 2011 12:18pm
question is who provide money 2 bin laden???????????????/ if he had enough money why he didnt buy a better secure "american" security system & some weapons????????????????
Sam May 06, 2011 12:34pm
I loved the captions!!
vijay, chennai, Indi May 06, 2011 01:41pm
May be it includes the destroyed chopper
Probal DasGupta May 06, 2011 02:52pm
Yes. I think that is the answer to the million dollar question. The chopper.
carmen o May 06, 2011 04:06pm
Is there a basemenT
Greg May 06, 2011 04:09pm
There were pictures of the interior, with a TV set from 50 years ago, a junk suitcase, and the beddings looked worse than what a beggar would have. God knows which poor soul they have killed and dumped into the sea.
Greg May 06, 2011 04:16pm
Ben, the Israelis have not found their soldier in that tiny strip of land GAZA for so many years, in spite of invasion and incursions into the territory, and Mossad agents everywhere.
Javed May 06, 2011 04:28pm
Hmm, could also mean OBL was sloppy and didn't believe in Housekeeping. He was only interested in the big picture "landscaping this world".
Hasaan Haider May 06, 2011 04:53pm
Just to clarify, as is already mentioned in the description on top of this gallery. We are not talking about the 'land price' or 'material' or 'assessments by a Pakistani' or 'a similar house in Delhi or Mumbai'. Its simply about the statements America made as soon as Bin Laden was shot which said "Osama found living in luxurious million dollar mansion" as well as "Bin Laden killed in million dollar mansion" and so on which kept on repeating in various ways for several days.
kys May 06, 2011 07:58pm
uhh dude(salim) didnt u mentioned just 2 post ago that it costed u 800K? its hilarious how some ppl wouldnt sieze any opportunity to show off. who cares what u got bro. we r only interested in Osama for now :) Thanks for the input though. verrry informative.
From Pakistan May 07, 2011 01:14am
Yaar sometimes you say 500k, sometimes 800k.. if we wait a bit longer, it will be 2 million ... you are creating a whole real estate bubble by yourself ! :) ive lived in abbottabad, this house is probably around $300k at max - land + construction.
Shahid Iqbal May 07, 2011 06:45am
It really does not matter whether the mansion was a million dollor or few hundered thousand rupees. What is important that America got their man under the very eyes of Pakistan. He is no longer face of Arab Muslim and hopefully it would be replaced by the young freedom loving youths of Egypt and others in the middleast.
AZAD May 10, 2011 01:43am
Well said.
Sushil May 18, 2011 04:51pm
I guess, American had estimated the price of equally big and equally built property in Manhattan, New York and came out with the million dollar figure.