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May 5, 2011

American Indian Groups Seek U.S. Apology for Labeling Bin Laden "Geronimo" 
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American Indian groups are seeking an apology for the U.S. military’s
use of the name of the legendary Apache warrior, Geronimo, as a codename
for Osama bin Laden. It has been widely reported bin Laden was dubbed
"Geronimo" in the operation that took his life. The real-life Geronimo
defended tribal lands against U.S. and Mexican armies in the 19th
century. He died as a U.S. prisoner of war in 1909 after more than 20
years in captivity. In a letter to President Obama, the Fort Sill Apache
Tribe said: "To equate Geronimo or any other Native American figure with
Osama bin Laden, a mass murderer and cowardly terrorist, is painful and
offensive to our Tribe and to all native Americans." The U.S. Senate
Indian Affairs Committee is expected to address the controversy in a
hearing today.



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