Residents of Pakistan like to be amused, either at an amusement park or by watching the “fictional” account of how Osama bin Laden died in the Oscar-nominated movie Zero Dark Thirty.

In Abbottabad, where U.S. Navy SEALs snuck in and killed bin Laden two years ago, local officials have decided to build a $30 million amusement park.

City leaders have denied that the idea was developed to bolster Abbottabad’s image following the controversial raid or that it is an attempt to exploit the city’s new-found fame.

The park, which will include a zoo, adventure sports facilities, restaurants, a heritage center and artificial waterfalls, will cost $30 million and take eight years to build.

Regardless of the motivation for developing the park, many Pakistanis reportedly don’t believe the story of how bin Laden died in Zero Dark Thirty, which has not appeared in theaters, but which is available on pirated DVDs. They insist that American commandos could never swoop into their country and kill someone so notorious, having labeled the film utter propaganda by the U.S.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Pakistan Plans $30 Million Amusement Park for Town Where Bin Laden was Killed (Agence France-Presse)

“Zero Dark Thirty” a Hit in Pakistan, Despite Being Seen as “A Pack of Lies” (by Michele Langevine Leiby, Washington Post)

Zero Dark Thirty Director Clueless about Film’s False Justification for Torture (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

CIA Emails Reveal How Hollywood Won Rights to Bin Laden Killing Details (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

6 Things We Thought We Knew about the Killing of Osama bin Laden That Turned out to be Wrong (by David Wallechinsky and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)