When I was a little boy, my first political memory of any significance was 9/11. My mother always tells the story about how I asked the day after the unthinkable had happened, “Are people born bad, or do they grow that way?” Mom counseled me that whether “nature or nurture” was the cause life as we knew it had changed. Has it changed again now with Bin Laden’s death?
Bin Laden was supposedly hiding around the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the mountain caves, but instead was found inside his mansion forty miles east of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and only one hundred meters from a Pakistani military base. Pakistan said they would help aid the capture of Bin Laden, yet Bin Laden was found minutes away from a military base! Was this coincidental, or not? Was there someone inside the Pakistani government helping Bin Laden? The U.S. Army SEALS Squad decided to not engage the firefight with the Pakistani police because they didn’t know if they could trust them. Was Pakistan really looking for Bin Laden, or were they helping him?
With Bin Laden dead, who will take his role as leader of Al Qaeda? Will they strike with retaliation? There are two trains of thought as to what will happen. On one hand, there are those who believe the world is now a much safer place. On the other hand, which is also my view, there are those who will continue to take precautions and acknowledge terrorists still exist. They also believe Bin Laden’s supporters were antagonized by their loss of Bin Laden and will attempt to strike out soon in an effort to prove that Al Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations, are alive and well.
If one is to consider that Chinese bloggers, far from what one would think of as the epicenter of fundamental Islamic principles, are calling the event “A Hero Lost”, it’s fair to say that in many ways, Osama more than achieved whatever he set out for. So while I can now lay my head on my pillow and say with the relief, “Osama is dead!” what can I make of people and countries that somehow celebrates his memory?
Osama Bin Laden’s actions have arguably cost the United States of America more money than any single person, indirectly or directly, in the history of our country. His actions have changed everything from foreign policies to individual freedoms. Even though the biggest, meanest, and provocative super villain on earth is dead, we should still take precautions and realize there are more terrorists out there. With Bin Laden gone, I believe Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations will place their highest efforts to prove they are still alive and capable.