Osama Bin Laden, head of Al Qaeda and the man linked to 9/11, the 1998 American embassy bombings, and the 2000 USS Cole bombing in Yemen, is apparently dead.
President Obama said in a press conference that a targeted operation against Osama’s compound in Abbotabad, north of Islamabad, resulted in the death of Bin Laden, and three other adults (including, it seems, an adult son of Bin Laden). The government took six of his other children, and two wives, into custody.
Results?
Martin Indyk, a former US. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, claimed that bin Laden’s death would deal “a body blow” to al Qaeda at a time when its ideology was already being undermined by the Arab world’s revolution.
On the other hand, Rick Nelson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington believes that “[i]t changes little in terms of on-the-ground realities — by the time of his death bin Laden was not delivering operational or tactical orders to the numerous al Qaeda affiliates across the world”.
I am personally more inclined to agree with Nelson. Al Qaeda is a highly decentralised network of Islamist groups, and there are also many other groups dedicated to similar aims that have no relationship to Bin Laden. Besides, I have yet to see the Arab Spring revolutions weaken Islamist tendencies… I’m far more worried the new elections will unleash them…
What do we do with the body?
Apparently bin Laden’s body is being treated according to Islamic customs. Mind you, according to my knowledge of Islamic traditions, the body should be washed, prepared, covered with a shroud and buried within 24 hours of death. They’re taking blood samples. Hmm…
The problem of what to do with his remains is large. His family has distanced themselves, and burying the body in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan could create a shrine for radical Islamists. Not something either government really need. Plus, Pakistan really wants to forget about all this – he was found an hour’s drive from Islamabad.
Some precedent does exist. Jordanian-born terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, died in a bombing in Iraq. Jordan refused his body’s return, so he was instead buried in Iraq, in a secret location.
I tend to agree with you, but you should be much more revolted !
Don’t you think, that killing ben Laden is a major stategic mistake of communication from the US army (and the US president). Ben Laden has only a symbolic power, which is important but only symbolic. While, now, the member of Al Quaida and others extremist will feel agressed and then tend to become more agressive. Are we sure we want to take that risk ?
And another thing, you must think about. How can people be glad of the dead of a someone? If we want to defend democracy and human rights, it is because to us, human being is above everything, because life in dignity is the aim for every human being. What can of humanity are we showing by this attitude ? And what is the coherence of the action of the NATO countries ?
And then, you may argue against the death penalty in the US. Remember that is a requirement to get into the EU …
And finally, we should make a revolution !
I’m not so much revolted as incredibly disappointed by the idiocy of the US administration.
Doubtless – he’s effectively become a martyr that we didn’t need to kill. But I’m not convinced how much effect his death will ultimately have on most Islamist groups – I don’t think they have so much loyalty to him, so the groups themselves may not be hugely affected, but I can foresee a jump in recruitment, particularly for the remains of Al Qaeda itself. It would have been far better to capture him.
Because we effectively consider him sub-human and evil – he’s just a symbol, a representation, an archetype of evil. He’s harder to chase and kill if we think of him as a man, and acknowledge that he’s just like us.
We could argue that this is ultimately not about democracy and human rights, but about preservation of our system and US-European supremacy and hegemony. The people outside honking their horns the White House aren’t glad that he’s dead because Democracy can now somehow emerge victorious, but because an enemy of the US is dead – the people who are glad are nationalistic, not democratic. At least, I would say, in a majority of cases.
Death Penalty… well, that’s an interesting one. Can we say that the SEALS were executioners? Did they kill him because of his ‘crimes’ or because he was resisting capture or because he got in the way of a bullet?