Osama bin Later? Mixed Emotions Towards the Death of Bin Laden

At the beginning of May, President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden, infamous leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeada, had been killed in a covert operation in Pakistan. I heard the news during a study break in which I was perusing the Internet, and I experienced a broad array of emotions. Relief that such a despicable individual would no longer pose a threat to international security, guilt for being relieved about the loss of a human life, and concern that Al-Qaeada would unite under rage to become even more powerful. Upon reflection, however, I have come to realize that all of these emotions have their place in this situation.

There is no denying that bin Laden destroyed the lives of innumerable citizens, most of whom were completely innocent. He was clearly a human rights violator of the worst kind. The number of deaths that Osama bin Laden can be held responsible for is estimated to be as high as 100,000. Furthermore, it is speculated that "taking bin Laden alive" would have been almost impossible because of the high-security facility that he was being housed in. Therefore, killing him was not an immoral or unwise decision. If Osama bin Laden was to be taken, death was really the only option. However, I feel that the cries of "USA, USA" that could be heard around America mark an inappropriate response. Obviously, those who lost family and friends in the 9-11 attacks have the right to be relieved. But the waving of American flags and rejoicing over death is rather childish. After all, murder is hardly something that the US should be claiming "bragging rights" on.

There is also the issue of Al-Qaeada's reaction to the death of their leader. Whether or not it was the right thing to do, many Islamist radical groups have already expressed outrage over bin Laden's demise. Will this cause violence against the US? Will terrorist groups act on their cries to avenge Osama bin Laden's death? Only time will tell, but rejoicing over this death only exacerbates obvious tensions. My conclusion? We can all breathe a sigh of relief now that Osama bin Laden is no longer a threat. However, before the United States becomes immersed in joy, we must remember that there are still threats to our security. Killing Osama is only the beginning, and those who assume that this incident will result in the degradation of Al-Qaeada don't appreciate the power of these highly-organized terrorist groups.

Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html

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