It’s been nearly 10 years since more than 2,900 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade center on Sept. 11. I can remember that day while teaching at Emory University when classes were canceled under the rumor that an attack may have been planned for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Now, President Obama has done what former President Bush could not. He’s killed public enemy number one, Osama bin Laden. Reports indicate he was killed in a mansion in Pakistan after he refused to surrender. DNA samples have confirmed the death of the al-Qaida leader that the CIA has been tracking since his 2001 declaration of responsibility for the attacks against the United States.
Although he was not really responsible for the daily activities of al-Qaida as in years prior, he still was the face of the war against terror. He was the man responsible for the bombing of a hotel in Yemen in 1993, the attempted bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the bombing of the Navy ship, the USS Cole. His death was documented to have occurred in the northwest region of Pakistan, adjacent to Afghanistan in the city of Abbottabad.
The U.S. and President Obama have gained the most symbolic victory possible — a victory that could be a turning point in our global war against terrorism, a war that changed everything from the manner in which we travel to how and where we engage our wars. Since his arrival, Osama bin Laden has defined our view of Islam and pushed to the forefront the concept of Jihad and Islamic fundamentalism. Now, Obama has the chance to offer a new age for understanding the Middle East as well as how we function within this context politically, maybe even one of Islamic democratic change.
The strange and even sad thing is that America created this man who had managed to elude capture since the attacks upon our great nation. He was even trained by the CIA in our efforts to thwart the mujahideen in their battle against Russia two decades prior. To stop our Frankenstein, an offer of $25 million was made for information leading to his death or capture, but it lead to nothing. But in the end, America’s perseverance prevailed.
Estimates suggest that 30 percent of Americans believed that Osama bin Laden would never be caught. Obama made it a central focus of his campaign to get to Osama bin Laden. He may not have kept many of his other promises, but this one he can hang his hat on and say that his plan in Afghanistan and Pakistan worked to perfection. This may even give Obama an opening for a new exit strategy from Afghanistan as well as stop the claim of Republicans that he is not stately or decisive in his presidential duties.
Although we had no desire to make bin Laden a martyr, and the Al-Qaeda of old is in a newer, more decentralized form, America should take time to celebrate this event. However, we still have Ayman al Zawahiri and American-born Anwar Al-Awlak in Yemen. In addition, we must also remain diligent with the likes of and the announcement by the Taliban that they will start their spring offensive this week. Do not think troops will be home anytime soon. No, Obama is no George Bush when it comes to war and protecting America. In fact, he’s actually a few steps better. –torrance t. stephens, ph.d.
