Bin Laden is dead, ideology isn’t Tuesday, 03 May 2011 04:02

We received news early yesterday morning that the most wanted man in the world, Osama bin Laden, died during an exchange of fire, at his hideout in Abbottabad, just a few miles from Islamabad in Pakistan.

A full 10 years after the attack on US soil on September 11, Bin laden was found and killed by US security forces. This is a big success for US in almost a decade-long hunt for a single man.

It is surprising though that with all the advanced intelligence gathering and high technology weapons, it took them this long to track him. It is also quite telling that the announcement of the raid at his compound, which subsequently led to his death, came after Gen David Petreaus was recalled from Afghanistan to head the CIA.

He had said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press last year that “capturing or killing (Bin Laden) is still a very, very important task for all those engaged in counter-terrorism around the world.”

Could this be an indication that capturing Bin Laden was his number one priority upon taking the helm of the CIA?

Bin Laden’s death can also be an indication that the US wants to close this chapter in their history. One of President Barack Obama’s promises has been  to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. Could this mean that the US is planning to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan now that the reason for their going to war is gone?

The announcement of Bin Laden’s death could not have come at a more opportune time. Most countries in the Arab world are in the throes of a revolution or are in the process of reform, having toppled previous regimes. These upheavals in the Arab world ensure that Bin Laden’s killing will not become a big issue among people in these countries, who sometimes use Bin Laden as a symbol in their fight against their governments.

Another thing that struck me most was that why did the US not follow the same tactics as they did when they captured Saddam Hussain? When the US forces captured him, he was given a proper trial and was then sentenced to death.

In Bin Laden’s case, President Obama just made an announcement informing the public of his death and senior officials added that they already buried him at sea even before the DNA test results were announced..

The unusual hurry casts doubt in our minds. Was Bin Laden just a card played by the United States in order to gain access and open Arab and Muslim governments while at the same time scaring them of their own people?

In the end, is the death of Bin Laden really important or is it the Al Qaeda ideology, which is still far from being dead in different areas?

Maybe the Al Qaeda ideology might not be as relevant in most Arab countries now as it was before the revolutions in the Arab world, but it is still a card that US can use as what US State Secretary Hillary Clinton said yesterday: “Even as we mark this milestone, we should not forget that the battle to stop Al Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of Bin Laden.”

Bin Laden’s game is over but there is still much to be done in order to overcome the ideology Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda has spread among some people in the region.

All nations must work together to eradicate this ideology, which is not only against the West but out of sync with the Islamic faith and culture.