The American Conservative on the Death of Osama Bin Ladin

The American Conservative has a powerful piece on the death of Osama Bin Ladin, especially when you consider a ten-year series of two wars against terrorism has cost the American people over $1 trillion dollars. Massive wars don't lead to results, but special operations saving tax payer dollars can get the job done. Of course we all know what drives war in this country--the industrial military complex that Dwight Eisenhower warned of in his farewell address.

The American Conservative also writes that like an Obi Wan Kenobi for the dark side, Osama Bin Ladin may be more powerful in death.

The best thing that has been written in the popular media about bin Laden and his associates — the best thing I’ve seen, at any rate — is Terry McDermott’s extensive New Yorker essay on Khalid Sheikh Mohammad [1] from last October. It’s worth re-reading that piece in light of the joy that bin Laden’s death brings, because it’s worth remembering just what little it takes to make a KSM or OBL. It doesn’t take trillions of dollars or the resources of a nation-state to make a terror mastermind, though bin Laden’s family wealth certainly gave him a head start.

Guardian journalist Ghaith Abdul Ahaid doesn’t think OBL’s demise greatly sets back al-Qaeda [2]:

Bin Laden might be more useful to al-Qaida dead than alive. They have just acquired a martyr and that has much more symbolism than acquiring a bunch of rockets. He has been ineffective in direct control of the organisation but now they can point to him and say “this is what Osama Bin Laden wanted you to do”.

The symbolism of bin Laden’s death could cut either way, demoralizing al-Qaeda or giving what’s left of the terrorist organization — or its would-be successors — all the more reason to fight. If the latter proves to be the case, renewed Islamist militarism will run headlong into yet more U.S. self-assurance: far from getting us out of Afghanistan, bin Laden’s death may give nation-builders and armchair bombardiers all the more impetus to demand further intervention. Already Michelle Malkin and her ilk are talking about what a wonderful victory for the ethos of Guantanamo Bay this is. What can’t rendition, detention without trial, and surgical strikes accomplish?

I’d like to believe otherwise, but there are good reasons to think the meanings attached to OBL’s death will only perpetuate the evils he wreaked in life.