Priceless Victory in the War on Terror

The al-Qaida chief wasn’t the head of a hierarchically-organized terror group. He probably knew nothing of many of the attacks carried out in al-Qaida’s name. Nevertheless, his liquidation was a great success.

For ten years, Osama bin Laden was living proof that the United States wasn’t invincible, that even a superpower could be led around by the nose. Osama bin Laden was elevated to the status of an invulnerable superhero.

America’s inability to bring bin Laden to justice became a constant source of shame. Regardless of the success of operations against al-Qaida, from Afghanistan to Yemen, nothing could make up for the failure to capture the most wanted terrorist for so many years. Throughout George W. Bush’s two terms in the White House, Osama bin Laden continued posting Internet messages to his followers.

The West had begun believing that bin Laden would never be captured. News of his death was totally unexpected, but now the myth of his invincibility is a thing of the past. If U.S. Special Forces can kill him, no one can feel safe any longer. That’s the stark message sent by his death.

As much as al-Qaida cells and offshoots might operate independently, the blow dealt by the U.S. to the terrorist network was still powerful. Osama bin Laden had projected an enormous appeal. He inspired young jihadists, for whom he was the face of al-Qaida — just as he personified it for the West.

President Barack Hussein Obama can take special satisfaction from this success. His political enemies had always assumed, just based on his name alone, that he would never be effective in the war on terror. On the contrary, Obama – unlike Bush – won’t ever be accused of waging a “crusade” against Islam.

The terror won’t come to an end with the death of the “Sheik,” as bin Laden’s followers called him. As a martyr, he will inspire al-Qaida cells to commit even more attacks, some as revenge and others to prove that the organization didn’t die along with its leader. But his liquidation is nonetheless a watershed. Al-Qaida will never again be the terrorist network that it was under Osama bin Laden.