Why bin Laden's Death Is Such Good News

Osama bin Laden did not direct international terrorism himself; he evaded an unprecedented manhunt for a decade. Yet, his elimination is a fundamental event. As the years went by, the character’s symbolic dimension took precedence over his operational role. A world without bin Laden will be a different world. Here is why his elimination is such good news in many respects:

Terrorism

The elimination of the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks is a significant success due to its symbolic value. While being careful not to exaggerate his influence, we should not underestimate the impact of his departure on the capacity to recruit and ideologically mobilize the more radical Muslims. This obviously does not put an end to terrorism because al-Qaida has turned into an obscure cluster of more or less autonomous organizations.

The Arab and Muslim world

Bin Laden’s death comes at a time when the Arab world is experiencing a wave of freedom that has nothing in common with his radical, anti-Western message. Young people revolting against authoritarian regimes are in a quest for a type of modernity that is hardly compatible with al-Qaida’s radical anachronism. The “Arab spring” needs to be a success in order to turn the page that was symbolically opened by 9/11.

Barack Obama

For a president whose foreign policy was severely criticized because it does not do enough to assert American “leadership” in the world, the fact that Obama authorized such a risky and spectacular operation shows that he is a fully-committed president. The contrast with George W. Bush is clear. It will have political repercussions during the elections of November 2012.

The United States Army

The successful operation conducted by U.S. special forces is worthy of an anthology. It will restore the confidence of all U.S. armies and make other “public enemies” stop and think. Given the very difficult relationship between Obama and the military, a parallel can be made with the previous point regarding the impact of this good news.

Pakistan

The fact that bin Laden was living about a hundred kilometers from Islamabad, despite leaders maintaining that he was not in their country, unmasks Pakistani complicity with international terrorism. Hopefully this will change.

Afghanistan

It will be easier for the Taliban to break away from al-Qaida. A political solution whereby foreign forces would withdraw and a unity government be formed with the participation of moderate members of the Taliban now seems more plausible than before. Bin Laden’s departure will also facilitate the West’s gradual disengagement from Afghanistan in 2014.