The Monster's Head Has Been Cut Off, but the Poisonous Tentacles Remain

After the killing of Osama bin Laden, Western countries are concerned about terrorist attacks. Experts agree that people could make a martyr out of the dead terrorist and, under the banner of his name, commit new terrorist acts — including in the Northern Caucasus.

The Pakistani Taliban is promising to organize attacks against the governments of the United States and Pakistan. The television station GEOTV is reporting this, citing a Taliban member. It is related to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the former head of the international terrorist network al-Qaida. Meanwhile, the secretary general of Interpol, Ronald Noble, called the West to vigilance. Within Interpol, it is believed that the destruction of the number one terrorist could lead to the activation of terrorists connected to al-Qaida.

Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, gave his opinion on the air with Kommersant FM about the fact that such concerns do have some basis.

“Al-Qaida is a network structure and permanently strong. Without a doubt bin Laden was a charismatic leader, and much was built around him,” reasons Mikhiail Margelov. “But already a sizable number of new combatants who will take over for him has been cultivated. It is another matter that they will not have as much fame, but fame is instilled more and more with each new monstrous terrorist act.”

“The monster’s head has been cut off, but the poisonous tentacles remain,” notes the expert. “There remains a sufficient number of well-prepared criminals, and the war against terror is not over. It continues; it has obtained a success, but this is just one success, not a victory. We need to put the fanfares off to the side and keep the gunpowder dry.”

The U.S. State Department, due to concerns of new terrorist acts, has called its citizens to be extremely careful overseas. In Islamic forums, possible options for revenge on the West for the killing of bin Laden are already being discussed.

The Arab journalist Akram Khuzam, former head of the Moscow bureau of the Al Jazeera television station, is sure that Americans’ concerns are unfounded. After all, there was practically no public support for bin Laden.

“In Arab countries the majority of people received the news of Osama bin Laden’s death with joy because no one here likes terrorism,” explains Akram Khuzam. “Especially at this time, when revolutions are taking place in several countries. Therefore, for them it is most important that the news of the revolutions gets the main attention, and not Osama bin Laden and the consequences of his death.”

“They are actually also supporting the operation against Osama bin Laden and saying that even if a certain circle of people does support Osama bin Laden, then it will be a very small number of people,” adds the journalist.

“Al-Qaida” is translated from Arabic as “base” or “foundation.” The organization has existed for more than 20 years, having been founded in 1998. After the USSR withdrew troops from Afghanistan, the organization began an active war against the United States and other Western nations. The organization’s goal is the overthrow of secular regimes in Islamic nations. After the U.S. Embassy bombings in the capitals of Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, al-Qaida obtained the status of the number one terrorist organization in the world.

The planning and implementation of a whole array of major terrorist acts are on al-Qaida’s account, including the terrorist acts of 9/11 in the U.S. Before 2001, al-Qaida’s leadership was based in Afghanistan. After Hamas captured power in Gaza in2006, al-Qaida began to display interest in creating cells in that region. Al-Qaida cells have been discovered in 34 countries of the world. The leader of al-Qaida was considered to be Osama bin Laden, and his right-hand man is considered to be Ayman al-Zawahiri. The majority of experts and the media consider him to be the new leader of the organization.

Law enforcement agencies in Russia did not receive specific directions about strengthening security in connection with the killing of Osama bin Laden, according to reports from the Interfax agency. However, according to information from an agency source, additional security measures were taken just before the May Day celebrations, and law enforcement personnel are on constant alert.

Georgy Mirsky, head science official of the Institute of World Economics and International Relations at the Russian Academy of Sciences, notes that the residents of Russia have reasons to be concerned about action from al-Qaida.

“The murderers who blew up the metro last year, and now Domodedovo, they of course are not subject directly to bin Laden, but the people who send them impart his views just the same and adhere to his philosophy,” reasons Georgy Mirsky.

“And our Minster of Foreign Affairs Lavrov did not speak in vain last year after the terrorist act at the Moscow metro that there is an external aspect here. There are people who are inspired by ideas coming from those who, as Lavrov said, are situated in the territory between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And there it is namely al-Qaida and the Taliban,” adds the expert.

For the last five years Russian special services have eliminated around ten influential al-Qaida agents in the Northern Caucasus. This year they managed to destroy the head envoy of the organization in the region, who went by the alias Moganned.

An expert from the National Anti-Terrorist Foundation, Oleg Nechiporenko, believes that after the death of bin Laden, terrorists may activate in the Northern Caucasus.

“Now we must be serious in the organizations that bear the main burden in opposing terrorism,” warns Oleg Nechiporenko. “We must absolutely raise our preparedness, including through the means of mass information. People need to understand that the reaction may be unpredictable, and that the response could be to turn the killed terrorist into a martyr, into a distinct standard, a banner to attract even new people to action in the terrorism realm.”

Vladimir Lutsenko, a colonel of the FSB and former head of the KGB division for the war on terror, supposes that Russia needs international support in order to deal with the influence of al-Qaida in the Northern Caucasus.

“We hardly need to take additional measures,” he believes. “We just need to be constantly vigilant, constantly at our best. Unfortunately, a general shift in the perception of this trouble and the collective fight against terrorism is not accepted. Many terrorists who are well-known to us, unfortunately, feel at ease abroad.”

Experts are convinced that after the killing of bin Laden, a new, even more radical leader will be chosen.