The Second Death of Bin Laden

Osama bin Laden died yesterday for the second time. The fatal bullet was shot by the Americans, accomplishing it almost ten years to the day after Sept. 11, the mission entrusted to them not only by their own citizens but also a great number of Western countries.

The first bullet dated from December from the beginnings of the “Arab spring,” and it was quite fatal. Shot by a young and vibrant Arabic people, convinced that the dignity of Arabic people and its freedom would not be reached through this jihad from bin Laden but through the pursuit of democracy. The absence of al-Qaida during the Egyptian revolution was extremely revealing about the offside.

Ten years ago, that unexpectedly charismatic scholar stunned the world and also lifted a part of Muslim people’s spirits by breaking an ultimate taboo: provoke and kill “the imperialist and impious enemy” at home. So the almighty America was struck down by that man who found the words to address the Muslim people.

His mistake? His belief that in preaching only terrorism and Holy War as an ideology and common project would be sufficient to relieve the frustration, rancor and wounds of the Arab Muslim world. Bin Laden was quite wide off the mark, as opposed to those who could not accept the attacks as the only way.

Yesterday Barack Obama won a very tough battle, by putting the man who haunted democracy and weighed it down with a perpetual terrorist threat out of harm’s way. And that without resorting to the torture practiced and associated with the the Bush reign. But the responsibilities of the American president and the leaders of the West are beyond that execution in Pakistan. First, there are actions we should take without further delay to avoid the deceased Osama bin Laden from regaining the confidence of the Muslim people and second, to solidify the benefits of the continuing Arab spring, which is still on, mostly in blood.

Obama has already made a contribution in his consensus speeches towards the Arab people and by backing the dictators’ removal. Still, he did not cross the threshold of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which remains the cornerstone of that powder keg. The thing to do is to resolve to work and develop solutions.

Fear will not spare us further terrorist vengeance from bin Laden’s apprentices. But of course actions taken to guarantee the future with regards to democracy with the Arabs and their economic development. Help should be provided to these people who dared to challenge their dictators alone and voluntarily turned their back on their terrorists. We’re grateful to them: They’re the Arabic revolution. It’s us, too.