Osama bin Laden is dead. Those words greeted me Monday morning. Didn't stay up late enough Sunday night, I guess. At least, they never said anything about it during the stupid Caps game.
What does that mean to me? A lot has been written on the topic already, some of it by fellow local bloggers, and the local media have jumped on the bandwagon too. But, OK, a few days later, what does it REALLY mean?
First off, I note the tremendous work done by all those military personnel who carried out the mission. I can remember the failed operation to rescue the Iranian hostages in 1980; that this operation went so smoothly with no loss of American life and not much loss of materiel is impressive!
Second, kudos to the Obama administration for having the cajones to pull this one off.
Third, thank goodness this jackass is D-E-A-D dead, dead, DEAD!!! I don't revel or make light of the loss of another human life-- any life-- but as I've written before, some mens' crimes are worthy of the ultimate sanction. And no one was more deserving than Osama bin Laden.
So now the euphoria is over. How much safer is the world now?
My thoughts? For now, a bit safer. The worst terror network on Earth has lost it's leader. But, like a hydra, another head will emerge. Just like the Cold War, when Stalin eventually begat Kruschev who eventually begat Brezhnev... so it'll be with this war on terror. The war isn't over. It's just become different.
And for the familes who've lost loved ones, be it on 9/11, OEF, OIF, etc.-- does bin Laden's death really matter? Too much blood has been spilled on these efforts. And I mean Iraqi and Afghan as well as American and Allied. If I had a loved one who died in the War on Terror, I think I would find bin Laden's death small consolation.
So yes, it's been a good week because Osama bin Laden has bit the big one. But the world, sadly, isn't as changed as it was on that bright Tuesday morning in September almost 10 years ago.