Questions begin when bin Laden’s life ends

May 2 2011

Questions begin when bin Laden’s life ends

Jubilant Americans throughout the country celebrate the news of the death of Osama bin Laden.

The leader of al Qaeda and the mastermind for the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and others took a shot to the head on a compound in Pakistan during a U.S. military raid coordinated by the Central Intelligence Agency.

The U.S. Navy Seal operation was described as a “kill” mission, meaning there was little interest in capturing bin Laden. And government reports state that his body already has been buried at sea.

As always with “solutions” come questions.

While much of the focus for capturing bin Laden has focused on the rugged, mountainous terrain in Afghanistan. The raid occurred in Pakistan. U.S. forces killed him in Abbottabad, less than 100 miles from Pakistan’s capital.

U.S.-Pakistani relations have been tenuous at best the past several years, more so in the past year. And initial reports state Pakistan officials were left out of the raid planning. Some wonder how long bin Laden has been able to move freely about the region because of lack of cooperation from Pakistan.

And there will be disbelievers — among Americans and bin Laden supporters — because of the quick burial at sea of the terrorist leader. U.S. officials are debating the release of photos and say DNA testing is underway, but some thrive on conspiracy theories and never accept the death of icons, and that’s why we have Elvis sightings and the like.

And of course, the more than a decade-old question: Why did it take so long?

But more important questions focus on the repercussions that come from bin Laden’s death:

What will this do to al Qaeda?
How will it impact the world’s war on terrorism?
What acts of terrorism will follow the death of al Qaeda’s leader?
What impact will this have on U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq?

My euphoria over the news has been tempered. A steady stream of high-ranking U.S. officials from President Barack Obama to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others repeatedly have stated, “justice has been done.”

Certainly, bin Laden’s involvement in terrorism and on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, cannot be underestimated or downplayed.

But it seems that any victims of terrorism — including the friends and families of those who died — deserve more than the death of one terrorist — in order to come to the conclusion that “justice has been done.”

Judicial philosopher Judge Learned Hand Justice put it best, I think: “Justice is the tolerable accommodation of the conflicting interests of society, and I don't believe there is any royal road to attain such accommodation concretely.”

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