So Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALS in Pakistan, apparently in Islamabad.. Now what? I find myself wondering if this is just preparing to wrap up the "War on Terror" or if it was taking advantage of new intel.
The web is buzzing with "they knew where he was for years" theories (I expect mainly from the tinfoil fedora crowd), and the remains are shark shit by now, so there will be the inevitable Elvis-like sightings for the next 30 or so years.......(Osama flipping burgers at a White Castle in Poughkeepsie NY has a certain Enquirer feel to it.)
All that aside, what has been achieved? Tomorrow, somebody, somewhere will decide that the best way to express his/her dissatisfaction with the status quo is to make something and/or someone go boom.
What has changed?
Osama is dead, but a war that is impossible to win will drag on, as soon as a a new causus belli is found.
I think the way forward toward a more peaceful co-existence depends a lot on the reduction of stigmas from both sides.
ReplyDeleteThe USA is correct to pursue dialogue with the Islamic world and the sooner the mainstream view can be that they don't want to kill us all, the better.
From the Islamic side of things, a more noticeable rejection/denouncement of all terror acts will help greatly.
The Islamic world really needs a new Marketing guy. Freshen up their message, actually put a ad campaign in place in the West.
Yes, of course its pathetic, but its the smart thing to do.