The Death of bin Laden

As everyone knows, Osama bin Laden was found and subsequently killed earlier this month. I won't rehash the specifics in fear of sounding redundant, but it is important to note that this was an American operation that had been planned since August of 2010. It was kept very much under wraps until helicopters descended on bin Laden's hiding spot in Pakistan- a large, guarded and fenced compound.

Osama bin Laden had to be kept in hiding for the majority of these ten years since 9/11, and for this reason he could not directly lead al-Quaida missions or operations like he had in the past. He was more of a figurehead for the organization than a real leader. Because of this, his death may not impact anything directly in terms of the war itself. However, I think that bin Laden's death does have a huge impact on society and its outlook on the War on Terror. Although it is becoming evident that bin Laden didn't have a leadership role in al-Quaida for quite some time, the fact that the man behind the horrific attacks of September 11th 2001 is dead sends a powerful message to the world. It is clear that America never gave up, and all of their efforts came to fruition, even if it did take ten years. Attitudes definitely changed after the news hit America. For example, Obama's approval ratings shot up following bin Laden's death. Some are saying that it is directly due to this that Obama may have a shot at a second term. That in itself is a significant impact, not only for American but for the rest of the world as well, because the identity of the leader of the free world impacts us all.

The War on Terror, however, will continue on. Realistically, al-Quaida has been operating independent of bin Laden for a decade. However, American spirits may be up, morale is definitely higher, and this feat may kickstart even more successes. Al-Quaida could really take this either way. They may be discouraged or even afraid after the death of their ultimate leader, or they may take this as fuel for their fire and fight back harder than ever. Only time will tell at this point, but it is clear that the world is definitely different now that Osama bin Laden is dead. For many in my generation, this has a huge impact because we were only around 8 when 9/11 occurred. We have never really known a world without hearing things about Al-Quaida and Osama bin Laden, and his death is definitely momentous for a lot of people.