05-03-2011, 06:45 PM
Personally, I don't think that Osama Bin Laden was completely helpless as some people seem to think. Sure, right now as the US has a major military presence in that part of the world he has been kept more-or-less bottled up and unable to take part, personally, in the planning and execution of terrorist attacks. However, in the coming years as the US is looking to scale back its military presence in the region, had they not dealt with him now, Bin Laden could very well have reemerged and pick up where he left off.
Beyond his functional support and leadership for his terrorist organizations, Bin Laden was also an effective figurehead to help draw people to join his cause. From what I have read, he was seen as a very charismatic person whose image was effective for recruiting. The other terrorist leaders do not appear to be on the same level as Bin Laden at attracting people, so perhaps that will reduce the recruiting and support given to those organizations leading them to be less effective at spreading their terror.
Overall, the theme I see throughout this operation was a goal of trying to discourage the terrorist network while minimizing the long-term recruiting tools and symbols that the terrorists would use to try and grow their organization. The burial at sea denies the terrorists a grave that they could use as a rallying point or symbol for their cause. The death of the charismatic leader will reduce recruiting. And finally the US was able to finally show the terrorist organizations that regardless of the lengths he went to in hiding, the US counterterrorism forces were able to find and kill him will certainly show them there is a consequence for making attacks against the US. Hopefully the care that was taken throughout the operation to minimize the ability of the terrorists to twist this to their own ends will pay out and the net result will be an eventual reduction in the ability of the terrorist organizations to strike against the law-abiding people of the world.
Beyond his functional support and leadership for his terrorist organizations, Bin Laden was also an effective figurehead to help draw people to join his cause. From what I have read, he was seen as a very charismatic person whose image was effective for recruiting. The other terrorist leaders do not appear to be on the same level as Bin Laden at attracting people, so perhaps that will reduce the recruiting and support given to those organizations leading them to be less effective at spreading their terror.
Overall, the theme I see throughout this operation was a goal of trying to discourage the terrorist network while minimizing the long-term recruiting tools and symbols that the terrorists would use to try and grow their organization. The burial at sea denies the terrorists a grave that they could use as a rallying point or symbol for their cause. The death of the charismatic leader will reduce recruiting. And finally the US was able to finally show the terrorist organizations that regardless of the lengths he went to in hiding, the US counterterrorism forces were able to find and kill him will certainly show them there is a consequence for making attacks against the US. Hopefully the care that was taken throughout the operation to minimize the ability of the terrorists to twist this to their own ends will pay out and the net result will be an eventual reduction in the ability of the terrorist organizations to strike against the law-abiding people of the world.
-TheDragoon