While this day is obviously one of joyous celebration for America it is important to remember that there are many serious issues surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden which will shake out in the coming weeks. Remember that in war one must know his enemy, and it’s possible nobody knows their enemy less than Americans when it comes to Osama Bin Laden. Although he was a mass murderer he was also a highly intelligent man, and has for years shifted media focus on other top members of Al-Qaeda. He was smart enough to know that he would likely not live to see a natural end to his life and was completely at peace with that. Many will call him a coward, but there is no disputing some facts. Bin Laden gave up life as a billionaire to fight for his beliefs on the front lines against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Osama was not afraid to die, and it is extremely unlikely that he was unprepared for his own death. Make no mistake, Al-Qaeda will continue, though at least for awhile it may not be as effective as it has been. Many people question the resourcefulness of the organization, and it’s true it is without its figurehead, but it may have gained a martyr. It is an organization that was able to maintain its multi-national and multi-ethnic operations, operated under a central leadership, despite being at war with the greatest military power on earth.
I fear many people will see this as a justification of US foreign policy, but I would say this prompts a stronger look than ever at it. Osama Bin Laden, before taking a single action against the United States, declared war on us and clearly documented why he was doing so. US bases remained in the Saudi Kingdom after the first Iraq war and the United States clearly favored Israel in its Middle Eastern policies. Though Bin Laden’s actions on 9/11 are reprehensible they were certainly not without reason, and we remain ignorant of the world outside our own country if we do not recognize some fault of our own in the way we’ve conducted business in the world.
After the US Embassy bombings and the USS Cole bombing Bin Laden had made it clear he hoped to bring the American military to Afghanistan. A nation which has ejected multiple imperial powers Bin Laden himself has said that if we could be drawn there our nation could be forced into bankruptcy and expelled just as the Soviet Union had been. On 9/11 Bin Laden hit his mark and the United States declared war on terrorism. Our foreign policy steered us into two wars, one far more justified than the other, and in the process we have endured the types of financial hardships that Bin Laden had predicted and hoped for. The financial resources of Al-Qaeda are insignificant compared to that of the United States and yet they have caused US spending at home and abroad to skyrocket.
I have always believed that we can either learn from history or we can follow in its follies. I fear the emotional victory of this day will lead us into that latter path. While it may not feel right to leave Afghanistan we must look at how long it has been, how much it has cost us and ask, “Do we belong here?” Do we have the right to tell other people how they should run their country? Ask yourself how it feels when someone more powerful than yourself tells you how to run your life. While we might have righteousness in our hearts that will not stop resentment among many. What right does the United States have in maintaining a military presence in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia which contains the two holiest cities of the Muslim faith? I believe it is time we walk softly, but carry a big stick. While I think we must be prepared to strike against those who would strike against us, I don’t believe that holding our club over entire other countries is the best means with which to protect ourselves.
Topic: Osama Bin Laden dead. (Read 55377 times)
