Thoughts on the death of Osama bin Laden

I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure - Mark Twain

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the reaction people are having to the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Is it appropriate to celebrate the death of another human being, even if that guy is a terrorist kingpin?  I don’t know and I’m not going to dictate how others celebrate this day.   Personally, I'm pleased that he's dead.  And I'm happy with the way it happened.  Justice has been served and our SEALs have proven once again that they are the best in the world.  As for dancing in the streets, I'm really not that kind of guy.  But, if I lived near Ground Zero or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who knows?  The thing to remember is that they are celebrating more than the death of a mass murderer who received his just desserts.  They are celebrating the end of an era, loved ones who have been avenged and a moral (if not a tactical) victory in the War on Terror.  Contrast this to the idiots who danced in the streets on 9/11.  They were celebrating the deaths of unsuspecting, innocent, unarmed civilians and, more importantly, an attack on a culture of freedom that they despise and are bent on destroying.

Some ask if the images of people joyful over the death of bin Laden will push the terrorists to action or cause more youth to sign up for the terrorist cause.  To this I simply ask:  Would our candlelight vigils and sober reflection on the death of bin Laden stop these things from happening?  They hate us.  They want to kill us.  Nothing we do or do not do will change any if that.

Will this end the war?  No.  It will make no more difference than did the death of Saddam Hussein.  The people we are fighting do not follow bin Laden, they simply believe the same.  They are racist, intolerant fanatics who kill their own children if they do not do as they are told.  This will make no difference to them.  There is still much to be done.  This war is not like World War II where we were fighting a single evil entity wearing a uniform.  When Hitler was killed (I know, the coward did himself.) the leadership of the Reich was finished.  In this case there are leaders and cells all over the world.  We will never get them all.  But, we must fight.  Appeasing Hitler brought misery, slavery and the Holocaust, not peace.  It was the efforts and sacrifices of the Allied soldiers that brought an end to that war.  Nothing has changed.

Some people are saying that President Obama is taking too much credit for this.  Whether or not you're a fan of the President, this happened on his watch.  He gave the order and he deserves the acclaim.  That's how it works.  When the Bay of Pigs turned in to a disaster, JFK took the heat.  When the rescue attempt in Iran failed, Carter took the blame.  When Desert Storm was a huge success, George H.W. Bush took the praise.  It was fine with me then and it's fine with me now.

Reports are that his body was identified through several methods and quickly buried at sea in accordance with Muslim law.  This is one of the main differences between us and them.  They mutilate the dead bodies of our soldiers in the streets and we treat the corpse of their hero with respect.  But, there is a benefit to following their law in this case.  There is no martyr's grave.  He's still a symbol, but there is no tomb to wail over.

One last thought.  Some people are complaining that bin Laden was not armed at the time he was shot.  So what.  When a soldier confronts an enemy combatant, it's not his responsibility to determine if that man is armed.  This was not a social call.  It was Navy SEALs assaulting the compound of the most notorious terrorist in the world.  A man with the blood of thousands of innocent men, women and children on his hands  He and anyone who was harboring him were fair game.  That may sound harsh, but this is war and war is hell.  Forty SEALS flew in to that compound in an effort to secure the safety of citizens all over the world.  I am unspeakably grateful for their skill, training and courage in carrying out their mission.  The last thing I am going to do is second guess their actions