Let Us Now Have Peace
The world wakes up today to the surprising and even shocking news that Osama Bin Laden is Dead. Unlike almost 10 years ago when the world woke up to the shocking attacks and grieved, today we celebrate.
We are nonetheless reminded that there is a Bin Laden everywhere, that Al-Qaida was irrelevant and the news is thus not as significant as it would have been a decade earlier, that Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is now the source of attacks, and that the war has not ended. But few may doubt, save for the forces of death, that this is the beginning of the end. Osama Bin Laden was a billionaire. Without his vast wealth, the only source of income to terrorist groups may be rogue nations as was the case before 9/11. His experience would have been invaluable and exceptional to his followers and the achievements of their deadly aims. He gained vast experience of organizing and leading while fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. His mingling with the Royal Saudi elite while a child and teenager, thereafter his experience working for his father’s construction business, would have given him the valuable experience of networking, propaganda, and the connections to high levels of affluence.
Moreover, the description of his residence sounds like a vast base from which guidance, plans, and even money could be sent and received to numerous groups. Yes, there still are those who wish us harm, but it is most likely that their ability to harm us has now become insignificant. There are still some who share his ideology, who are probably mourning his death, who are devastated, demoralized, and will probably be reflecting on what has so far happened. But it is likely tat many of them will now conclude that their aims are best achieved by peaceful means because their violent acts have brought death to hundreds of thousands, many, if not most, innocent civilians, thus have made things worse, and that their god, or any god, most probably prefers peace.
This year is probably the best year of this century so far. The world economy is on a clear path to recovery, spring has brought freedom to many lands, the world stood for its values and reacted quickly and swiftly to avert a probable massacre in Libya and we may still see peace in that land, Hamas and Fatah have made peace, Palestine will in September of this year declare independence, probably ending the 60 years of conflict with Israel.
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