The demise of Osama bin Laden

"One nation's hero is another nation's goon," so said John F Kennedy, one of the most celebrated Presidents of the USA, while underscoring the problem of perception in assessing individuals or institutions. Thus, Palestinian freedom fighters can appear like heroes to the Palestinian people. But in Israel they are viewed as just terrorists and criminals endangering Israel's peace and security. The branding of personalities or the institutions they represent, therefore, can be a tricky exercise depending on which side of the fence the subject stands. Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a commando-style attack by US-led special forces on a house located in a posh locality adjacent to an elite military academy in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was a highly controversial figure. The activities of bin Laden during his lifetime as well as in his death, thus evoked mixed feelings. Americans who considered their homeland attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists through the demolition of the Twin Towers building, had all the reasons to burst out in jubilation. Osama bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader, was also implicated in charges of bombing the US embassy in Kenya and causing the deaths of many innocent people. He and his organisation also publicly acknowledged responsibility for such attacks. Understandably, the international community at large could not approve of such attacks and considered the same as nothing but sheer acts of terrorism. International law, morality and other values can admit violence between combatants but not violence that takes innocent lives. Thus, bin Laden's and Al-Qaeda's purported struggle against the USA and western countries due to their alleged scheming and double-standards against the Islamic world, had failed to find enough credence. As it is, the international community, through the United Nations conventions and other international covenants, is broadly united in their stand against any manifestation of terrorism anywhere in the world. Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda meet the description of a terrorist organization and a terrorist respectively in the interpretation of the international consensus against terrorism. No wonder that on the whole the demise of Osama bin Laden is being greeted with cheer by the ardent practitioners of this international consensus, for the deceased and his organisation posed a serious threat to international peace and security. But analysts say that the killing of bin Laden may inspire his followers to take revenge. This could take the form of attacks against western and specially US targets in the USA and other places. Thus, it is premature to say that the death of bin Laden has conclusively taken the winds out of the sails of Al-Qaeda and its allied forces. AL-Qaeda appears to have substantial capacities in its worldwide networks. As a hierarchical organisation, bin Laden may be swiftly replaced as supreme figure in Al-Qaeda by one of his deputies. Al-Qaeda presently has abilities to organize and launch activities from different parts of the world, independently and without any direction from a central authority. Thus, the threat posed by it still remains formidable. Some al-Qaeda members who have been keeping quiet in recent times, could feel motivated to take revenge for the killing of bin Laden who in their view had embraced martyrdom for the cause. Decades long activities of extremist forces around the world who claim to be the zealous upholders of Islam but are not really so-- for their taking of innocent lives in the process of fighting alleged oppressive quarters--should make policy makers in the west conscious about what really feeds such extremist impulses. In many cases, it can be linked to tyrannical regimes in countries with preponderantly Muslim populations working to satisfy their own greed for power and wealth, rather than working for the welfare of the people. Most of these authoritarian regimes are also supported by the western countries. Extremism is a backlash to savage suppression and denial of people's right to determine their own destiny. Therefore, the international community owes it to such long suffering peoples to address their grievances by tackling the problem at its root.