A major blow for al-Qaeda
The killing of Osama bin Laden by an elite US military team is a singular achievement in the long fight against terrorism that affects the world. His death could help bring justice to thousands and closure to millions. Among bin Laden's nearly 3,000 victims in the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York were two young Thai women with entire lives ahead of them. Another huge and tragic casualty has been Islam, the religion bin Laden shamed and dragged down. His evil associates have killed more Muslims than any other group, and have also caused suspicions between Muslims and non-Muslims which had not before been prevalent.
This is a legacy of shame for the man born in Saudi Arabia whose own country withdrew his citizenship and declared him persona non grata. Around the world Muslims are celebrating the death of bin Laden. As the Muslim Council of Britain put it tersely: "Few will mourn the reported death of Osama bin Laden, least of all Muslims." Predictably, noisy and violent groups popped up to try to disagree.
Leaders of the Palestinian terror group Hamas said they mourn the loss of bin Laden. The terrorist-linked Indonesian group Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), with links to Jemaah Islamiyah, hailed bin Laden as a martyr. Presumably members of Asia's other main group formed and nurtured by al-Qaeda, the Abu Sayyaf of the Philippines, has similar thoughts. But groups such as these stand to lose from bin Laden's death.
Loyalists in the main group that bin Laden headed now will be fighting for control and influence. Such actions are predictable for any such independent group with a charismatic leader. The killing of bin Laden is a major strategic blow to al-Qaeda and all its subsidiary groups worldwide.
There is major criticism and even suspicion of Pakistan over this spectacular killing. And for good reason. Bin Laden had been hiding in plain sight, living in an upscale villa of Abbottabad town just 60km from the capital. The contrast with a similar case in Thailand deserves notice.
In 2003, the chief of operations of Jemaah Islamiyah was on the run. Hambali had set up JI with al-Qaeda help and had travelled to Afghanistan to visit bin Laden. He took a small room in a small apartment house in Ayutthaya. Within days, local people were curious about the foreigner, and brought him to the attention of authorities. He was quickly captured, interrogated and placed in the Guantanamo Bay prison.
The question Pakistan is avoiding, but must answer, is how a foreigner could live in a quiet town which has a military barracks, and still not be noticed.
Immediately after news of bin Laden's death was announced in Washington, the US ordered a high alert around the world. In Bangkok, security forces took fresh steps at the US and other embassies, and at certain large Western companies.
More pertinently, the security forces ordered strong attention to two possible threats. The first is from the deep South, where at least some gangs are known to be deeply sympathetic to al-Qaeda. The other is an intensive look at immigration records to double-check on possibly unwelcome visitors.
The end of bin Laden is not the end of terrorism by any means. But it marks a major advance in bringing terrorists to heel, and then to book.Justice was served to bin Laden, as US President Barack Obama said. Bin Laden's death will give many would-be terrorists pause. It should also make it less difficult to track down other would-be terrorist leaders.
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