I wonder what this will mean in terms of what the US uses as its justification for continued conflict. The original policy goal has been achieved, so this will most likely lead to a new military-dictated foreign policy as opposed to "policy by other means."
Obama just made an address but it's not been posted online yet.
Hugh
Armel@1
Osama bin Laden is dead!!!!! Now what's next?? We are still at war and now we are on alert of a possible retaliation attack. There was people who hated him but also those who considered him their leader, now those people are said to be looking for a leader. Though we now don’t have to worry about him we still have to worry about what is next. How will Osama’s death affect us, not only when having to fly but at any place where there is high security alerts.
ReplyDeleteKaren Ledezma------ Armel 10 am
I would have to say I never thought I'd see the day when the U.S. was able to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. I seriously thought he would of died of old age or from not receiving a kidney transplant in time before we got to him. But I am very proud of our service men and women who have been fighting this war and have sacrificed their lives for us. It is also an important day to remember the innocent people who lost their lives on 9/11 and be able to say "justice was served". I have also heard in the news that person who is expected to take Osama bin Laden's place is to be number two in al Qaeda's chain of command, Ayma al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri is an Egyptian doctor who helped found al Qaeda along with bin Laden.
ReplyDeleteBrittney Kubina Armel's 1:00 Disscussion
This seems to me a Pyrrhic victory more than anything else. Osama bin Laden's death is more symbolic than game changing. Al-Qaeda had been unable to pull a meaningful terrorist attack in the past decade not because Osama was dead. It was due to 10 years of constant attacks by the US on the organization. Ironically, the most devastating attacks and the final blow to Al-Qaeda happened in neither of the two battle fields opened "on the war against terror" (Iraq & Afghanistan) but in Pakistan. A country that the Bush Administration called an important ally in the war against Al-Qaeda. After ten years, two wars, countless casualties, America's status as a pariah in the international community and its economy in the trash bin I am sure there's a lot to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteEduardo Alvarez Armel 1pm
I agree with Eduardo in the sense that killing Osama Bin Laden is really just a symbolic victory for the military and that it will not change much in terms of where we stand. In fact, now I am sure that we are more of a target in Al-Qaeda’s eyes than we were before. Moreover, as somebody said, there are other people ready to take his place, which means that we really have not made much progress on the war on terror by killing Bin Laden. I guess we will have to see what follows, but I am more scared of a terrorist attack now because of possible retaliation than I was before.
ReplyDeleteYaxal Sobrevilla
Armel 10AM
The death of Osama Bin Laden has been a goal of the US for some time, it was part of the justification for the war in Afghanistan. Catching him might help the international community to remember why we began that war in the first place. It also has huge connotations here at home, it will probably aid president Obama in his re-election campaign, not to mention boost feelings of patriotism.
ReplyDeleteMy concern is now that there's a vacancy, the taliban might find another leader who has the kind of wealth Bin-Laden started of with.
Post directly above is Jesse Reynolds
ReplyDeleteRyan 10am
The death of Osama is a major political victory for Obama and might even help history look more kindly on George W. Bush since he did start the search. On a realistic level not much has changed, another leader will step up to fill his place. Al-Qaeda is not set up where one man holds the keys for the entire operation, but Osama's death does show America's commitment to track its enemies and follow through on the War on Terrorism.
ReplyDeleteAbove post is from Cullen Baldwin, Ryan's 11AM section.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard the news, I was surprised that the U.S. military was able to kill Osama bin Laden. Now that the al-Qaeda leader is dead, I believe that the justification for continued conflict is to ensure there will be no uprising for a new leader or to stabilize the region. I'm also a bit skeptical about where the U.S. found Osama bin Laden. I wonder why the U.S. had to intervene into the area and why Pakistani authorities did not take initiative.
ReplyDeleteKevin Ho
Armel 1p.m.