Opening Up a Can of Worms

The news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US Special Forces in a fire fight in a Pakistani town will be greeted by celebrations across the Western world. Already reports are emerging of Americans donning 'we got him' T-shirts and waving the stars and stripes. I must confess that I'm not in such a celebratory mood for the following reasons.

Firstly, if the West is to prevail in the war against terror, it is essential that it retains some form of moral legitimacy. The sight of Americans and Europeans dancing around the camp fire after the murder of a Muslim in a Muslim country is not likely to go down too well with those already contemplating embracing radical Islam. Wouldn't it be better if we demonstrated quiet dignity in moments like these? Western moral standing, already weakened by Iraq, cannot afford to suffer such damage.

Secondly, there is a very real chance of revenge attacks. Many people have been questioning for years the extent to which Bin Laden really controls Al-Qaeda. According to some observers, his death is unlikely to have much of a disruptive influence on the planning of Al-Qaeda in Asia and the West. The closed cell nature of Al-Qaeda's operations, where only a few operatives know the nature of what they are working on, means that the loss of one person is not likely to be terminal. What it will do, however, is lead to massive calls for revenge attacks in Islamist circles.

Thirdly, the circumstances of Bin Laden's death raise important questions about Pakistan's role in the war on terror. Bin Laden was killed in a town not far from Islamabad, which included an elite military training centre of the Pakistani military. This is a far cry from the remote border caves in which he has supposedly been hiding for years. How the Pakistani intelligence and armed forces can not have known about this is a matter for speculation. How long has Bin Laden been in Pakistan? These questions will be repeated by those already critical of Pakistan's reluctance to fully engage with radical elements in its population.

I'm not so sure that making Osama Bin Laden a martyr was really the best tactical approach to adopt in the war on terror. Regardless of its strategic implications, it makes me upset to see that people in the West cannot rise above celebrating the murder of a human being in moments like these, even that of a human being as evil and despicable as Bin Laden. Despite not being a Christian myself, I think those who profess to follow that religion would do well to remember this Proverb: 'Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.'