Tuesday 3 May 2011

by Mat Churchill


Only hours ago I heard the news of Osama bin Laden's killing.

My first reaction was surprise that he was, until just yesterday, still alive. After that it was a little harder to put into words how the news made me feel.

On the surface I questioned how relevant this breakthrough in the 'War on Terror' actually was. Ten years after 9/11, was Osama bin Laden still a major player, or just a poster boy for al Qaeda?

After watching TV footage of the President's address I was left with no doubt that he thought the act of killing bin Laden was significant.

The reaction from US citizens at the gates of the White House was that of jubilation, but if I'd only just tuned in I would have the chants of "USA, USA" were for the US beating Canada in a game of ice hockey than over the death of another human being.

In fact I was expecting the President to highlight that bin Laden's death shouldn't be celebrated, but perhaps used more for remembrance of the three thousand who died during 9/11, and the tens of thousands who have died since (including an estimated 100,000 Iraqi citizens). I guess putting a camera in front of any crowd of happy people will always evoke reactions that are a little over zealous. 

Relief of one less criminal on the streets I can understand, but should death be celebrated? Trepidation of what may be to come is also understandable, but reports that al Qaeda will use their 'leader's' death as an excuse to unload nuclear weapons I think are unfounded. If their hatred for the West runs so deep, wouldn't they have used these weapons already if they had access to them?

During his address the President said "On that day (9/11), no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family."

That's a nice line, but from what I can recall there were a lot of Muslims too scared to leave their homes as many people were beaten by angry individuals and mobs just for practicing Islam. Religious tolerance is not a quality that springs to mind in the aftermath of that day, in the US or Australia.

What happens from here is anyone's guess. Acts of terrorism will occur from time to time and these acts will be performed by Governments as well as your stereotypical terrorist.

Of course there is cause for relief if indeed Osama bin Laden was still heavily connected with al Qaeda. But I don't think rapturous celebration dignifies the huge loss of life that has happened since the towers fell, which carries a figure that dwarfs the death toll of the act that got the hunt for bin Laden started in the first place.