Apart from a brand new wave of Internet memes implying that Obama is mightier than Chuck Norris, what OBL's death means to me really is lots and lots of quesions.

What people really knew about OBL?

If I am to refer to his wikipedia entry, apart from his short biography and his family tree... not much.
I have been reading here and there that he was controlling enormous funds, that he was the thinking head of Al-Quaeda, that nothing would be coordinated anymore without him.

I'm not so sure about it. Let's face it, we don't know much, appart from these:

• He fought in Afghanistan
• He was wealthy
• He was vocal

He was certainly a flag bearer, and the voice of the movement, but he certainly wasn't the unique source of founding, and I personally think that there is not chance that his involvement in the strategic decisions of Al-Qaeda was as big as we think. Terrorists are not idiots, and they wouldn't put their most valuable fighter under the spotlights, or at least, not without serious backup.

Will it be more than a milestone?

We've seen leaders fall since 2001, allegedly tied to Islamic terrorism, I am thinking of Abu Musad Al Zarkawi and Abu Ayyub Al-Masri and of course, Saddam [insert controvery here].These are clearly steps forward in a war against terrorism.

It still leaves the topic open: what terrorism, exactly?
I haven't heard much about the FARC factions in Columbia, not that they do as many damages abroad as islamists do, but that would be nice to include them in the lot, they are not exactly good guys either.

I have taken a look at the Wikipeida entries for terrorist attacks in 2002 and 2010 and counted the victims (both injuries and casualties), in order to see what was the progress of the 'war effort'. I got surprised.

Year 2002: ~3400 victims

Year 2010: ~5300 victims

Mind you, the numbers could be badly reported and it includes all terrorists attacks worldwide, not just the ones from islamist groups.
It does confirm my thoughs, though, that Osama's death will only be worth the chase if the numbers of 2011 take a drastic dive.

Who will be the next enemy?

Ayman Al-Zawahiri seems to be a good candidate, since he's already been designated commander of Al-Quaeda, and apparently has more support than the late OBL.

What now?

To this day, while the media tend to point as Al-Quaeda as the ultimate terrorist group, we tend to forget the existance of a huge number of other organizations, mostly local, that don't get the same amount of press. These groups don't need huge funding, or heavy military organizations, they sometime operate at very low costs (with lighter bombs or pipe bombs) and can have a very high influence in their area.

The pressure on the US, resulting from their campaigns in the Middle-East tends to focus our eyes on international actions of terror, whereas terrorism takes its roots in unhealthy economic and politic climate, poverty and lack of education. The effort is real, but it is doesn't hit home (literally).

Shall we be afraid?

No.

Fear and panic is what feeds terrorists, together with attention and violence.
The rational response should be to keep on living our lives and prove them that we do not need them, their ideology, their help or whetever they pretent to offer, we do not need them in our religions, nor in our politics, we just do not need them, at all.

Congratulations, though, to the US, since their strike have undoubtedly helped in controlling the fear and bringing some most needed hope.
Just, don't forget: it's not over yet, and preventing the spreading of that evil begins with help and tolerance rather than with guns.

 

 

 

Posted via email from Walking down the dragon's back