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Justice is Served by Osama bin Laden's Death

May 09, 2011   Editor: Dave Uphoff
The killing of Osama bin Laden last week was an historic event that brought some sense of justice to the American people, especially to those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.

President Obama showed courage and leadership in giving the go ahead to eliminate bin Laden. The President could have decided not to attack because if it failed he would have suffered politically. His bold move earned him respect from the international community and more importantly, from his Republican detractors. Perhaps this renewed respect will help erase the schism between the two political parties and enable Congress to unite in leading this country out of its recession instead of sticking to party dogma which eschews compromise and concessions - two attributes which are necessary if anything is to be achieved in solving the nation's budget crisis.

The elimination of bin Laden was performed through intelligence gathering and precision striking. This action typifies modern warfare. Gone are the days when cities are bombed and troops march en mass over hill and dale to occupy a country as in World War II. Just as al Qaeda is scheming to blow up our bridges and railways, we must be gathering intelligence to prevent their actions and to eliminate those responsible for terrorist activities. Intelligence will be our most important weapon.

War is never going to go away. It is just taking a different form. It may be necessary to perform strategic strikes on foreign soil again similar to the elimination of bin Laden in Pakistan. The war on terrorism has no boundaries or borders.

The United States cannot shove democracy down a country's throat as we tried in Iraq. Democracy has to be desired by the citizens of the country. The Arab Spring, which resulted in the overthrow of dictatorships in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen and uprisings in Syria and Libya, indicates that the Arab world wants democracy. The access to information outside their country via the internet and satellite television has transformed these countries from uninformed, uneducated and resigned citizens to knowledgeable citizens hungry for freedom. American troops need not be on foreign soil to promote democracy. Global communication has enabled countries to start their own march to democracy.

Withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan and relying more on covert operations will save not only American lives but also the lives of innocent civilians. By withdrawing from Islamic countries and being more supportive of the Palestinians in their dealings with Israel, America will become less of a target for terrorists.

We are grateful to those Navy Seals who risked their lives and brought justice to the crimes committed against our country. Their action signified not only the end of the greatest manhunt in the world, it also is the beginning of a new way to fight terrorism.

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