The World after Osama Bin Laden

The US administration is understandably cock-a-hoop about hunting down and killing the inpiration and figurehead of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. It was no surprise to me — or anyone else routinely covering events in the region — that he was located in Pakistan, though it was a startling that he was living cheek-by-jowel with some of Pakistan’s most elite military units in Abbottabad. He did, of course, have allies or at least sympathisers in some elements of the Pakistani security forces, not to mention the Pakistani Taliban. But I guess it makes sense to hide in th sort of place people wouldn’t expect to find you, rather than hanging on in some cave in Tora Bora. However, celebrations about his removal in Washington, London or elsewhere may be short-lived. Just as the death of Colonel Sanders did not lead to an end to the KFC franchise so Osama bin Laden’s demise will not necessarily harm Al Qaeda dramatically. In the short-term, it might evn increase terrorism. Nonetheless, it would be churlish to be anything other than grateful that the wretched man has been disposed of. And who knows: maybe this will give the United States, Britain and their NATO Allies the beginning of an exit strategy from Afghanistan?