What a week it’s been! Waking up on Monday to find out about the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden – nearly a full decade after 9/11 – was exhilarating. As Mike commented on our previous blog posting, what a contrast to waking up on that fateful morning and in sleepy confusion being informed that the Twin Towers were hit.
But by now, almost a week after those heady early Monday morning hours, the questions have set in. What does this mean for the war on terror? Is America more or less safe? Is an attack on Jewish building imminent? What’s the status of our relationship to “allies” such as Pakistan? Had bin Laden been usurped by the recent events in the Middle East?
This week’s IJN looks at these issues in-depth. Andrea Jacobs gathers opinions from Denverites. Rabbi Hillel Goldberg talks about the concept of feeling any ounce of sadness at an enemy’s demise. Columnist Tehilla Goldberg writes about that initial feeling of excitement, only to be followed by reflection. And this week’s IJN editorials comment on targeted assassinations, the tactics of the US versus the tactics of Israel, and the organizations which expressed distress upon hearing the news of bin Laden’s death.
And, of course, there’s a plethora of commentary from across the globe:
- Richard Clarke, counterterrorism expert, reminds us that while bin Laden is dead, Al-Qaeda is not
- Does the bin Laden assassination give Obama more credibility in Israel, asks Ha’aretz
- Thomas Friedman places the onus of wiping out “Bin Ladenism” on the Arab world
- Azzam Tamimi argues that bin-Laden and Al-Qaeda were already being eclipsed by the revolutions taking place across the Middle East
- NPR Special Series “Osama bin Laden Killed” provides a comprehensive overview of the chain of events and the implications.
If you’ve come across any stories or videos you’d like to share, post a comment and let us know!
