Thoughts on the Death of bin Laden

"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
~ Martin Luther King Jr. (thanks, Mark, for posting this)

(EDIT: Damnit, I hate when I get suckered into posting fake quotations. Still, great sentiment.)

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Wrong again.

I was sure, absolutely POSITIVE, that Osama bin Laden died, oh, about eight years ago. Or nine. The thought that a 6'5" man on dialysis (who needs a cane to walk, no less) can hide for any substantial length of time from a world hegemon determined to kill him strikes me as ludicrous in the extreme. There are only a couple of reasons I can think of, therefore, to explain why Mr. Boogeyman was still drawing breath up until yesterday afternoon.

1) The United States didn't really want him dead.

Why not? Well, obviously, he's a perfect martyr. (Wonder when the retaliation's going to hit, and what form it will take.) But the cynical side of me suggests a deeper reason to prolong bin Laden's life: his live body is considerably more useful than his corpse. You could count on Osama to issue periodic threats, usually right around the time that people have started to forget why they're afraid. I was dead certain the U.S government has been issuing these threats in Osama's name for years. Apparently I'm wrong.

2) Somebody was doing a damned good job of shielding him.

Which turns out to have been the case. I've often wondered in the years since 9/11, why the U.S. has treated Pakistan (and Saudi Arabia, whence most of the Nineteen Nitwits came) with kid gloves. I'm sure there are numerous solid geopolitical reasons, but man, it's rankled. All the more so when you realize just how loyal any number of Pakistanis, including official Pakistanis, are to bin Laden and his ideology.

It's worth reiterating something I have alluded to many times over the course of this blog. Osama bin Laden believed he was doing something noble and righteous and good. Millions of people agreed with him. That's not to suggest, of course, that 9/11 was in any way noble, righteous, or good. Only to say that nobody is a villain in his own mind.

Osama bin Laden is dead. One head chopped off the Hydra. I hope the United States is ready for the backlash.