After an extraordinary week of events in the United States and abroad, one thing is clear: Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of American forces has the potential to ripple out into global affairs in many ways – political and military, diplomatic and cultural, and of course U.S. national security.
In these dispatches, Associated Press journalists from around the world outline the path ahead in a world without bin Laden.
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U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM
By Eileen Sullivan, Washington
It wasn't long after the stunning announcement of Osama bin Laden's death before thoughts in America turned to new, fearful questions: When will the other shoe drop? Would al-Qaida or its terrorist sympathizers retaliate?
The Obama administration's answer: There's no intelligence yet pointing to specific or imminent plans for future attacks, but its spies are watching and eavesdroppers are listening carefully for any such signs.
Besides, a quick retaliatory terror strike against targets inside the United States is hardly al Qaida's signature. The plots to blow up the USS Cole, bomb U.S. embassies in Africa and crash jetliners in September 2001 took years to plan, finance and carry out undetected. Even smaller-scale, more recent terrorist plots – constrained after more than a decade of anti-terror raids, missile attacks from the skies and financial seizures by government forces around the world – have taken at least months to pull together.
Counterterrorism officials are more worried about the potential for violence by an individual or small group with plans to act alone – especially those with no formal ties to any known terror organizations. And, of course, U.S. targets already overseas – American soldiers, embassies and companies – are more vulnerable to a retaliatory attack.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/08/osama-bin-laden-dead-what-next_n_859062.html
It’s unfortunate that we now have to play the wait and see game. You know as well as I do that someone somewhere will try something, it truly is just a matter of time. Is there no honor in war? We are forced to fight these villains in the shadows, and on their terms. If there must be blood for blood then at least can’t it be shed in the light of day?
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