Eight years later, a mission finally accomplished
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Eight years later, a mission finally accomplished
The date could not have been any more ironic.
It was May 1, 2003, that President George W. Bush -- in full flight-suit bravado -- appeared on a battleship off the San Diego coast to declare a "Mission Accomplished" in what the White House called its war on terror, marking what was declared as the end of major combat operations in Iraq.
Never mind that more than 4,000 U.S. servicemen and women and untold thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians would die in the years of non-stop violence to come, or that Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks that had caused America to mobilize against terrorism in the first place, or that the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, was very much still at large.
Now, on May 1, 2011 -- eight long years later -- President Obama, who was an obscure state senator from Illinois when al-Qaeda attacked the United States in 2001, stunned the nation and the world with the long-awaited news that bin Laden is dead, killed in a dramatic CIA operation in a Pakistan compound.
Perhaps fittingly, it was the Cradle of Liberty that quickly became the epicenter of a global celebration, as more than 45,000 fans at sold out Citizens Bank Park began spontaneously chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A" as smartphones lit up with urgent emails and a joyous murmur built. Minutes later, a fast-growing throng that gathered around the White House fence broke into "The Star Spangled Banner."
This time, it really was a mission accomplished.
A mission accomplished.
But not THE mission accomplished.
After all, bin Laden's death does not answer the question of what to do with more than 100,000 American and allied troops still fighting an ill-defined guerillia war in Afghanistan -- some nine-and-a-half years after the first troops were sent there in the hopes that overthrowing the Taliban would also quickly yield bin Laden and other leaders of his terrorist network.
Nor does bin Laden's death offer any insight over what to do about the mess of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay -- which became a global stain on America's reputation in the years following the Afghanistan invasion, and which Obama has been unable to close despite promising to do so on the second day of his presidency.
Indeed, America remains vigilant from a potential new generation of terrorists who had nothing to do with 9/11 and has not been guided or even inspired by bin Laden for some time, but who joined the fray to protest the U.S. actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gitmo.
Bin Laden's death changes none of that -- but it does give America and its battered psyche something that has been so elusive over a downbeat decade.
Justice.
For nine years and eight months, the families of the nearly 3,000 citizens who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or aboard Flight 93 that crashed in western Pennsylvania have seen their suffering compounded by the maddening fact that not only had bin Laden eluded the world, but that none of the other perpetrators have been tried or convicted for their cowardly crime.
The death of Osama bin Laden, a mass murderer on an unthinkable scale, is not only just but long overdue -- a real mission accomplished for decent people everywhere to celebrate today. We can worry about the rest of it tomorrow.
Ever hear the expression, "Justice delayed is justice denied?" Almost 10 years since September 11, 2001? This is EMBARRASSING! Real justice has been denied in this case. I would think people would want to observe this moment as QUIETLY as possible. We're supposed to have the world's best fighting force and covert operations and we couldn't locate ONE MAN in almost a decade?? No one should be high-fiving or pounding their chests over this one!— ANGRY AL 2- My politcal feelings aside, I have to give big props to the President Obama administration for continuing to follow through on George W's promise to capture Bin Laden.— Repubrebirth
- Angry Al, it took almost 20 yrs to catch the UNABOMBER and he was in our country . Read a book and get some real perspective and history Bro. You too Will Bunch— tremo12
- My condolences to his camel.— Disco Dave
I'll put politics aside, even though Will could not, and praise our forces, President Obama, and the entire national security team for a job well done. I'm glad he was killed by US forces. This was a big one. Congratualtions.— jmc- End of Bin Laden...Done the "old fashion way". Actionable intelligence, followed by "boots kicking in doors". I believe the World to be a better place today...Let us all hope the rest of the World agrees with me...— TomTheCork
- My condolences to Sean Penn.— Disco Dave
Comment removed.- Glad we have a president who is actually "thinking" about Bin Laden, unlike the ADD dry drunk before him who gets two wars started before finishing the job with the first.— mick-of-the-moment
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- It should be noted that Obama was on the golf course for the 66th time in his presidency, and finished out 9 holes, when he got word that the military had found him.— Comrade Noodlehead
- Waiting for Comrade Noodlehead's next post: Bin Laden was killed because he had the original of Obama's Kenyan birth certificate.— mick-of-the-moment
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- Look at that....Bunch went and tried to make it political. Always divisive bunch.— Captain Terrific
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