The Fall-Out of Bin Laden's Death

[AB Editor]

Morning all,

This is likely to be big news today, so I just wondered if anyone wanted to speak about what they think is the fall-out of Bin Laden's Death.

I've heard some suggest it is a bit "too little too late", and possibly even helpful to Al-Queda. By this it is meant that they've gained a handy martyr and removed a potential liability from the organization.

Others have simply been happy to claim a "win for the good guys" and that the world is a safer place, which it may in fact be.

Where do you fall in this spectrum?

Spare Ed

[WELSHYORKIE]

I'm of the opinion that the terrorists will see him as a martyr but what the Americans must not do is put his body on show as a trophy - this will only inflame the situation IMO. Reprisals will happen, of this I am sure, but not on the scale of previous attacks.

[LoftyLottie]

Good morning Spare

It would have been a better win for the good guys had he been captured live and brought to trial in my opinion. He has now been given a traditional Moslem farewell and will be hailed as a martyr.

However, I am obviously pleased he is gone, but I think there will be a tremendous fall outinitially over this. In the long run it might make the world a safer place - I personally doubt it.

[TheOtherHalf]

I shall now be worrying about our son who lives and works in the centre of London

[LoftyLottie]

His body surely is in the sea Welsh Yorkie, unless I got it wrong.

[rowanwitch]

I would expect at least one retaliatory act of terror fairly soon....probably not in the US because of the level of security but where there are a lot of US citizens.....

[TheOtherHalf]

His body is in the sea, we are told.But as I mentioned in another thread, do you think followers might try to retrieve it like they do with sunken ships or buried treasure, and then put hisremains on show as a shrine ?

[WELSHYORKIE]

Lottie, i wasn't aware of that.

[China Doll]

I imagine my hospital will go on high alert for a while.

I think it's a shame he wasn't brought to trial because of the possibility of him becoming a martyr which I don't think is useful or helpful.

[venator]

If he'd gone on trial, they would have kidnapped & beheaded on camera as many US citizens as they could find.

[LoftyLottie]

Yes, you are probably right Venator on thinking about it. Death really was the only option as was the burial at sea.

[Old_Geezer]

He would have become a martyr in any case. It was either in the shoot-out, or at the end of a noose or whatever later.

It would be nice to hope that without a figurehead there would be fewer impressionable youngsters willing to throw their lives away in an effort to murder more innocents, but my suspicion is that for each big name that is removed another is waiting in the wings to take over.

The short answer is we can not know for sure, but I thank it wise to be on guard for possible revenge attacks for some time now.

[Arti]

I wonder if the US has some absolute proof that he is dead, to rebut any al-qaeda propaganda to the contrary.

[jackthehat]

Well, seeing as there are some who still believe that Elvis and Hitler are alive somewhere in the world.......I can't see those who believe that Bin Laden is alive being content with any of the *proof* which the USA can offer....

[Arti]

Very true, JTH!

[ummmm]

I would try and get my money back if I had purchased any tickets for the Olympics...

[venator]

They say they have positive DNA.

Also, if he was alive, he'd put out a video message asap, to score a major point over the US!!!

They will have helmet camera footage, but anything they make public will be seized on by the terrorists and could be used to radicalise young Muslims.

[mike11111]

Whilst Elvis would now be 76, Hitler would be 122!

[stokemaveric]

our leaders are saying on 1 hand ''the world is a safer place''...but on the other hand they are saying ''terrorist attacks are now highly likely'' and the uk terror level is now classed as severe its pretty contradictory to make those statement..an attack from al-queada is always highly likely..the killing of bin laden has just made the prospect more probable...lets hope the security services have got tabs on all suspects..but there could be 1 or 2 ''lone wolfs'' who are not on the security radar and who would be more than capable of mounting a suicide bombing mission.the killing of bin laden has raised the stakes considerably and i would not be suprised if al queada were to unleash a ''dirty bomb''..they have the capability to do so and now they also have more of a reason..

[Old_Geezer]

I suspect they would claim it is safer long term, but more dangerous in the short to medium term.