After the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death Sunday, the sentiment was immediate and heartfelt. Many Americans wondered if we could go back to the good old days now, with no airport pat-downs, no elevated terror alerts and less sense of dread over breaking news alerts.
We sympathize, but we suspect this is wishful thinking. The threat from jihadists is likely to remain serious for years to come, whether or not they operate under the al-Qaida banner. What needs to be emphasized is that terrorism is often state-supported as a way for rogue nations like Iran and Syria to achieve goals they cannot through conventional means.
And even if bin Laden's death demoralizes the jihad movement and hurts its recruiting, all it takes is one terror cell armed with a radiation "dirty bomb," biological or chemical agents or a nuclear bomb or device to wreak immense damage.
Former CIA Middle East/South Asia specialist Paul Pillar told The Washington Post that bin Laden's death would "have far more significance in the way that we in the United States and the West react to it than how violent Islamists will be going about their business."
In other words, even though the prime symbol of the threat is no more, the threat is still very much there.
REPRINTED FROM THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
