With Osama bin Laden’s death, will al-Qaeda continue to be a dreaded terrorist organization or will the modern day ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings that continue to sweep across North Africa and parts of the Middle East make it weaker and irrelevant eventually?
Finding success after toppling regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, the revolutionary civilian uprisings against long-standing, undemocratic and nepotistic leaders are causing unrest in Yemen and Syria and are threatening rulers in Bahrain, Lebanon and Morocco.
What started as protest against a despotic leader has now turned into a civil war in Libya with some western nations arming and helping the people fight a ground war against the Gaddafi’s forces.
While al-Qaeda became exalted and has inspired many Arab people and Muslim countries as a means to an end, ten years of an uneventful status, however, has turned this renowned terrorist organization as simply an ‘idea.’
What has become eventful news again regarding al-Qaeda, which took ten years to happen, is the capture and death of their leader, Osama bin Laden.
It is believed that this ‘idea’ has not and will not have any bearing at all to the people behind every ‘Arab Spring’ uprising.
‘Arab Spring’ has supplanted whatever success bin Laden’s al-Qaeda has brought about.
But, does this mean al-Qaeda is less of a threat now?
It never will be, according to CIA Director Leon Panetta.
“The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him (bin Laden), and we must — and will — remain vigilant and resolute,” he said. “But we have struck a heavy blow against the enemy. The only leader they have ever known, whose hateful vision gave rise to their atrocities, is no more. The supposedly uncatchable one has been caught and killed. And we will not rest until every last one of them has been delivered to justice.”
Perhaps that will take forever.
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