Let the peace begin

Let the Peace Begin
The Death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan constitutes a significant victory over global terrorism. It is indeed a victory for President Barack Obama who announced in a midnight televised address to the world that he has got Osama. Obama's ability to use rhetoric to inspire has always been one of his greatest political assets. His statement announcing the mission's success demonstrated dignity and pride. He confidently announced that he -- and the forces under his command -- had actually accomplished the mission that seemed nearly impossible. The death of a single individual is essentially being heralded as a justification for the deaths of at least hundreds of thousands (a figure largely comprised of civilians) in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. It morally justifies the use of "enhanced interrogations" and "extraordinary renditions." It clears the ledgers on the trillions of dollars spent on futile wars for nearly 10 years. And, most appreciably, it validates the Bush Administration's open-ended waging of global warfare.
One must remember that eliminating Osama is a milestone, not a turning point, in what remains an ongoing struggle without a foreseeable end. The significance of what was accomplished stems from Bin Laden's symbolic importance. He has been an icon, one representing the ability to strike with success against the United States and the West. That icon is now gone. But before bursting into celebrations we need to face at least two realities. The first is that Bin Laden's demise is in no way to be equated with the demise of terrorism. This is not a Victory over Terrorism Day. Terrorism is a decentralized phenomenon- and Al-Qaeda is now a franchise organization with innumerable franchisee all around the world operating out of Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and other countries. So terrorism will continue. Indeed, it could even grow somewhat worse in the short run as there are sure to be those who will want to show that they can still strike against the West.
The second reason for responding with caution to this welcome development is that it underscores a point once again- that Pakistan is home to some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world and is decidedly less than a full partner in fight against terrorism. The country has many states within state with multiple rulers and heads and no coordination among them. Some parts of the government there are sympathetic to terrorism and unwilling to act against it; others are simply unable to do so, given a lack of capacity. This reality is unlikely to change in future.
Osama’s death has brought Pakistan at a crossroad where it urgently need to choose the right path. It should now give up its current policy of verbally condemning jihad — and actually fighting it in some places — but secretly supporting it in other places. Until the Government firmly resolves that it shall not support armed and violent non-state actors — including the Lashkar-e-Taiba — Pakistan will remain in endless conflict both with itself and with the world. Bin Laden’s death will only have meaning if it marks the beginning of the end of the ruthless cycle of violence. The world is now tired of War. "Congratulations Mr. Obama! Well done! Now it's time for you to leave Afghanistan." By cutting off the head of Al Qaeda, and with due regard to the pro-democracy surge of the Arab Spring, the era of perpetual war should now be supplemented by a period of unprecedented peace.
Let the peace begin