THE death of Osama bin Laden was celebrated around the world as a victory for justice, but many people cautioned that it would not end terrorist attacks or ease suffering of those who lost loved ones in bombings by Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Spontaneous, celebratory rallies broke out in New York City at ground zero, where the twin towers fell on Sept 11, 2001 and outside the White House where President Barack Obama made the historic announcement.
At the same time, US embassies across the globe were placed on high alert and Americans warned about possible reprisals for the death of the man who masterminded the Sept 11 attacks.
‘Al-Qaeda will continue,’ said Haroun Mir, an Afghan analyst in Kabul, who added that the death in a raid on a mansion in Pakistan vindicated longtime allegations by Afghanistan that bin Laden enjoyed ‘safe havens’ in the neighbouring country.
Chairul Akbar, secretary general of the anti-terrorism agency in Indonesia – the world’s most populous Muslim nation and a frequent Al-Qaeda target – expressed jubilation about the news. Attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda-linked militants have killed more than 260 people in Indonesia, many of them foreign tourists.
‘We welcome the death of one of the world’s most dangerous men and highly appreciate the United States’ help in crushing this global enemy,’ he said. ‘He couldn’t be allowed to live. He helped spread a dangerous ideology all over the world, including in Indonesia.’
Photo BY AP