After The Raid

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden continues, with the wild (and uncalled for) celebrations having been replaced by President Barack Obama laying a wreath at the site of the former World Trade Center in New York.  A roundup:

• The President has decided that no pictures of Bin Laden's body would be released, citing the concern that the Muslim world would explode if they saw what happened to him.  Under normal circumstances, it's usually a good idea to keep grisly pictures from seeing the light of day.  However, we live in an era where you can't just say, "Trust us, he's dead".  We need proof that it really happened, otherwise there will always be speculation that the real Osama bin Laden is out there somewhere.  Look no further than the recent flap over Obama's birth certificate.  Oh, and government officials could have found a better way to explain the decision without treating the American people like third-graders.
• The code name the military used for the killing of Bin Laden was "Geronimo".  Oops.  Apparently, the military considers the Native American leader to be just as much a terrorist as Bin Laden was.  It's just another incident in the long history of the U.S. government not caring what Native Americans think.  After all, the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.  Now where have we heard that before?
• Other tidbits from the raid:  Government officials now say that Bin Laden was unarmed when Navy Seals came to shoot him.  His daughter was witness to the whole thing, which could mean problems down the road.  And Pakistan is not happy with how it all went down because (A) they had no idea Bin Laden was in their back yard, and (B) the U.S. didn't consult them first.
• The death of Bin Laden changed everything and nothing as far as the threat of terrorism goes.  In fact, the stakes may have been raised because Bin Laden is now considered a martyr.
• The so-called "Arab Spring" seemed to have passed Bin Laden and Al Qaeda by, with citizens from Libya to Egypt to Syria demanding reforms.  But it's still too early to see what kind of governments will emerge from the uprisings.
• The demise of Bin Laden is certainly a feather in Obama's cap, taking away the one political weapon the Republicans have been using for years to scare people into voting for them.  As 2012 approaches, however, it's still about the economy, stupid.