Bin Laden’s Death Comes at Fortuitous Time for U.S. Security

As more details are coming to light about the role Osama bin Laden played within al Qaeda, two senior fellows at the Hudson Institute are saying that the terrorist leader’s will likely deal a blow to the organization he ran, making the United States and its allies more secure.

“Bin laden was a keystone of that organization,” said Seth Cropsey. “His face was on the picture of magazines and newspapers, and his name was known around the world. You could go to a tiny village in Indonesia and say “bin Laden,” and people would know who you’re talking about. There’s no one else in al Qaeda who has that recognition – name recognition, face recognition, personality – no one.”

Questions about the extent of bin Laden’s involvement in al Qaeda’s operations arose soon after the public learned he had been killed in a raid of his mansion-like compound about 30 miles north of Islamabad.

While applauding his death, many were convinced that, having been isolated for five years – the compound had neither a phone nor an Internet connection – bin Laden served more as a figurehead of the terrorist organization and did little in the way of actually running it. However, evidence gathered from the hard drives and documents Navy SEALs seized in the raid have begun show otherwise, pointing to bin Laden’s direct involvement with terror plots in the United States, including one detailing an attack on a rail line on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

. Fellow Richard Weitz points out that, among leaders of al Qaeda, bin Laden was alone in his desire to attack the United States.

“al-Qaeda has largely decentralized its operations into autonomous affiliates in Iraq, Yemen, etc. These groups will continue to conduct attacks. The main difference is that they will likely focus their attacks on local targets,” Weitz said. “It was bin Laden who was most insistent on attacking the U.S. homeland as a means to weaken external support for the national monarchies in the Muslim-majority countries that he hoped to overthrow.”

Many of those monarchies have been experiencing the turmoil of escalating democratic protests since the beginning of the year. Both Cropsey and Weitz see these protests as an indication that bin Laden’s mission to undermine these monarchies was faltering.

“Many countries in the area that [the United States is] trying to influence have, in fact, been rising up – but not in the cause that he championed of jihadism and radical Islam, but in the cause of throwing off tyranny,” Cropsey said. “They’re popular movements that express dissatisfaction with dictatorship and with tyranny, and that is proof of the failure of bin Laden’s enterprise.”

About the Author

Laura Williams is content development editor for Security Products magazine.

Featured

  • Progressing in Capabilities

    Progressing in Capabilities

    Hazardous areas within industries like oil and gas, manufacturing, agriculture and the like, have long-sought reliable video surveillance cameras and equipment that can operate safely in these harsh and unpredictable environments. Read Now

  • A Comprehensive Nationwide Solution

    A Comprehensive Nationwide Solution

    Across the United States, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, truck yards, parking lots and car dealerships all have a common concern. They are targets for catalytic converters. In nearly every region, cases of catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed. Read Now

  • Planning for Your Perimeter

    Planning for Your Perimeter

    The perimeter is an organization’s first line of defense and a critical element of any security and surveillance program. Even if a building’s interior or exterior security is strong, without a solid perimeter surveillance approach any company or business is vulnerable. Read Now

  • The Key Issue

    The Key Issue

    It is February 2014. A woman is getting ready in her room on a cruise ship when she hears a knock on the door; it is a crewmember delivering breakfast. She is not presentable so she tells him to leave it by the door. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • ComNet CNGE6FX2TX4PoE

    The ComNet cost-efficient CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is a six-port switch that offers four Gbps TX ports that support the IEEE802.3at standard and provide up to 30 watts of PoE to PDs. It also has a dedicated FX/TX combination port as well as a single FX SFP to act as an additional port or an uplink port, giving the user additional options in managing network traffic. The CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is designed for use in unconditioned environments and typically used in perimeter surveillance. 3

  • VideoEdge 2U High Capacity Network Video Recorder

    VideoEdge 2U High Capacity Network Video Recorder

    Johnson Controls announces a powerful recording solution to meet demanding requirements with its VideoEdge 2U High Capacity Network Video Recorder. This solution combines the powerful capabilities of victor with the intelligence of VideoEdge NVRs, fueled by Tyco Artificial Intelligence, for video management that provides actionable insights to save time, money and lives. 3

  • CyberAudit Introduced to Manage Systems, Intuitive Interface

    CyberAudit Web

    CyberLock, Inc. announces the release of CyberAudit Web 9.4! CyberAudit-Web (CAW), the software suite for managing CyberLock systems, provides an intuitive interface to assign keys, set expirations, monitor staff and configure access schedules. 3