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

  • Cloud Adoption Gives Way to Hybrid Deployments

    Cloud adoption is growing at an astonishing rate, with Gartner forecasting that worldwide public cloud end-user spending will approach $600 billion by the end of this year—an increase of more than 21% over 2022. McKinsey believes that number could eclipse $1 trillion by the end of the decade, further underscoring the industry’s exponential growth. Read Now

  • AI on the Edge

    Discussions about the merits (or misgivings) around AI (artificial intelligence) are everywhere. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find an article or product literature without mention of it in our industry. If you’re not using AI by now in some capacity, congratulations may be in order since most people are using it in some form daily even without realizing it. Read Now

  • Securing the Future

    In an increasingly turbulent world, chief security officers (CSOs) are facing a multitude of challenges that threaten the stability of businesses worldwide. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Security Entrances Move to Center Stage

    Most organizations want to show a friendly face to the public. In today’s world, however, the need to keep people safe and secure has become a prime directive when designing and building facilities of all kinds. Fortunately, there is no need to construct a fortress-like entry that provides that high level of security. Today’s secured entry solutions make it possible to create a welcoming, attractive look and feel at the entry without compromising security. It is for this reason that security entrances have moved to the mainstream. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file. 3

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 3

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3