10 years in the making

   We needed a shot in the arm. The last 10 years have been tough. Two wars (well...if you count Libya three), spiraling deficits, a troubled economy, crumbling infrastructure, George W. Bush, a divided nation, etc, etc., but today we have something to cheer about. I usually feel odd cheering for one's death, but Bin Laden is different. This is a man who ordered the USS Kohl bombing, 9-11 attacks, and countless others that either killed hundreds overseas or were going to until they were stopped by intelligence services or clumsiness. There is no doubt that the US has followed policies that have angered Bin Laden and others in the Middle East, but killing innocents was uncalled for and that's exactly what the 9-11 attacks were. Bin Laden's death comes at an interesting time in the Middle East. Let's hope his death helps usher in an era in that region where such elements are dismissed and dismantled.

    Peter Bergen just said that the War on Terror is over. Will it ever be over? I hate to lace this positive, celebratory blog with skepticism, but when there is money to be made, threats can be found, even when they may not exist (I'm looking at you military-industry complex). As for terrorism, Bin Laden's death certainly marks a great achievement, but I'm not willing to turn out the lights just yet. With that said, I hope Bergen's right. Bin Laden's death has been 10 years in the making (actually longer than that, because he was targeted by the Clinton administration) and although we may have given up on the hunt, it appears those who make the decisions were not asleep at the switch. Congratulations to those who raided the compound and killed that motherfucker. Congratulations to President Obama and all of those (Leon Panetta--CIA Director) (yes, even Bush) who tried their hardest to make this happen. It's a night to celebrate. Revenge, retribution, has finally been exacted after almost 10 years.

One more thing...I can't wait for the book detailing the account. You know it's coming, maybe Woodward has already penned it, and I can't wait to read about the raid on the compound. Those guys are heroes. Wow.