Accounts have emerged suggesting that Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy Seals during the raid on his Pakistan compound last Sunday without possessing a weapon or returning fire. Whether this distinction carries significance is debatable given bin Laden’s culpability in the 3,000 deaths that occurred on 9/11, along with an estimated additional 2-3,000 homicides attributed to him globally throughout the years. The elimination of bin Laden bears comparison to what eliminating Hitler would have represented – a figure whose responsibility for millions of individual deaths did not require him to hold a gun. The world has benefited from bin Laden’s death. The president deserves recognition for authorizing the Navy Seal operation, and the heroism and professionalism demonstrated by those involved merits deep appreciation. This action, carried out by everyone who participated, has contributed to making the world safer. Bin Laden’s death represents a preferable outcome to his continued existence. Future deaths will no longer result from his actions.
Osama Bin Laden
