Three Initial Observations about the Death of Osama Bin Laden

COMMENTARY | To say Osama bin Laden was the most wanted man in the world doesn't convey just how much the capture or killing of him would become a world news event. When President Barack Obama made the announcement Sunday, spontaneous celebrations erupted, fueled by social media announcements.

As we go through the next days we will learn more, but, for now, what are three observations surrounding the announcement we can look at?

President Obama releases long-form birth certificate, two days later orders mission to take Osama bin Laden

Two events two days apart - President Obama first addressed the circus sideshow surrounding his birth in Hawaii, then effectively orders a death certificate for the most wanted man in the world. The president went to great lengths to go above and beyond the requirements of Hawaii for legal birth certification on April 27, then gave the order Friday against Osama bin Laden.

What we see is a juxtaposition between the absurd and the essential. President Obama, as he has with other debates in the past, comes out looking like the grownup in the room. As many on the right followed the lead of Donald Trump and moved from birth certificate to school records, the far right indicated that there was nothing Obama could do that would legitimize him in their eyes.

The final test to separate those who just hate the president may be the announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden. If those who see conspiracy around Obama add this to their list of things to criticize the president over, any last dangling thread of credibility will vanish.

It's hard not to imagine some level of culpability, or at least non-interest, from some in Pakistan

The next days may also reveal more about just how bin Laden was able to live undisturbed in a community home to Pakistani military units and far removed from the imagined cave we assumed bin Laden was hiding in.

Bin Laden did go to great measures to hide his presence to U.S. intelligence, including having no phone or Internet service at all at the compound where he was killed. But the fact that his hiding place was adjacent to the elite Pakistan Military Academy, at the end of a dirt road in a massive and heavily fortified building, leads to questions.

Will there be strikes against American interests in retribution?

Already, threats of revenge from radicals are being made. The question isn't are there people who would wish very much to strike back, but what are their capabilities. Al Qaeda and other splinter groups are not a very capable force any more.

The death of Osama bin Laden is likely to pin them down even more, and may in fact cause some of them to reveal themselves. If they hastily try an action or make loud proclamations in the media, intelligence forces may be able to zoom in on locations and personnel.

The result may just be that we can speak about an end to the War on Terror, moving assets to more limited roles to respond to continuing, but reduced, threats.