NYT: Bin Laden’s Death Doesn’t Mean the End of Al Qaeda

[steve2470]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03terror.html

By ERIC SCHMITT
Published: May 2, 2011

The death of Osama bin Laden robs Al Qaeda of its founder and spiritual leader at a time when the terrorist organization is struggling to show its relevance to the democratic protesters in the Middle East and North Africa.

Experts said Bin Laden had been a largely symbolic figure in recent years who had little if any direct role in a spreading terrorism worldwide. While his death is significant, these officials said, it will not end the threat from an increasingly potent and self-reliant string of regional Qaeda affiliates in North Africa and Yemen or from a vanguard of self-radicalized American citizens and residents here at home.

“Clearly, this doesn’t end the threat from Al Qaeda and its affiliates,” said Juan Zarate, a top counterterrorism official under President George W. Bush. “But it deprives Al Qaeda of its core leader and the ideological cohesion that Bin Laden maintains.”

Obama administration officials said that despite Bin Laden’s waning influence over day-to-day operations in recent years, his capture or killing was a top priority of intelligence, military and counterterrorism officials from the moment that Mr. Obama took office.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Nor does it necessarily mean the financing of AQ has been cut off or dwindled.

[Hannah Bell]

2. no, perish the thought! aq is a growing menace, eternal vigilance!

the world wide network of commies, uh muslim terrorists,,,