U.S. President Barack Obama was justified in ordering the elimination of Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaida group of jihadists and terrorists, who have caused such widespread suffering and mayhem not only in Western countries but also in Muslim states. But his death does not necessarily make the world any safer and raises as many problems as it solves.
The most serious problem is instability in Pakistan, which has almost certainly been heightened by the American incursion into the heart of a Pakistan city. The Americans having experienced Pakistani duplicity over Afghanistan were surely justified in concealing their plans for a raid on bin Laden's hide-out. He was living in a city not far from the Pakistani military academy. It has to be presumed that either the authorities had connived at bin Laden's presence or that the Pakistani intelligence were appallingly incompetent and were unaware of his presence in their midst.
In the military cantonment of Abbottabad the building of this fortified complex must surely have aroused suspicions. Whatever the truth, the Pakistani intelligence services should be deeply ashamed. It is not surprising that they and Pakistani generals and politicians are said to be furious with the Americans because they have been caught out.