The US Needs to Focus on Not Creating Any More bin Ladens

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.alternet.org/world/150821/the_us_needs_to_focus_on_not_creating_any_more_bin_ladens

The following is an interview with Samina Sundas, a Pakistani-American activist who founded American Muslim Voice in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. CODEPINK organizer Rae Abileah interviewed Samina on May 2, the morning after President Obama's announcement that Osama Bin Laden was assassinated by US forces in Pakistan.

How did you feel when you heard that Osama had been killed?

At first I didn't believe it - we've heard these rumors before that he'd been captured and killed so I was skeptical. Then I thought there would be a body shown so we could put him to rest forever, but instead reports say that Osama was "buried at sea," which is odd. I did not resonate with people rejoicing over his death. Rejoicing does not reflect very well when we hear of the death of anyone. What does that say about us as human beings? Our focus as a country should have been an acknowledgement that now that the US has captured and killed Osama, we will focus on how not to create more Osama Bin Ladens.

Is the problem of terrorism going to be buried with Osama? Osama was a huge symptom of an enormous problem that we have in our country and world and by just killing him it is as if we have merely put a band-aid on cancer. We must take care of the cancer. We should be questioning ourselves: Are we creating more Osamas by continuing to invade and occupy other countries? If we have killed one Osama, how many others will emerge due to our unbalanced foreign policies?

More at the link --