Sunday, May 08, 2011

Has Osama's death changed anything?

We call all agree that 9/11 fundamentally changed the world. At the very least it changed America, and in the last decade that virtually meant changing the world.
But did the the killing of the perpetrator in chief of 9-11 change anything?
Since I am from India and I live in the US, my focus is on these 2 countries.
The big hope is that Al-Quaeda, would disintegrate without Osama, and while that remains to be seen, even the most optimistic American, would agree, we cannot go back to our pre 9-11 ways.
America, still has many non state enemies, there is a vast pool of willing recruits to their cause, and as 9-11 showed us, it does not cost a lot, to unleash destruction of unimaginable proportions by a crazed few.
As far as India goes, the Osama killing has renewed calls for India , to go in Commando style, to neutralize the many Hall of fame enemies of the Indian state, that Pakistan, so lovingly hosts.
There have been warnings of how the Al Quaeda , will turn its anger and vengeance to 'soft' targets such as India.
The Indian political leadership, no doubt aware of the likelihood of Nuclear weapons being used in any conflict, have so far resisted such calls.
So futile talks will continue.
We will 'extract' a commitment from Pakistan to jointly fight terror.. and absolutely nothing will happen.
If you do not learn from history, you are doomed to see a repeat of it.
India , finds itself in exactly that situation.