Deliverance

While the world is still reeling over two important and exciting events which happened recently—the matrimonial union of Britain’s Prince William and now Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and the beatification of Pope John Paul II—yet another significant incident ensued to cap the public’s elation over the weekend.
Osama bin Laden is dead—and the entire world is exuberant.
On May 1st (which coincidentally, also marked the 66th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s death), it was announced that Al-Qaida’s leader and symbol has finally been terminated by a group of US Navy SEALs in a compound at Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The most wanted fugitive in the FBI’s list and founder of jihadist group, Al-Qaida, has finally paid for his sins—and due justice has been given to the families of those who perished in the 9/11 attacks.
Moments after bin Laden’s death was announced, President Obama delivered a speech in the White House, saying that “justice has been done” through the efforts of “a small team of Americans who carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.”
Taking custody of the body, Obama’s administration took DNA tests to confirm bin Laden’s identity, in order to pacify any skepticism about the perplexing news.
Amid the revelry, bin Laden’s body was still afforded the customary Islamic rituals for the dead—washed, wrapped in a white cloth and buried at sea within 24 hours.
Just last week, Pres. Obama himself was subjected to public doubt, when the convoluted debate on the birther controversy was brought back to the forefront by presidential aspirant Donald Trump. The bigwig tycoon used his influence to create a media frenzy in order to exhort the White House to produce a legitimate copy of the president’s original birth certificate.
With bin Laden finally terminated, Pres. Obama has not only validated his citizenship—he has also validated his position as the President of the United States and as the leader of the free world.
Under his administration, nothing else could hold more weight than this—a herculean achievement which just might be the clincher that he needs to win him a re-election.
It was an onerous task, but he was able to deliver—punctuating the final leg of his first presidential term with resounding exclamation. Indeed, it was a “good day for America.” And more importantly, it was a great day for Pres. Obama.
But the war on terror is far from over. As the president emphasized in his speech, bin Laden’s death “does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that Al-Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must—and we will—remain vigilant at home and abroad.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reinforces the president’s call by saying that the United States “will press forward, bolster partnerships, strengthen networks, invest in a positive vision of peace and progress, and relentlessly pursue the murderers who target innocent people.”
And to the American people, she delivers this most poignant message: “The fight continues, and we will never waver. Now I know there are some who doubted this day would ever come, who questioned our resolve and our reach. But let us remind ourselves, this is America. We rise to the challenge, we persevere, and we get the job done.”
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek May 4-6, 2011 Sec A pg.6)