Death of Osama bin Laden: Effect on Al-Qaeda (Essay Sample)

Death of Osama bin Laden: Effect on Al-Qaeda
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Death of Osama bin Laden: Effect on Al-Qaeda
The term Al Qaida means the "base" in Arabic. It came to a widespread use after the two simultaneous attacks on US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar el Salaam. The term has been used interchangeably with Al Qaeda. Associated Press Stylebook recommends the use of Al Qaida. Osama bin Laden was the head of the Al Qaida organization. A multi-national terror group that offered the global terrorists an umbrella to operate under. According to (Scheuer, 2011) the original declarations of Osama bin Laden was to bleed America into bankruptcy. In addition to that, he intended to spreading out American troops so much that they were left with no flexibility. Lastly, he intended to cause divisiveness between America and its allies that it was left alone and friendless. But who is this Osama bin Laden, How would his death affect the organization that he started?
According to (Landau, 2012) almost ten years since the 9/11 terrorist attack, an elite team killed Osama bin Laden. A stunning feat that threw the west into a celebratory mood. The next question was now that the US had severed the head of the Al Qaeda, would we finally see an end to global terrorism? The question was a quick no. Osama bin Laden had been reduced to a symbolic head of the terrorist outfit mostly lending inspiration to current, would be terrorist and even unaffiliated adherents. The United States invasion of the Taliban-held Afghanistan had diminished Osama bin Laden's capacity to run the organization hands on.
When Osama bin Laden died, al Qaeda had lost an active player and a lodestar in setting the foundation for strategies and operations of the terrorist outfit. Many analysts agree that there was a rift in the top officials with some Imams and spiritual leaders disagreeing with his strategy of attacking the US as he did in 9/11. It only awoke the United States wrath and led to the invasion of Afghanistan and consequently, Iraq. The latter led to a death of more than two million people. Despite all this, Al Qaida and its affiliates lost a strategist and visionary responsible for their global approaches. Even at the hour of death, the search of his residence yielded troves of documents and files that spoke of the future terrorist plot to be executed throughout the world in the United States and its allies.
Osama bin Laden's death had an immediate re-awakening regarding the loyalty of the members of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, and also would be members. The blood of Osama bin Laden is considered martyrdom in the face of fellow jihadists. The call of martyrdom is the highest call of the Islam religion. Intelligence reports from the United States have shown recruiting by Al Qaeda spiked around the time of Osama bin Laden's death with new members signing up solely fight and die into martyrdom, a step that guarantees a direct passage into Jannah, the Muslims conception of paradise. According to (Riedel, 2008) what is worrying is even more likeminded jihadi groups have sprung up.
The death of Osama bin Laden spelled the final