Reflections on the death of Osama bin Laden

My sister called me at 5 AM yesterday to inform me that Osama bin Laden was dead and the US had his body.  My bleary-eyed self didn't really comprehend what had happened until I woke up for real a few hours later, and saw on Facebook the statuses that people were positing about it.  My American friends were so celebratory, which I can understand, because this is the culmination of a 10-year endeavor that began with the loss of so many American lives.  But when I started reading newspaper articles online from various sources, I saw that people were celebrating at Ground Zero, among other places, and I felt weird about it.  It reminded me of when people celebrated after September 11.  Please don't misunderstand, I'm not defending the terrorists or trying to shame the American people.  I just don't think any of this makes us any safer.

I wonder what countries around the world are thinking about this.  What do they think of our country?  What is Pakistan's take on the fact that we found and killed Bin Laden in their country?  Do other nations condone what happened?  Will there be repercussions from the fact that there was no trial?  I don't know the answers to these questions, but I kept thinking about them even harder when Dani told me that the US Embassy in Hungary had issued an alert for all American citizens abroad.  I realized that the world reaction could be worse than just the judgement I was concerned about.  I mean, I doubt Al Qaeda is targeting Hungary, but still...it's not too farfetched to fear retaliation.  My parents sent me messages to be careful and stay clear of unmanned bags and stuff, and part of me was thinking that was ridiculous until I realized that it could happen, and now more than ever.  

It will be interesting to see what the next days, weeks, and months bring as a result of this.  

Oh, and did you hear the body was buried at sea?  That's just asking for conspiracy theories.  

I think it's only right to conclude this post with a sincere thank you to the men and women serving their country.  I'm sure that this big moment in the fight against terrorism means a lot to them.