USC Sociology professor Mathieu Deflem, an expert on terrorism and international policing, says the death of Osama bin Laden is an important step in the war on terrorism but is likely to have unintended consequences.
"It could be that the death of bin Laden will be used, let's say, as a symbol to step up terrorist attacks against the United States and other western powers because the death of bin Laden, let's say bin Laden might become some kind of a martyr in their eyes," he says.
U.S. military installations have already raised their threat levels because of the possibility of retaliation. Fort Jackson in Columbia raised its "force protection", or threat level, to "Bravo" Sunday. The levels are: Normal, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta, with Delta being the highest level. There has been no specific threat to Fort Jackson, says spokesman Pat Jones.
Some analysts think the death of bin Laden might make terrorists worry, proving that the U.S. is able to find anyone, anywhere and bring him to justice. But Deflem says terrorists don't have "normal" thought processes.
"I mean, these people are committed to blow themselves up for their cause," he says. "So you're talking with an essentially irrational person to begin with. So how a terrorist will respond to this, you know, it can go either way. Because they can also say, 'You know what? It took you 10 years.'"
He thinks bin Laden's death is still important in the broader struggle against terrorism, but that fight will continue on military and police fronts.
He says, "The third component, which I still think is maybe one of the most important ones, is the more cultural component. How can we win over the hearts and minds of those people among those communities where radicalization is most likely and how can we stop that radicalization?"
He praises the military's decision to bury bin Laden at sea within 24 hours. Muslim tradition dictates that a burial be within that time. Following that tradition reinforces the U.S.'s assertion that the war on terror is against terrorists, not Islam.
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