Reaction to bin Laden's death

I came in to work on the 2^nd to see half a dozen people in my office area watching the TV. In a special operation deep inside Pakistan, U.S. forces launched an attack on a compound and killed Osama bin Laden.

My first reaction was to smile. This was a great victory for the Army I'm in, and one that took embarrassingly long to accomplish.

I thought back to the days when I lived in Hawaii, and specifically to September 11, 2001. That was the last day I woke up to my alarm clock radio -- because of the coverage, in my half-conscious state I had dreamed of being in a plane crash. The reality was much worse.

But when I saw the people crowded around the White House cheering and shouting "USA! USA!" and singing the Star Spangled Banner, I felt distant from that. I’m not “happy” bin Laden is dead any more than I would be to hear of a convict getting the death penalty.

Still, I think his death was better than his capture. After seeing the circus that surrounded Saddam Hussein’s trial, I prefer that the U.S. not be embarrassed further by the hysteria bin Laden’s execution would cause.

The battle for Afghanistan is not over. We are still working to make this country safe for a moderate democracy. Bin Laden's death, as a matter of honor and justice, is just one checked box on our list of things to do.