He is probably gonna be a martyr BUT the operation is a good thing imo.
And I think they did the right thing :
- If they got him alive, there would have been a trial, and so he would have done what he has done since 10 years ago, but even better : being an iconic image, and he would have been a martyr even more, showing the world he sorts of die for his cause. And what would have been the benefit ? CIA, and secret services, already know what they need to know. There is sort of nothing to know from him since he does not control many al qaida groups. They are all over the place, they put the "al quaida" label on them even if they have never had a real connection with him, just for the sake of the mediatic power of the "brand". If you're named "gks" (random name) and bomb a market, you won't have the same impact as if you are named "al quaida".
Also, we all know what would have been the end of the trial. Also, we all know what he would have said. There was nothing to be added.
- if they got him buried the traditionnal islamic way (which is not in the sea, but in the ground, turned towards Mecca), this would have been a cult place for extremist islamics, which is not a good thing obviously.
- killing him properly, and making him disappear, is the most efficient way. Yes it will enrage al qaida groups in the word for a little time, but that's all. It's not like they can do a 911 again. The most worrying thing is the hostages they got.
It's not the first time a country liquidates a leader. In fact, leaders are most of the time liquidated a very clean and fast way, so that we can move on instead of making someone a total martyr. If I'm right, maybe Che Guevarra was liquidated the same by his oponents. Maybe even Hitler would have been killed quickly if someone got him, we can't really know after all though it's probable they would have made a trial for him, since there were no "terrorism/guerilla" aspect to fear, it was a winning war at the time. So what they did is : shoot him clean and fast during the night with a well trained Navy Seals operation with a few helicopters (one crashed btw), left with their body, and when they were over water, just dropped him in the sea attached to some heavy stuff, done, nothing about muslim rules or anything, they totally did not care and found it a political interest in the future to do it this way.
- plus, a good thing, is that it shows to terrorists they can't really hide with success. It creates a doubt. There have always been the image of being "buried in the san" by being in a country with thousands of military men and not doing anything tangible politicaly or idologically speaking. Now it's not true anymore, it has taken 10 years, but they are doing it, and the moral head of the world extremist terrorism is down, no matter if he was actually powerful or not. It's not like secret services are gonna stop searching al qaida leader. In fact they just told them "we can find you".
- also, a wave of bombing can come, but it's likely to be devastating or more extreme : they are already totally extreme and bombing and all and all. It's not like killing the head of north korea which is in tension with south korea, it's killing a moral leader of already active disseminated groups. There is more to gain by killing him than to fear.
Another fact is that he was hiding in islamabad, close to many military entities, in an urban place. Most experts say there was NO WAY pakistan didn't know he was here or did not collaborate. That's why maybe there has been exchanges between USA and pakistan, eventhough pakistan is not a true friend of USA obviously, making this operation possible.
Though, let's face it, it has been a political position, in a moment when USA citizen have been targeted in other countries, when obama was at his lowest. They had a window of action, and it was the right political moment to do it.
All in all, I think it's a good thing. It won't stop al qaida actions, but it's a "hammer smash face" to their members.
