Author Peter Bergen on Bin Laden's Death 'The War on Terror Should Be Retired'

[Purveyor]

US author and security expert Peter Bergen, 48, discusses this week's killing of Osama bin Laden and why it is time to end the US-led war on terror. The al-Qaida leader's death, he argues, is likely to fuel a debate in Congress over the Afghanistan deployment and future aid for Pakistan.

SPIEGEL: After President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden, you declared the end of the war on terror. Isn't that premature?

Bergen : It is hard to think of two events that would more suggest that the war on terrorism should be retired as a kind of operating concept. One is the Arab Spring which undercuts al-Qaida's ideology, and the second is the death of bin Laden, which undercuts al-Qaida as an organization. There will never be a Treaty of Versailles with al-Qaida -- and, in the absence of that, these two events suggest that it is time to move on. The world and the United States have other issues to contend with, like climate change, China and globalization.

SPIEGEL: So you don't think there is anyone within al-Qaida who could be lined up to replace bin Laden?

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,761082,00.html#ref=nlint

[damntexdem]

1. Retire the War on Terror, sure. But don't make it ...

eligible for Social Security.

;-)

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Bin Laden was never a good reason to START the War On Any Enemy We Choose To Designate This Week.

[Politicalboi]

3. Our government will never give up

Scaring us, and taking more rights away over boogiemen.