President Obama’s remarks on the death of Osama bin Laden had moments of greatness and moments of failure.1 His opening was incredible. His description of the crimes committed the morning of September 11, the numbers who died, and the heroism and patriotism shown by the American people set up the United States with the ethos necessary to justify and react exultantly to bin Laden’s death. He reached out poignantly to the families of the victims, speaking of “The empty seat at the dinner table…a gaping hole in our hearts.” He then returned to the greatness of America through our response on the home-front and our reaction against al Qaeda. He praised the courage, dedication, and effectiveness of our military and intelligence service.
Through this message, President Obama firmly established America on the moral high ground in our pursuit and killing of bin Laden and in our fight against Islamic terrorism globally. While this ethos may seem obvious, criticism has already been building across Europe at the handling of the War on Terror in general and the killing of Osama bin Laden in particular. Figures such as the Archbishop of Canterbury have publically stated that the U.S. erred in killing bin Laden.2 The recitation of the strengths and virtues of the American citizenry when contrasted with the dastardly and cowardly attack against civilians of this fundamentalist Islamic terrorist should make such criticisms laughable at best.
President Obama’s reinforcement of President Bush’s message that we are not at war against Islam was also appropriate. To have failed to communicate that the U.S. has nothing against Muslims willing to live peaceable would have run the risk of alienating them and pushing them into the fundamentalist camp. His affirmation of our Pakistani allies was crucial for the same reason. He made a glaring error, however, when he claimed “Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader.” The mass protests throughout the Muslim world beg to differ. Even in England, a mock funeral and protests were held in front of the U.S. embassy.3 His attempt to deny the impulse behind bin Laden’s actions failed and could only lead to questions regarding his intentions.
Closing with a call to continued action in the defense of the nation and thanks to the military, intelligence, and counterintelligence professionals, President Obama ended on an upbeat note. He reinforced the nation’s dedication to pursuing justice for the victims of the 9-11 attacks and their families. He returned to the ethos of America in his closing lines, arguing that America is justified in this endeavor because of the liberty and justice it attempts to uphold.
2. Canterbury on Killing Osama
3. Protests
