The death of Osama Bin Landen on 2nd of May 2011, came as a major relief to Americans and the world at large, having suffered a decade of unwanted terror and fear (Lahoud et al. 2012). It came as a form of closure for the trauma-struck American which had experienced a significant loss of lives in the 9/11 attacks. While it remained uncertain whether the death of the Al-Qaeda leader could put an end to the decade of terror orchestrated by a greater part of the Muslim world, it was clear that the events of 9/11 had forever changed the United States. Bin Laden's impact on the United States can be captured in nation's economic, social as well as political policy changes to curb the reoccurrence of such an event (Mahapatra and Observer Research Foundation, 2009). This write-up attempts to analyze the overall impact that the Bin Laden had on the American society, and to the global community.
The social impact linked to Bin Laden and 9/11 can be found in the fact that invasive security checks in various transit center have become part and parcel of the American life. In other words, the generation that has come after the 9/11 has not been privy to the idea of walking into airports and unchecked. Security policies have been established to help eliminate soft targets such as airplanes, schools, and other social institutions. It is also worth noting the fact that wiretapping and citizen surveillance has become commonplace all in the name of averting another 9/11 (Litwak, 2007). The social toll can also be felt in the human loss that has come about due to the military invasion of the Muslim world. It is also essential to mention the huge antagonism that the terror attack evoked between the United States and Muslim religion as a whole (Snow, 2015). The relationship between Islam and the United States has seen ben a tense one, with President Trump's travel ban to seven Muslim countries being an excellent example of the impact that Bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda have elicited in the United States.
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From an economic point of view, the United States has invested trillions of dollars in its defense and security department. From the military operations in the Middle East to the enhancement of security systems and institutions within the country, American has realized a considerable increase in its budgetary spending; an element that was heavily influenced by the 9/11 attacks. From a political perspective, American has greatly altered is foreign policies to curb terrorism (Mahapatra and Observer Research Foundation, 2009). The greatest one being the shift of American policy to preventive action, also referred to as the Bush Doctrine. The implementation of this policy entailed a military invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan and any other nation that would pose a threat to America's national security.
Another major political impact of Bin Laden's terrorism is to be found in intelligence collection policies that have since been adopted by the United States (Nye et al. 2012). Increased inter-agency cooperation has since been facilitated through laws as well as resources to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness in the collection and analysis of intelligence information. For the American people, this has translated into waterboarding, warrantless wiretapping as well as indefinite detentions. All these policies come at a significant social and economic cost, a bet the American government is willing to hedge to protect its citizens. Conclusively, it is without a doubt that the United States was transformed following the 9/11 attacks. While terror attacks of similar magnitude are yet to be reported in the country, the US has suffered considerable economic, social and political losses in the process, an element that should push for reevaluation of the country’s national security policies.
References
Lahoud, N., Caudill, S., Collins, L., Koehler-Derrick, G., Rassler, D., & al-Ubaydi, M. (2012). Letters from Abbottabad: Bin Ladin Sidelined? Military Academy West Point NY Combating Terrorism Center . Retrieved on 8 February 2018, from https://ctc.usma.edu/app/uploads/2012/05/CTC_LtrsFromAbottabad_WEB_v2.pdf.
Litwak, R. (2007). Regime change: U.S. strategy through the prism of 9/11 . Washington, D.C: Woodrow Wilson Center Press.
Mahapatra, C., & Observer Research Foundation. (2009). The US approach to the Islamic world in post-9/11 era: Implications for India . New Delhi, India: Academic Foundation in association with Observer Research Foundation.
Nye Jr, J. S., Rachman, G., Mead, W. R., Mearsheimer, J., Walt, S., Feaver, P. D., ... & Fisher, L. (2012). The domestic sources of American foreign policy: insights and evidence . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Snow, D. M. (2015). National security for a new era . Routledge.
