Global alert on militants likely revenge after bin Ladens death

IT is no longer news that Osama bin Laden was killed in a United States (U.S.) assault on his Pakistani compound yesterday, then quickly buried at sea, in a dramatic end to the long manhunt for the al Qaeda leader who had become the most powerful symbol of global terrorism.However, world leaders hailed bin Ladens death but the euphoria was tempered by fears of retaliation and warnings of the need for renewed vigilance against attacks.The death of bin Laden, who achieved near-mythic status for his ability to elude capture under three U.S. presidents, closes a bitter chapter in the fight against al Qaeda, but it does not eliminate the threat of further attacks.Fearful of revenge attacks, the United States swiftly issued security warnings to Americans worldwide.CIA Director Leon Panetta said al Qaeda would almost certainly try to avenge bin Ladens death.Though Bin Laden is dead, al Qaeda is not. The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we mustand willremain vigilant and resolute, Panetta said.Frances President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed the killing as a coup in the fight against terrorism, but he, too, warned it did not spell al Qaedas demise.British Prime Minister David Cameron said the West would have to be particularly vigilant in the weeks ahead.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed bin Ladens death as a watershed moment in our common global fight against terrorism.U.S. officials said bin Laden was found in a million-dollar compound in Abbottabad, 35 miles north of Islamabad. After 40 minutes of fighting, bin Laden, three other men and a woman, who U.S. officials said was used as a human shield, lay dead.A source familiar with the operation said bin Laden was shot in the head after the U.S. military team, which included members of the Navys elite Seals unit, stormed the compound.Television pictures from inside the house showed bloodstains smeared across a floor next to a large bed.It was the biggest national security victory for the president since he took office in early 2009 and will make it difficult for Republicans to portray Democrats as weak on security as he seeks re-election in 2012.In sharp contrast to the celebrations in America, on the streets of Saudi Arabia, bin Ladens native land, there was a mood of disbelief and sorrow among many. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas mourned bin Laden as an Arab holy warrior.But many in the Arab world felt his death was long overdue. For many Arabs, inspired by the popular upheavals in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere over the past few months, the news of bin Ladens death.For some time there will be a lot of tension between Washington and Islamabad because bin Laden seems to have been living here close to Islamabad, said Imtiaz Gul, a Pakistani security analyst.
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