The Killing of Osama Bin Laden Sixteen years ago, on September 11, 2001, a series of 4 coordinated attacks were triggered around the United States, killing almost 3,000 people. These attacks were orchestrated by Usama ibn Mohammed ibn Awad ibn Ladin, more widely known as Osama bin Laden, the infamous terrorist. Although 9/11 attacks are remembered worldwide, \many people seem to forget the person behind it. This research aims to examine the social, economic, and political impacts the killing of Osama bin Laden had on America. Osama bin Laden was born in 1957 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was the son of Yemeni Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, a Saudi billionaire who had close ties to the Saudi royal family, and Alia Ghanem, who was from a secular …show more content…
For starters, when the news of his death came out, it spread across the country, it dominated the news. News articles, tabloids, and news channels all covered the event. Thousands of Americans tuned in to hear President Obama’s speech, confirming the killing of this wanted terrorist. This socially affected America because the whole country was all focused on one event. This event also brought Americans together in a sense of unity and comfort, and sent a message to all other threats that America is a strong country not to be messed with. "Every day bin Laden survived, he was a symbol of successful defiance of the United States," says Daniel Byman of the Brookings Institution (source 6). The September 11 attacks caused America to live in fear, and also anger at the injustice that had been done to them, but when bin Laden’s death was confirmed in 2011, it gave Americans the closure that they needed. The moment that SEALs approached bin Laden’s hiding spot, was significant to America because, as Obama said, "hopefully at that moment, he understood that the American people hadn't forgotten the some 3,000 people who he had killed" (source 4). Bin Laden got away with killing 3,000 Americans for 10 years, so this moment specifically, socially impacted America because it was speaking for all the victims, both the lost, and the survivors. 9/11 put all of America through a morbid tragedy, and although the death of bin Laden, didn’t bring back the lives lost, it spread a sense of comfort throughout society. Also, it served as justice to Americans, and brought them together in strength. Even though bin Laden’s death brought comfort to society, terrorism is still a very real, relevant fear, and the death of one terrorist leader did not put a complete end to