Interpol Warns of ‘Reprisals’ for Bin Laden Killing

Western Nations Scramble to Warn of Possible Attacks

British Prime Minister David Cameron urged people to be “particularly vigilant” in the weeks ahead and the US State Department issued a worldwide travel advisory for all Americans today, as Interpol warned that the killing of Osama bin Laden might spark reprisal attacks.

Political leaders the world over praised the Sunday night announcement of the killing of the al-Qaeda leader, but experts were quick to downplay the operational significance of his death, saying the wars would continue and little would change.

This inevitably raises the question of why officials are so keen to present the death as a positive development for security, when all indications are that they are expecting things to get worse as a result.

Indeed, the concern is that a number of would-be affiliates keen on establishing themselves will use the death as a chance to make a name for themselves. Bin Laden’s position as a figurehead may have, ironically, been keeping a lid on a number of these groups.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.