The killing of Bin Laden and the superiority of western values

Nobody embracing moral values needs to shed any tears for the killing of Bin Laden, the ideologue of international terrorism responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent civilians.

However, as details of his death become known, it seems that he could have been captured alive without endangering the life of the soldiers involved in his capture. So, if he was intentionally killed, whoever gave that order committed a major mistake.

The moral superiority of western values derives from its reliance on representative democracy, constitutional liberalism and enlightened ideals which, when taken together guarantee even to the hardest criminal a fair trial. This superiority is reinforced whenever the West is not afraid of confronting openly the ideals pursued by terrorists.

The idea that this would give Bin Laden’s supporters visibility and lead to his martyrdom is simply preposterous. Indeed, historical precedents such as the Soviet Union decision to hide the burial place of Hitler only gave his followers a mythical status that his henchman that were publicly judged at the Nuremberg trials never enjoyed. Likewise, the fact that Che Guevara was never tried for his crimes made him even today a hero among impressive young people.

Now, with the Arab Spring uprising in full progress, the West owes the young Arabs fighting for democracy in the streets a clear explanation of why Bin Laden was not brought in for trial.