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Sun, May 08, 2011 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

- You want me, your main excuse for the fight on terrorism, to just up and leave? - Osama, dear, we gave you that role ourselves, and now we’re taking it away from you (Farda News, May 3)

Iranian Reactions to Bin Laden’s Killing: from Skepticism to anti-American Defiance

It was no surprise that the killing of Osama Bin Laden provoked a great deal of interest in Iran. Following the initial reports of the Al-Qaeda leader’s death, most Iranian media questioned their accuracy, wondering why the Americans did not provide conclusive evidence of Bin Laden’s death.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Majles Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, also questioned the reliability of the American announcement, saying it is not the first time the Americans claim to have eliminated Bin Laden. In a conversation with journalists, Boroujerdi said that even if the report is true, it is not a significant achievement for the U.S. since its forces have been in Afghanistan for 10 years trying to capture the Al-Qaeda leader (Fars, May 2).

In addition to doubts about the reliability of the U.S. announcement on Bin Laden’s killing, the incident once again sparked criticism of the American foreign policy and claims that Bin Laden was simply an excuse for the U.S. to fulfill its expansion ambitions in the region and promote the political interests of the American administration.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast commented on Bin Laden’s killing by saying that now there are no more excuses for foreign military presence in the region under the pretext of fighting terrorism. He expressed hope that Bin Laden’s killing will put an end to war and killing of civilians in the region and facilitate the establishment of peace and stability. Mehmanparast added that the killing of the Al-Qaeda leader has proven that there was no need for such a massive military campaign to eliminate a single person (Fars, May 2).

An editorial published by Fars News Agency following Bin Laden’s killing argued that the U.S. will now have to find a new enemy and a new way to control the region, particularly when considering the latest developments that have taken place there. China could be a substitute for Al-Qaeda and radical Islam, but since it is a major economic ally for the U.S., Iran is a likelier choice. Being a Shi’ite country, Iran can also be considered the strategic enemy of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and the religious enemy of the other Muslim countries. The U.S., therefore, will be able to employ the assistance of these countries to jointly fight Iran and undermine Muslim unity, which threatens the status of the West. According to Fars, President Obama doesn’t have too long to make a decision on the issue since the popular forces of the Middle East are growing stronger and the U.S. elections are coming. While Bin Laden’s killing may help Obama in his political race, the article said, the state of the American economy is not helpful to his cause, and the U.S. will therefore have to pick a new enemy — and soon (Fars, May 2).

The daily Keyhan referred to Bin Laden’s killing as the elimination of the “CIA agent” by the U.S., and argued that President Obama’s statement that the fight on Al-Qaeda and terrorism will continue even after Bin Laden’s death proves that his elimination will not put an end to the killings committed by the American forces in the Middle East (Keyhan, May 3).

The economic daily Donya-ye Eqtesad (World of Economy) also commented on Bin Laden’s killing, stressing that Bin Laden’s death does not signal the end of Al-Qaeda. Bin Laden may be dead, but the “Bin Laden phenomenon” still exists. The daily estimated that Bin Laden’s death may have negative consequences for America’s foreign relations. The U.S.-Pakistan relations may be compromised since the objective the two countries had in common — Bin Laden’s elimination — is no more. The U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia may also take a turn for the worse. The Americans, who had concerns in recent years over the activity of Bin Laden’s supporters in the kingdom, were patient towards its rulers. Now, their attitude towards Saudi Arabia may change.

According to the daily, Bin Laden’s death may also affect the U.S. relations with its European allies. In the past decade, the American foreign policy has focused on an attempt to build a unified global front against terrorism. Now the Americans will have to choose one of two options: telling their allies that the Al-Qaeda threat is as severe as it was before and admitting that Bin Laden’s killing was not that significant, or acknowledging that the Islamic threat has subsided, which would make it difficult for them to mobilize global action in the fight against terrorism. Bin Laden’s death is therefore a significant event, Donya-ye Eqtesad concluded, but one cannot say it has solved the Americans’ defense problems, and Bin Laden’s shadow will still loom over them (Donya-ye Eqtesad, May 3).