Analysis: Future of national security after bin Laden’s death

U.S. intelligence officials believe al-Qaida will have a hard time recovering from the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden. But some experts believe bin Laden ...

By Jolie Lee
Federal News Radio

Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, what’s the future of U.S. national security?

“This is by no means the end of this game. This is just the beginning,” said J.J. Green, Federal News Radio’s national security correspondent.

Al Qaeda has issued a statement vowing revenge for bin Laden’s death. But in the short-term Al Qaeda operatives will have to “go dark for awhile” and find out who was a traitor among them that leaked information to U.S. intelligence, Green said.

Typically, when it suspects a traitor or mole, Al Qaeda “takes the whole group out.” But now the group is low in numbers and under “intense drone strikes,” Green said.

In the United States, national security is heightened with increased police presence in the Capitol and on the Metro. Green said this increased precautionary activity is typical after overseas activities that could have a negative impact on U.S. facilities or personnel.

“This actually was not unusual to put these bases on bravo and embassies on alert. But it does have special significance because of who this was, because it was Osama bin Laden,” Green said.

Green has been following the government’s efforts to capture Osama bin Laden for over five years via his weekly report, The Hunt for Osama bin Laden. This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report. For more defense news, click here.

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