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April 23rd, 2024 | 7:01 AM ET

Is the World Safer?

Posted: May 1st, 2016

By Brian Michael Jenkins

Brian Michael Jenkins is a senior adviser to the president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and author of numerous books, reports, and articles on terrorism-related topics, including "How the Current Conflicts Are Shaping the Future of Syria and Iraq" and Will Terrorists Go Nuclear?.

Five years ago, U.S. special operations forces killed Osama bin Laden in a raid on his hiding place in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Although al Qaeda had been dispersed from its bases in Afghanistan and its support networks had been largely dismantled, nearly 10 years after the 9/11 attacks al Qaeda was still viewed as a terrorist threat. Bin Laden’s death was seen as a strategic blow to the organization.

But what effect did killing bin Laden have on al Qaeda’s ability to pursue its jihadist goals? Does “high-value targeting” contribute to counterterrorist strategy more broadly? Aside from the legal and even more profound philosophical debates: Does killing terrorist leaders work?

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