Yet, a little over a decade later, Biden seems to be in a different place when it comes to the use of force.
It’s worth considering Obama’s decision to carry out the bin Laden operation and compare it to Biden’s decision to authorize the raid that killed the ISIS leader.
Both of these operations had a good deal in common. They were risky ground operations carried out by US Special Operations Forces to avoid large-scale civilian casualties that likely would have resulted from simply bombing the compound in which bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan or bombing the building in Syria where the ISIS leader was holed up.
And while a helicopter on the raid in Syria targeting the leader of ISIS developed a mechanical problem and had to be destroyed, the operation was a success from the standpoint of eliminating the ISIS leader, who blew himself up along with members of his family.
The operations against bin Laden and al-Qurayshi both resulted in civilian casualties; the wife of one of bin Laden’s bodyguards was killed, while a still undetermined number of civilians died during the raid against the ISIS leader.
Do ‘decapitation’ strikes work?
A larger question is whether this week’s raid will make a lasting difference. Decapitation strikes that kill the leaders of terrorist or insurgent groups do have some effect, but generally less than many assume.
Al Qaeda’s core in Pakistan and Afghanistan never really recovered after bin Laden’s death, although it had already been greatly weakened in the years after the 9/11 attacks because of CIA drone strikes and the arrests of key leaders. The current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has not been able to resuscitate the core of al Qaeda.
Where such strikes can have real continuing utility is when US forces have the opportunity to perform what they term SSE, Sensitive Site Exploitation.
However, more than two decades after 9/11, jihadist groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda and their affiliates around the world continue to remain somewhat capable in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Killing one man doesn’t, of course, kill the ideology of militant jihadism, which will always find some takers, especially in failing or failed states in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
Biden no doubt knows about the limits of Special Operations raids, but he chose to launch one this time. This shift to a more muscular foreign policy stance may end up paying dividends at a time when Biden’s popularity is flagging.
Source : CNN