Bergen: Time to move on from war on terror
The death of Osama bin Laden should allow the United States to focus on things like the rise of China, CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen said.
May 2nd, 2011
10:52 PM ET

Bergen: Time to move on from war on terror

The killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden should be the cue for the United States to end its war on terror, CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen said Monday.

"Killing bin Laden is the end of the war on terror. We can just sort of announce that right now," Bergen said.

Bergen believes that the iconic nature of bin Laden's persona cannot be replaced. He says that Pakistan still is a hotbed for terrorism, and that small-scale attacks are possible.

But at some point, he says, the United States has to say the war on terror is over. Otherwise, he says, the country will fight it forever.

"It’s time to move on," Bergen said in an interview with CNN's Radio's Lisa Desjardins.

Without having to hunt down bin Laden, Bergen argues, the United States can focus on things like the rise of China and the revolutions in various Arab countries.

Click the audio player to hear the rest of the story from CNN Radio:

You can also listen to the CNN Radio Reports podcast on itunes or subscribe to the podcast here.

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Filed under: Al Qaeda • Osama bin Laden • Pakistan • Terrorism
soundoff (28 Responses)
  1. nur amabo nur

    I don't think many people will argue that obl is dead. Its hardly a "conspiracy" when you just don't trust the gov anymore. Lie after lie and its hard to extract the truth. I tend to believe we have created more terrorists, probably double, in post 9/11. Its about to rain ! (Unzipps fly).

    May 3, 2011 at 8:18 am | Report abuse |
  2. theo

    yah hoo yah hoo

    May 3, 2011 at 8:27 am | Report abuse |
  3. bobcat2u

    How can they honestly say we should now end our war on terror ? Bin Laden was just the mother snake. Think about all the eggs this snake laid all over the world. Can Bergin truly believe that just because they finally got bin laden, the rest of the terrorists are just going to disappear ? Wishfull thinking at best !!!!!!!!!!

    May 3, 2011 at 9:52 am | Report abuse |
  4. Doc Spok

    "We can just sort of announce that right now"

    Well put, Peter.

    May 3, 2011 at 10:06 am | Report abuse |
  5. Joey

    I'm sorry folks,some jerk has been posting his right-wing mumbo-jumbo under my name. I'm the real Joey here and I find the whole thing about the celebration of the brutal murder of Usama bin Laden extremely nauseating!!!

    May 3, 2011 at 10:28 am | Report abuse |
  6. charlie crack

    Move on from war on terror" hell no! Watch em and smoke em like ole binny boy!

    May 3, 2011 at 5:23 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Andreas Moser

    Terrorists are criminals. We have police and criminal law to deal with them. No necessity for a "war".

    May 3, 2011 at 5:33 pm | Report abuse |
  8. NO Photos - what is the merit after the event ?

    Osama Bin Laden is dead

    There is no merit in releasing any photograph or video or go into details..
    One part of society outside of the US or the world will find fault and create problems and kill more innocent people..
    No one can change that.
    Why should we bother whether they ( Pakistani's – locals or their govt) believe his death or not ? They did not even know that he lived amongst them ! and as long as we keep feeding them with more details, they will lap it up happily.
    Those people living in Pakistan – even the neighbors in Abottobad, never saw him alive, why should they see him dead !
    Let us just move on.

    May 3, 2011 at 11:44 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Lana G

    Over? The war on terror over? You're sure? it's really over? because I was just about to eat and enjoy this pint of yummy ice cream like it might be my last!

    May 4, 2011 at 2:41 am | Report abuse |
  10. Rouger

    why the stupid guy hostile to the China in the end ~.??

    May 4, 2011 at 5:58 am | Report abuse |
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