The United States has hunted Osama bin Laden for years.

But some CMU professors argue the ramifications of catching the
terrorist might be as bad as not finding him.

History Professor John Robertson said it would boost America’s
morale to capture bin Laden; but it won’t win the “War on Terror.”

“Catching Osama would be a psychological shot in the arm,” he said.
“Osama is a brand name symbol of what’s become a decentralized
movement. The possibilities of terrorism will still be large.”

Bin Laden has dedicated followers in al-Qaeda, the terrorist
organization he leads, who view him as a heroic figure and have many
loose partnerships with organizations across continents. Those
increasing loose connections could mean that even without bin Laden,
al-Qaeda may continue to operate strongly.

Alper Dede said that is al-Qaeda’s greatest advantage.

“Their (al-Qaeda‘s) main advantage is a loose organization,“ the
political science faculty member said. “There’s no hierarchical
structure; they all do their operations independently.”

Robertson said many still will be upset with the U.S. if it captures
or kills bin Laden.

“We should care what the consequences are if we catch him,”
Robertson said. “A lot of people will be angry at us and the anger will
not go away. America can’t lead the world if people are upset with your
policies.”

Dede shares a different opinion.

“We shouldn’t care what the consequences are – we should do the
right thing,” Dede said.

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