As Ahmed Rashid has just said on BBC Radio 4, the death of bin Laden is in no way the death of al Qaeda. I don't think anyone celebrating in America actually expects this, but when a figurehead perishes there is a tendency to act as though his empire is soon to crumble as well. Al Qaeda will outlive bin Laden, that is for sure.

As far as we know, the recently departed has not been the actual head of operations for quite a long time, if only because of his efforts to avoid detection: If one gives orders day in and day out it becomes very easy for intelligence services to map the diffusion of one's word and scrap together a rough idea of one's whereabouts. The highest-level Qaeda member to be involved in the management of the main organization probably remains the Egyptian al-Zawahiri.

Now we will probably see some serious reprisals for the man's death in Pakistan, and probably Afghanistan. Maybe Europe, maybe the States. But definitely Pakistan.

All the same, we've been rid of a one-of-a-kind sociopathic holy warrior. Would've liked to see a trial, but a bullet in the head will have to do.