A hollow victory?

Mark it down. May 1, 2011 is the day the United States finally got its man. It's the day Osama bin Laden was finally tracked down and killed by U.S. special forces.
The death of bin Laden is, without a doubt, a momentous day in the history of America. It marked the culmination of more than a decade of work by our intelligence community and our military in bringing down one of the world's most dangerous terrorists. But 24 hours later, the question remains. What have we accomplished really?
Yes, bin Laden is gone. It is a huge symbolic, and dare I say, moral victory for the United States. All the analysts are correct in saying that bin Laden's death sends a clear message that we will do whatever it takes to protect our homeland and our people. It sends the message that we will not allow ourselves to be distracted from the task of fighting terror wherever it may be found. But in the long run, what have we accomplished?
Bin Laden is dead. Good. He deserved to die. But the reality is, we haven't destroyed al-Qaida. We got rid of the symbolic head of the worldwide terror network, but rest assured, bin Laden had planned for his demise. He had someone ready to step in and take over after his death. In fact, we already know his name: Ayman al Zawahari. So again, I ask, what have we REALLY accomplished? I know one thing we've accomplished: We've made bin Laden a martyr for future generations of terrorists. It's not a matter of IF his followers retaliate. It's a matter of WHEN.
Now that bin Laden is dead, it is incumbent upon our leadership to ask the question, "what's next?" Is it going to be the foreign policy of the United States from here on out to fight the war on terror, to as former President George W. Bush envisioned, "make the world safe for democracy?" That is a beautiful dream, but a practical impossibility. For every terrorist we kill, there will always be someone standing ready to take his place. Just how much blood and treasure are we willing to commit to the effort?
If we truly want to make the world safe for democracy, here's a radical idea. Why not take a close, honest look at U.S. foreign policy over the past 100 years? Why not admit that our presence in certain parts of the world (specifically the Middle East) and our unilateral support of Israel has inflamed the passions of millions to the point that they're willing to die to attack us? By
making our presence felt in the Middle East, and by supporting Israel no matter what they do, we have given terrorists worldwide a moral high ground to stand on to justify their heinous acts.
Let me be very clear. I am in no way advocating terrorism. Senseless violence, such as the 9/11 attacks, and targeting innocent people (military or otherwise) is ALWAYS wrong. But I think it is past time that we admitted that we share some of the burden in helping create the situation we now face. And it's past time that we asked the honest question of what we can, and should, do about it.