Opinion: May 5 buzz: Killing vs. capturing Osama Bin Laden; ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Killing Bin Laden forestalls public controversy over whether and where he should be tried. It provides the American people with a sense of closure not offered by a trial. And it sends a powerful message to the world about U.S. resolve -- or, as some might perceive it, ruthlessness.

There would have been something uplifting -- something to be proud of -- if Bin Laden had been brought home and publicly held to account for his many crimes.

If capture was possible without compromising the safety of those involved, than we should have sought to capture him. Since there are conflicting narratives as to what really happened I will have to put faith in our Military that the killing was necessary and that capture was not a viable option. -- David in LA

It’s a great political coup for Obama, but an enormous tactical blunder in terms of potential intelligence lost. After reading all the 24-7 all-Osama coverage for the last few days, there has been no mention of this whatsoever. [...] -- ppblum

There is no excuse for not beginning to end these wars one at a time, at vast savings in lives and billions in tax dollars. This is Obama’s moment of opportunity. Let the hawks in the Pentagon and the Republican Party call for endless war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama can campaign on ending two quagmires, and on breaking the momentum of the long war on terrorism that some propose.