It's a post-bin Laden world. Now what?

Terrorism still exists, and America and its allies will still be a target. That doesn't change the fact that in the post-9/11 world, we are now entering a completely new phase, the post-bin Laden one. The death at the hands of U.S. Navy Seals in Pakistan is important -- it is not an end, but it is a significant change in the "War on Terror" we've been engaged in since 2001.

Two issues most immediately surfaced after the killing. And it was a significant one:

Osama bin Laden was the world's most notorious terrorist mastermind -- the head of al Qaeda, a charismatic recruiter, and the man most able to inspire those who would fund that organization. He still had the potential to bring great harm to innocent people all over the world.

The knowledge that bin Laden was not dwelling in some uncomfortable cave in a tribal area of Pakistan -- long the suspicion -- gave a lot of people pause. His comfortable compound and its location make the belief that Pakistan's government, or some within it, were clueless as to his location seem implausible.

Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., told MSNBC on Tuesday that the aid received by Pakistan by the United States -- an estimated $3 billion a year -- could become conditional if that rather complicated ally isn't more "forthcoming" with our intelligence agencies. Udall serves on both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee.

It's worth noting, too, that the boots on the ground in Afghanistan are also an extremely risky, expensive endeavor. And while a vast network of intelligence found bin Laden's lair, a very small team of well-trained Seals took him out. The justification for war in Afghanistan is all but vanished.

President Barack Obama told the "60 Minutes" broadcast -- portions of which aired Wednesday night -- that his administration has decided not to release the gory photographs of bin Laden after he had been shot to death. The rest of the interview will air on Sunday, one week after the stunning U.S. commando-style raid in Pakistan.

"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are ... And -- I think that given the -- the graphic nature of these photos -- it would -- create some national security risk," he said.

We applaud this decision, as using the gory image of bin Laden -- considered a martyr by many already -- is not something the world needs. Nor do we want to see it emblazoned on the T-shirts of anyone swept up in jubilation over the death, rather than just somber relief.

Of course, conspiracy theorists have had their fires stoked by the president's birth certificate of late, so we've heard many cries to show the photos just to shut them up.

That was answered best by House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) on Wednesday. "The risks of release outweigh the benefits," Rogers said in a prepared statement. "Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway."