(Poll) Whose Death Served American Interests Most?

The 21^st Century has not been a good one for demagogues and dictators—whether state officials or anti-government leaders.

That point was reinforced Thursday morning when Libya's interim rulers announced that former dictator Muammar Gadhafi had been killed.

(As of press time, there was no independent confirmation of the announcement.)

The months since the start of the Arab Spring have been particularly perilous for heavy-handed leaders. And all this follows on the heels of the so-called “Global War on Terror” that—whatever the justification for any one theater of war—led to the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the killing of Osama bin Laden and countless other terrorist leaders.

“It seemed almost impossible for this to come about,” local resident Brian O’Connor the day after bin Laden’s death. “On the other hand, I was glad to hear the news because (Osama) bin Laden and his ilk have certainly caused a great deal of trouble throughout the entire world—not just here in the United States but throughout the entire world.”

We don’t yet know the full strategic implications of all this turnover. But one thing is sure: The geopolitical environment is far different than it was just a few years ago.

 So tell us what you think: Whose removal from power served American interests most?