Sean Eudaily, an associate professor of political science at the University of Montana Western in Dillon, said a number of students stopped by his office Monday morning.

Some of those who knocked on his door had family members serving in Afghanistan. They came hoping the professor might tell them Osama bin Laden's death would signal the end of that war and reunite some Dillon families.

"I hate to play Debbie Downer," Eudaily said. "But I had to temper some students who thought this might mean the wars are over and troops would come home. It doesn't."

Still, Eudaily called the death "a major event" and an "important accomplishment in the war on terror."

His counterpart at Montana Tech, international politics Professor John Ray, agreed that bin Laden was "the visible symbol of international, anti-Western terrorism" and that his death was "a significant

victory in the fight" against that specific brand of terror.

But he, too, had to temper enthusiasm. While some Islamic terrorists sympathized and aligned with bin Laden, others shunned him. His death, while it may deal a blow to certain factions, won't mean anything to others.

"Terrorists are not all Islamic, or religious for that matter," he said. "We still have significant ethnic and purely political terrorist groups ... so while a great victory against terrorism, the elimination of bin Laden is no warrant for us letting down our guard."

George Waring, a retired Montana Tech professor and a member of the Butte anti-war group Taking Action for Peaceful Solutions, said that the United States in not necessarily a safer place now than it was when bin Laden was still drawing breaths.

Images of Americans celebrating his demise may, in fact, make us an even more inviting target to those who wish to do this country harm.

"I'm afraid we are creating a martyr," he said. "I'm afraid we are making his message much more appealing throughout the Muslim world."

Waring said he couldn't find any joy in the news that came crashing across the country Sunday night.

"To my mind this is very saddening," he said. "I'm just thinking in terms of U.S. foreign policy and there is no closure in that. Concern with terrorism around the world has been made greater because of his death."

Eudaily, however, said he understood the cheering and the sense of relief and patriotism that poured spontaneously from college towns to baseball stadiums from coast-to-coast.

"I don't think that's a bad thing," he said. "It's an incredibly important event emotionally. To many it feels like we are putting the 9/11 attacks to rest. To some, particularly those who lost a loved one, it's going to cause some good feelings and rightfully so."

Eudaily said he opened his classroom Monday to discussion of bin Laden's death and he imagined many teachers, no matter their discipline, would do the same.

"It wouldn't matter what your class was today," he said. "This is a teachable moment as we like to say. It's an incredibly big deal and teachers should have that conversation with their students."

Reporter Tim Trainor may be reached via e-mail at tim.trainor@lee.net or call 496-5519.