Back 
WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that murdered thousands of Americans, was killed in an operation led by the United States, President Barack Obama said Sunday.
A small team of Americans killed bin Laden in a firefight Sunday at a compound in Pakistan, the president said in a dramatic late-night statement at the White House.
A jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House as word spread of bin Laden’s death after a global manhunt that lasted nearly a decade.
“Justice has been done,” the president said.
Former President George W. Bush, who was in office on the day of the attacks, issued a written statement hailing bin Laden’s death as a momentous achievement. “The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done,” he said.
Few details were immediately available of the operation that resulted in bin Laden’s death, although the president said none of the Americans involved was harmed.
The development came just months before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Centers and Pentagon, orchestrated by bin Laden’s al-Qaida organization, that killed more than 3,000 people.
The attacks set off a chain of events that led the United States into wars in Afghanistan, and then Iraq, and America’s entire intelligence apparatus was overhauled to counter the threat of more terror attacks at home.
Al-Qaida was also blamed for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa that killed 231 people and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors in Yemen, as well as countless other plots, some successful and some foiled.
A senior administration official says Obama gave the final order for U.S. officials to go after bin Laden on Friday. The official added that a small team found their quarry hiding in a large home in an affluent suburb of Islamabad. The raid occurred in the early morning hours Sunday.
Obama spoke with Bush and former President Bill Clinton Sunday night to inform them of the developments.
The attacks a decade ago seemed to come out of nowhere, even though al-Qaida had previously damaged American targets overseas.
The terrorists hijacked planes, flew one of them into one of Manhattan’s Twin Towers — and, moments later, into the other one. Both buildings collapsed, trapping thousands inside and claiming the lives of firefighters and others who had rushed to help them.
A third plane slammed into the Pentagon, defacing the symbol of America’s military night. A fourth crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers and forced it down — before it could hit its intended target in Washington.
Obama struck a less than boastful tone in his brief announcement, although he said the death of bin Laden was “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al-Qaida.
“His death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al-Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant,” he added.
Moments after he spoke, American officials cautioned that the events could lead to heightened threats against the United States.
Comments (28)
Add commentRelease the Photos as Proof
Obama needs to release the photos as proof that bin Laden is dead. Obama needs to stop worrying about insulting the people of Islam and instead give the American people what they want.
LOL! All these years they
LOL! All these years they have been scouring every cave in the country side and he's been lounging in a mansion with a pair of bunny slippers and hooka watching tv!
Really guys?
No, Obama doesn't NEED to pander to the demands and bloodthirst of the American people. There doesn't need to be a public lynching and body parts for the highest bidder. He continued the terrorism effort and did what needed to be done. They got Bin Laden.
He also doesn't NEED to provide birth certificates, college reviews, his Mcd's evaluation from when he was 16, his latest medical exam, Bin Ladens rotting corpse on deck or a Jimmy Hoffa clone ready for trial.
But you just keep on wanting and see how that works out. The saner people in the room will have to take your word for it that anonymous posters actually have a point to their troglike whining mantras.
Absolutely insane.
Good Job, Navy Seals, Obama!
Eight months in the making - what a successful operation for our troops! Good job, Navy Seals! We are proud of your courage and training. Good job, President Obama, for keeping your eye on the ball and taking care of the "head of the snake." It may be a symbolic gesture - the death of a person who could not truly lead because he was hiding; but, it feels better to know that he is no longer on this earth.
Theocratic irrationality
is the dangerous narrative that still remains despite Bin Laden being no more. Case in point:
"Dumping the body into the sea is not part of any Islamic ritual," said Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and a physician of internal medicine. "Koranic scripture says God created him and he must return to the earth."
Mike
/Edited
long-form
why hasn't the long-form death certificate been released?
/poe
doubt is the chastity of the mind
We have to be wary of things done in secrecy and extreme haste, but we have this on as good an authority as anything in the Security State, including the deeds of Bin Laden: The word of our "authorities," duly accepted and sounded off on by talking heads on both sides of the aisle. We'd have no better under Bush...
A burial at sea??! It all sounds fishy...I understand there's some concern about making him into a martyr, but none of us should accept anything on faith
America's military rocks!
America's military rocks! Atleast we still have something that's the greatest in the world.
I liked reading that people left balloons and flowers at the gate to Bush's house in Dallas. He deserves credit for standing strong against radical Islam and keeping us safe after 9/11.
These were Bush policies that led to bin Laden's death.
Bin Laden
Credit goes to Obama! He accomplished in 2 years whar Bush tried to do in 7.
So does that mean the team
So does that mean the team that nabbed him get to split the reward money they have offered for Bin Laden?
I find it extremely
I find it extremely disturbing that people are celebrating the death of a human being, no matter who he is. How is this any different from the celebrations the Pakistanis made when 9/11 happened? Sick. The idea that Americans executed him without trial is also appalling.
I give credit to Obama that he ignored his own promises...
He vowed to undue ALL that Bush instituted. He realized Bush was right about Gitmo, interrogations, Laden, and Al-Qaeda. The one thing I dislike about Obama, like Clinton, is his wishy washy stance. At least he followed through with Bush's policy to get Bin Laden and not bow to Bin Laden like he did with other Islamic leaders.
Nice try. Bin Laden was no human.
It may be violent, but that is what these people know. That is all they know. You can't reason with a terrorist.
The fact that they resisted heavily bears no mind to you that he and the others should be treated otherwise?
Our military was fully justified to use the force they used. It was, after all, your liberal president that authorized the use of deadly force.
Credit
The credit goes to both. Bush started the hunt and Obama finished it.
Some of you are too funny. Everything has to have a political slant. You can't ever come together as Americans.
If Bin Laden wasn't human,
If Bin Laden wasn't human, then what was he? He possessed the same physical embodiment as each of us reading right now.
Rationalizing that violence is okay because "that is what these people know" is just as ridiculous as hoping that we will all come together as Americans. I will never understand the blood-lust of either side. Death is such a serious final event that none of us can hope for ourselves. I know things will never be different but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
I'll take your word for it.
Still shadowboxing the mirror?
Is a glass half full or half empty?
A - Depands on who filled it.
B - Depends on who emptied it.
Trick question. There is actually nothing in the glass, both parties took turns emptying it.
This man claimed credit for
This man claimed credit for orchestrating the death of thousands of Americans. The only regret is that we cant kill him over and over and over. People that commit crimes like this dont deserve anything including a life.
In a world that is filled with wars and horrible things the last thing we need is to have people making others feeling guilty for celebrating justice.
Americans did NOT execute him.....
@ Brownbear. Our troops did NOT execute him, as you say without a trial. They would have taken him into custody if he and his crew had surrendered. They CHOSE not to surrender, and our troops did what had to be done in order to stop him. Osama chose death over trial. He had that choice right up until the very end. Osama made his choice very clear, and our troops responded to that choice completely appropriately. No, I don't have any proof of that, other than I am an American and quite proud of and thankful for our men and women in uniform.
I will fully admit that upon learning of his death through a special bulletin on TV, I JUMPED out of my chair and shouted "YEAH!!". This is why: When I think of the meaning of the word "terrorism" I think of him. His face is ALL OVER my fear of what terrorists are and what they can and will do. Do I think that his death puts and end to terrorism on the scale of 9/11? No, I'm not a complete moron. I did, however, experience an instantaneous release of fear at the moment of his death announcement. A fear that has been defined by him for 10 years. A fear that has changed my life and how I live it. If that qualifies me as a sick human being in your eyes, then so be it. At least I'm honest. If you can tell yourself that you didn't even for a moment feel some of those same emotions over his death, then you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years, or still in high school and can't remember the terror.
@teb
How can you say Obama is wishy washy? He make take time to make decisions, but unlike GWB they are the right ones!
@shelbert...the Seal Team
@shelbert...the Seal Team wasn't going in there to arrest him. Their orders weren't "kill or capture". Last I heard on every station was they were going in there to kill. Good riddance.
I also have to let loose a big belly laugh at akromper. I have not a doubt in my mind that if troops had located UBL and killed him while Bush was in office, you'd be raising holy heck about how he should have been taken into custody and tried in court, or we should have been given some proof that he was killed.
In my opinion, I would have loved to have seen his body chucked over the side and his head hung from a yard arm while the battle group came back to port.
no peace in death
I guess those words are true. "There is no peace in death, peace only comes after the Resurrection."
Its hard to rejoice when someone is killed, I don't care what they have done in life. I am happy for the closure that many people obtained through this though.
May God bless them and their families.
Fighting about Bush vs. Obama solves nothing people. I'm sure the people who lost love ones that day could care less about who brought him to justice, because in the morning their love ones are still gone.
Just be thankful that it wasn't you and your family.
Waterboarding works!
Waterboarding works!
The high ground
Guru, the thought of custody and trial had crossed my mind as the speculative reports say "unarmed", etc. But no, my desire was to remove BL from the equation. I guess he could have always turned himself in and faced a hostile court and jury but that's the life he chose for himself.
Honestly, I had a moment where I'd be just fine with his head on a stick in front of the White House. But, just like burning a Koran, there are things we can do, that we should not. The wiser choice was the one taken. Observance of death ritual with the religious trappings and burial at sea. I DO question that any serious effort was made to find a receptive country to bury him on land, but I think the US had the right to pretty much do what they wanted. Seeing how no one would be happy it seemed the most prudent choice with the least of negative consequences.
Pub, you are so predictable it hurts.
Interesting info/facts? coming out that have been downplayed for years:
In 2002 Bush turns his Dead Or Alive efforts from BL to "I'm not worried anymore, he's sidelined".
2005 Bush ends targeted intelligence teams and reassigns to the broader War On Terrorism.
2005 BL builds a $1m compound in a suburb of Pakistan.
2008 Candidate Obama promises the search will NOT end for BL and he will find him and kill him.
2009 Obama reactivates special team to seek out BL making it the highest priority for his new Director who finds credible information and begins research.
2010 After several Security Council meetings a decision is made and plans put in place. A team is put into training.
2011 History.
We can argue whether Obama came up with everything on his own and disregarded advice to make it a Kill Mission instead of a Capture. We can argue that it was or wasn't enough time once our leaders felt confident in the mission at all. We can argue every little slight and armchair decision under the moon but the buck has stopped.
Bush let it slide, BL retired, and Obama went back after him and got him. The relevent info? Known since BEFORE 2001. It was also onfirmed by Gitmo detainees that were NOT the subject of waterboarding. Make of that what you will.
But you know what Guru, about that last bit about proof. There will be no proof good enough for some people. And I'm pretty damm sure there really are pictures, helmet cams, etc as proof. There will be dozens of people involved with his death, transporting his body, burial prep, etc. But none of what they will say will matter. I guess we'll just have to take his word for it, right?
rvinak
Best post on this thread. Really. It's time to come together as AMERICANS - again. Stop with all the arguing and be happy one of the worst terrorists the world has ever known is gone - and If you don't want to be happy about that - then don't. But don't expect the rest of us to hold back our joy that this evil man is no longer.
One can now go to an ocean,
One can now go to an ocean, relieve oneself and know that the target of said relief just took a direct hit! As an aside throw in a piece of bacon!
skirtz, you crack me up....
Skirtz on President Obama saying Osama Bin Laden is dead - "He just has to tell us what we want to hear and we should follow him blindly."
Four Words: Weapons of Mass Distruction
and this gem on Al-Quida: "Get ready for the wrath. A tit for a tat is the way they operate. Retaliation."
Ah - retaliate is exactly what we just did....
I'm not at all saying I disagree with killing Bin Laden. This man orchestrated attacks on our soil which killed thousands of Americans. We have every right to go after those involved, to make it known we will not tolerate such attacks on our citizens. Clearly burying him somewhere his body could serve as some kind of monument or shrine was not a good idea. Just as clear, a trial would have been literally like pouring gasoline on a fire - for months, or years.
The military operation was thoughtfully carried out, and very nearly perfect - all of our soldiers came home safe. Women and children who were not combatants were left unharmed. Much intelligence was gathered. The body was treated in accordance with that person's religious beliefs, as is our custom.
What I am saying is that one of the more disturbing images to me on 9-11 was women and children celebrating American deaths in the streets. Or the release of video taped beheadings of American captives. It is always my hope that we have more dignity and respect for ourselves and our ideals than to stoop to the same vulgar displays as our enemies. Regardless of how strongly we feel we are in the right for killing this man.