E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSPresident Obama announced that Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, has been killed in a U.S.-led operation in Pakistan.
To the families of those who lost loved ones on 9/11, Obama said, "Justice has been done."
President Obama said the United States received a tip in August of last year that bin Laden was hiding out in a compound in Pakistan. The U.S. began working that tip, and last week President Obama said he determined there was enough intelligence to "bring him to justice."
"At my direction," Obama said, U.S. special operations forces launched an attack on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a town about 70 miles north of Islamabad. After a firefight, the U.S. "took custody of his body." NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports that bin Laden was shot at least once in the head.
Former President George W. Bush released the following statement:
"Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."
President Obama said he told CIA Director Leon Panetta when he first became president that killing bin Laden was to be the U.S.'s top priority in the fight against al Qaeda.
The president called the killing of bin Laden the "most significant acheivement" in the fight against al Qaeda, but stressed that it is not the end of that fight.
He also stressed, however, "We must also reaffirm, we are not and never will be at war with Islam. ... His demise should be welcomed by all who welcome peace and human dignity."
The president also noted that cooperation with Pakistan helped lead to bin Laden.
Leave a Comment:
news update: dna inconclusive...only nose was surviving part...extended testing finds match for michael jackson, not obl...repeat...nose of jackson, not obl...
Opps ... score another one for President Obama. I'm sure the Republicans will have SOME excuse and negative comments ... like "prove it ... show us OBL's body". I just wish Cheney & Rumsfeld would shut up and sit down, and thank God every day they're not getting the news from a cell in some Federal Penitentiary somewhere.
I'm thinking 2012 is going to be a long, tough year for the "bought & paid for", fat cat Republicans.
MacNfries.....
Why is this a score for anyone politically? The real winners are the Amercian servicemen and women who put themselves out there, day in and day out. Not to mention some closure for the victims family's from 9/11.
Congrats to Obama for continuing the effort against the Taliban and other Islamic extremist. Thanks for not closing Club Gitmo as you originally claimed you would do.
I have to ask you MacNfries....you stated score another one for President Obama. What exactly has he scored on prior to this?
He was buried as sea so that this would be in the news for the next 3 years , up and thru the 2012 election. Just like the birth certificate, it was buried at sea too.
Way to go Mr. President! This is a great day for America, and the world had better get the message that this US President means business. This President is always thinking on his feet, and is always planning his next move. Over the last 2 years, this President has been said to be weak on US Foreign Policy. Wrong! This President has been said to not comprehend foreign events, and the evils of terrorism. Wrong! Now the "Bonehead Birthers" just look even more ignorant everyday. The disrespectful rascism spewed by the Tea Beggers just looks even more treasonous on a great day like this. The facts are very simple America. Our President is very intelligent, knows how to multi-task, and always has a plan of action. This President is intelligent enough to understand that at times it is better to release some information at later dates. This American Citizen is proud of our military, our President, and that finally justice was served properly in this case. Thank you Mr. President!
You are a bonehead Progressive....! :)
This President is always thinking on his feet, and is always planning his next move. Over the last 2 years, this President has been said to be weak on US Foreign Policy. Wrong!
How does the death of BL make Obama strong with foreign policy?
Our President is very intelligent, knows how to multi-task, and always has a plan of action.
WHAT? What is the plan of action for the economy and unemployment?
This President has been said to not comprehend foreign events, and the evils of terrorism. Wrong! Now the "Bonehead Birthers" just look even more ignorant everyday. The disrespectful rascism spewed by the Tea Beggers just looks even more treasonous on a great day like this
Obama has been praised for his continuation of going after terrorist groups, by means of drone attacks. Infact the far left fringe are the ones who don't like that. As for your birther statement and the racial teaparty movemnt you are just ignorant!
Lets give Obama credit for continuing the aggresive attacks against the Taliban and other islamic extremeist. You are trying to make this politcal and it couldnt be more obvious! :)
Good thing Obama continued the search via Bush's policies, otherwise we wouldn't have seen this day.
Thank You President Bush for your promise to bring him to justice! You deserve credit too.
Most of all, thank you to the brave men and women who risked their lives year after year to catch him and ultimately kill him. America won this fight!
Thank you president Bush for ignoring the PDB of August 6, 2001 and thereby allowing 2992 civilians to be killed on American soil on 9/11/2001........isn't that what you meant?
We can conjecture what could have been had GWBush been as strong and as aggressive as Obama, back in the early days of the Afghanistan conflict when bin Laden was cornered, or even if Bush had just stayed focused on Afghanistan and on getting Pakistan’s better cooperation, instead of giving in to the pressure from his strong supporters and shifting resources and concentration to attacking oil rich Iraq ... but that is only conjecture and the important thing is really that this “mission has been accomplished”. What is called for now is to give credit where credit is due, to those who dug out the intelligence, that kept focused on the goal, that put their “boots on the ground” and accomplished the task, and to President Obama for unrelentingly authorizing and pushing the effort. It would really be nice now if there could just be an end to the unfounded and self-serving classless slander (“un-American”, “unPatriotic”, non-citizen,,) thrown at President Obama and then, with the deserved respect and credit given, to have our representatives check their concentration on individual political ambitions and instead seriously, honestly and responsibly work with bipartisanship and cooperation to effectively solve our problems. Do you think they are mature and unselfish enough?
Here's how much Bush was focused on bin Laden:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRY_BOYeySc&feature=related
Thank you Mr. President for doing the job that was long overdue. Thanks to our special forces and military. Thanks to smart people who use brains over bronze to get the job done.
Our hopes and prayers still for all the families so much affected by this tragedy that can find a little comfort.
Osama is dead. I blame Bush :)
No matter how you spin it, the CIA and the military are the heros here. Obama will surely use this for political gain and even get a bump in his popularity contest (for agreeing to get Osama - just like ANY sitting president would have done in this case), but it will be short lived. And it won't be enough to get him re-elected.
We've still got a HUGE mess here in America that Obama has helped to create that hasn't been addressed yet.
Glad we got Bin Laden. The war on terror still persists. Our terrible economy and unemployment persists. Let's see him lead us out of that!
Bush 41, Bush 43, Reagan and GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY passing the Senate 98-2 under Clinton, created our economic mess. Obama had nothing to do with it. The debt we are running up is a predetermined symptom of an earlier acquired illness.
Let's be clear on this: OBAMA did NOT kill Bin Laden. A US soldier, who Obama just a few weeks ago was debating on whether or not to PAY, did.
God Bless America!
Let's be clear on this: OBAMA did NOT kill Bin Laden.
Let's be clear about one more thing --- had this operation FAILED, dottoheads like you would be BLAMING PRESIDENT OBAMA. The bottom lins is President Obama did what Bush only talked about.
Show some respect for the people who actually risked their lives to get him. Obama was an armchair quarterback at best - just like any other president before him during a war.
I gotta give him props - this is the FIRST time Obama has shown any leadership at all.
America wants to know... when are the brave men of Seal-team-6 who jeopardized their lives to save Barack Obama's political bacon going to get the long-standing 25-million dollar bounty for getting Osama bin Laden ???
Although these members of Seal-team-6 are all honorable men who would likely not accept any sort of bounty for simply doing the job they are trained to do..... the offer should STILL BE MADE.
America is waiting for the answer....
And.... perhaps the funds to pay these skilled Seal-team members could be gathered by asking Barack Obama to take one less international flight/vacation.... or, even perhaps take funding from Harry Reid's Cowboy/Poetry Festival.....???
America is just saying.....
americans you should learn to appreciate your leaders when they do something like what happened,dont just criticise,the free world congratulations you.
Its amazing how these right winged nut jobs refuse to give The President credit for this historical moment, which took place on his watch. These same ignorant, bigoted yokels were all too quick to pin the recession, debt and bail-outs on The President, even though it began on George Duh-bya's watch! The hypocrisy is so apparent and the Rethuglicans and tea baggers are losing creditability with every Obama victory. While they spew hate and use vitriol and fear mongering for political gain, the President just keeps working and digging us out of one Republican made mess after another.
Destroying Medicare, de-funding education and social programs, and tax cuts and subsidies for the rich and big business continues to be their sole focus. Under this Reaganomics thinking carried on by the Rethuglican administrations, America's debt went from 90 million under Reagan to almost 11 Trillion by the time Obama took office (5 trillion under GW alone). So much for the debt and spending platform they like to stand on. Clinton left office with a surplus so let the record reflect the Rethuglican's desire to rape this country and redistribute the wealth, thus eliminating the middle class. Bottom line, Obama will win in 2012 because the American people are on to you "party of no" ingrates! Great job, President Obama... now on to fixing the next problem and your re-election on 2012!
Bottom line:
Bush talked a lot about bringing bin Laden to justice, then he went on vacation - again!
Obama talked very little about bringing bin Laden to justice, then he went to work and got it done.
Congratulations to the President, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Bob Gates and the other members of the Obama administration who helped make this happen.
And a great huge Thank You and Well Done to the troops who pulled it off.
Oh - and just a note to Republicans who are always trying to cut Veterans' Affairs budgets.......
The people who did this job in Pakistan, way out there on the edge - with not much in the way of military assets to back them up.....
Those people will become veterans one of these days when their tours are over, and they deserve every bit of support and care that this country can give them.
Anything less would be totally unacceptable!
Remember that!
The Navy SEALS were the ones who "got it done."
Don't politicize this - this isn't about Obama getting his poll numbers back up.
If you're going to credit Obama with this, you also need to give credit to the guys who's policies got us the location information in the first place...Bush and Cheney.
After all the sh*t this a$$hole put us through for 2 years, he does 1 f*ckin thing right and now he's some kind of super star, F*ck no! He didn't do sh*t but try to raise his chances for re-election. He's still a piece of sh*t president... anyone and everyone has said for 10 years to "pull the trigger" on Osama but that just goes to show how good our government listens to us... and for all those that say "we didn't know where he was..." your f*ckin retarded. We've known the entire time where he was every second of everyday, we have satellites that can read the date on a quarter, you don't think they knew? They did! They should've just killed Osama and Sadaam at the same time. Not drag the war out for 10 years... Oh well let's see how long it takes the dumba$$ president to pull the troops out now.