URGENT >> BULLETIN >> MOVING: Osama Bin Laden Is Dead; ‘Targeted’ U.S. Operation Carried Out In Pakistan; State Department Urges Travel Caution

Osama bin Laden has been killed in a “targeted operation” by the United States and his body has been recovered.

President Obama appeared on U.S. television late Sunday night, saying he approved a U.S. operation in Pakistan and that bin Laden was killed yesterday. No Americans were harmed, the president said.

Bin Laden was found to be at a “compound” in the city of Abbottabad. Obama said he authorized a “small team of Americans” to carry out the action.

Obama called former President George W. Bush to inform him of the operation that led to bin Laden’s death. Bush called the operation a “momentous achievement.”

Bush had been President for only eight months when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred.

Despite the lateness of the hour, spontaneous celebrations broke out on sidewalks outside the White House, with Americans singing the national anthem and chanting “USA! USA! USA!” Celebrations also broke out in New York City.

The U.S. State Department early today urged Americans to be cautious when living or traveling abroad due to “the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity  in Pakistan.”

Here is Obama’s statement on the death of bin Laden:

Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda — an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

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10 Responses to “URGENT >> BULLETIN >> MOVING: Osama Bin Laden Is Dead; ‘Targeted’ U.S. Operation Carried Out In Pakistan; State Department Urges Travel Caution”

  1. I thought it would be interesting to see what the knowledgeable, well educated and informed people on the David Icke forum had to say about this. How else would I find out the “real truth”? Some are saying that “they” will take Bin Laden’s body out of the freezer, but there seems to be some dispute as to when he was “really” killed. Some say 2001, others say 2007. Or 2006. Or 1994.

    Many are noting that it is exactly 66 years since the death of Hitler. One person noted:

    May 1…
    Hiter announcement exactly 66 years ago today, when Osama was announced dead.

    today’s date is 02-05-2011 or 2×5-(2+(1+1)) = 6! So its 666 Also it = 11 all added up.

    OMG, illuminati ritualism symbolism everywhere.

    Someone noted that the number 5 (May=5) considered to be symbolic of death in the bible. Someone else said “as is the numbers 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9, and zero”.

    Best of all was someone who remembered:

    MAY the 1st = Birthday of the ILLUMUNATI

    Guess a celebration of the enslavment of the people is in order

    And as a nod to our real overlords:

    the lizards must be laughing…

  2. I only hope they wrapped him in bacon before they tossed him over the side of the ship.

  3. Tony H: I thought it would be interesting to see what the knowledgeable, well educated and informed people on the David Icke forum had to say about this. How else would I find out the “real truth”? Some are saying that “they” will take Bin Laden’s body out of the freezer, but there seems to be some dispute as to when he was “really” killed. Some say 2001, others say 2007. Or 2006. Or 1994.

    Hi Tony,

    One of the interesting sidebars to the story about bin Laden’s death is that NBC interrupted “Birther” Donald Trump’s TV show last night to bring the country the news. Trump, flirting with a White House bid, rebranded the Birther conspiracy theory a month or so ago. Trump fueled the conspiracy theorists, and then launched a new one that suggested President Obama was the beneficiary of an academic conspiracy at Columbia or Harvard or both.

    Trump also planted the seed that Obama was a secret Muslim — and then told a Republican group in Las Vegas that he’d tariff the hell out of those “mother*******” in China.

    In any event, it was hard not to think about the conspiracy theory DNA/OWOW apologist “John” shared on this Blog after I reported on the failed bombing plot in Portland:

    http://patrickpretty.com/2010/11/29/owow-defender-and-phil-piccolo-apologist-demands-to-know-if-pp-blog-is-israeli-says-blog-spreads-islamophobia-and-that-terror-scares-are-fake-suggests-cover-up-followed-911-attacks/comment-page-1/#comment-14032

    As a side note, America was left breathless for about 35 or 40 minutes last night. CNN broke in just prior to 10 to announce the President would address the nation at 10:30 p.m. No one knew at first what the President would say; they just knew it would be dramatic news if he planned to address the nation late on a Sunday night.

    So, the speculation began. I switched over to Fox, where the initial speculation was that Muammar Qaddafi had been killed in Libya. For a brief time, at least, the cable networks were in an information vacuum. Word came that the intelligence community had been placed on alert, and the instant fear was the President was going to announce grave news about a foiled terrorist bid or an anticipated terrorist attack.

    Geraldo, on Fox, pointed out that there had been no reports of nuclear strikes.

    My gut feeling told me it was going to be news about bin Laden, but there was no way to know. Official Washington began to leak the news at the time the President was first scheduled to speak. Geraldo wondered aloud on Fox last night whether NBC actually would do the right thing and interrupt Trump’s show to let the American people know the President had urgent news to share.

    NBC, indeed, broke in. Thank God. Had it not broken in, the conspiracy theorists would have had enough fuel from that decision alone to go on for years.

    In any event, word dripped out that the news was about bin Laden — prior to the President’s appearance, which was delayed for an hour or so.

    Patrick

  4. I am pleased with the news that they got him, but question the rapidity with which his identity was confirmed through DNA testing. I thought it took longer to do a genetic match on somebody. I suppose there could be a very strong visual ID, but remembering how many doubles Saddam Hussein had…..?

  5. Gregg Evans: I only hope they wrapped him in bacon before they tossed him over the side of the ship.

    I don’t. It’s a waste of bacon, and why insult Muslims for no reason?

    laidback: I am pleased with the news that they got him, but question the rapidity with which his identity was confirmed through DNA testing. I thought it took longer to do a genetic match on somebody.

    I thought this would be one of the conspiracy theories. From 2009:
    Portable DNA testing machines will give results within an hour
    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6723549.ece

    Handheld DNA testing machines will revolutionise the investigation of murder, rape and other serious crime by producing results from the national database within an hour.

    At government level, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in London and the FBI in Washington are liaising over how to evaluate the different machines. Officials from the United States visited London this month and a British team will go to Washington in November.

    “They” had the machines in 2009. The DNA test is perfectly reasonable.

    Next conspiracy theory? How about the rapid burial at sea? What do “they” have to hide there?!!!

  6. They had to dispose of the body within 24 hours to not offend people, it’s one of hte muslim laws. When Saddam Husseins sons were killed they held the bodies and it upset some. They had to bury it at sea to keep it from becoming some kind of shrine, and I believe the official story that no country really wanted to accept him.

  7. laidback: I am pleased with the news that they got him, but question the rapidity with which his identity was confirmed through DNA testing. I thought it took longer to do a genetic match on somebody. I suppose there could be a very strong visual ID, but remembering how many doubles Saddam Hussein had…..?

    I heard on the news this morning that allegedly the US had the assistance of his wife.

  8. More on the conspiracy theories:
    Osama bin Laden killed: conspiracy theories proliferate in wake of raid
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8489304/Osama-bin-Laden-killed-conspiracy-theories-proliferate-in-wake-of-raid.html

    Also, I read elsewhere that the official Chinese news agency Xinhua is stating that Bin Laden was killed by the Pakistani forces, and the Americans just swooped in at the end to claim credit.

    Patrick mentioned the Trump program “Birthers” above. Another story on the Telegraph says that those who believe that bin Laden might not really be dead, or that bin Laden had been dead for years, are now being called “deathers”.
    Here come the ‘deathers’
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100086149/the-number-of-people-who-think-osama-bin-laden-is-still-alive-is-deeply-depressing/

  9. Today’s list of conspiracy theories as listed by Yahoo! News!
    Osama bin Laden conspiracy theories
    http://uk.news.yahoo.com/osama-bin-laden-conspiracy-theories.html
    Yes, I’m deeply chuffed about number 7. No list of conspiracy theories would be complete without the great Davis Icke. Patrick, you might like number 9. However, I think number 10 is the best so far.