Obama on Bin Laden: "Justice Has Been Done"
By Chuck Sudo in News on May 2, 2011 12:00PM
Fulfilling a promise he made during the 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama announced around 10:30 CST that al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden had been killed in a raid. A crowd of people gathered outside the White House while the President made his remarks in celebration. bin Laden's death comes nearly ten years after the September 2001 terrorist attacks catapulted him to the ranks of one of the world's most wanted men and a political bogeyman in America. The body of bin Laden was later buried at sea.
Attempts to capture of kill bin Laden over the years had proven to be futile. It was well-known that he was in hiding in Pakistan. but Senior White House officials told MSNBC that intelligence gathered since last fall pinpointed bin Laden's location to an elaborate compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. bin Laden was killed along with one of his sons and two couriers who eventually tipped officials to his whereabouts.
It was also revealed that Pakistani officials were not informed of the raid and that U.S. troops acted alone. Obama said during the 2008 presidential campaign that, if the U.S. had actionable intelligence about bin Laden's whereabouts and that he was in Pakistan, he would authorize troops to capture or kill him. Obama's remarks drew sharp criticism from Republican opponents and his chief rival for the Democratic Presidential nomination (and now his Secretary of State), Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama said in his remarks to the nation upon news of bin Laden's death:
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.
You can read the full transcript of Obama's remarks here. Already, Hamas and condemned the raid as an "assassination" and calling bin Laden an "Arab holy warrior. The Taliban in Pakistan have vowed retaliation against government leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan army and the United States. Former President George Bush, who tried and failed during his Presidency to capture or kill bin Laden, called the event a "momentous achievement."