US President Barack Obama revealed that nearly 10 years after the September 11, 2001 attack, which claimed almost 3,000 lives in the US, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in an operation in Pakistan, CNN.com reports. “Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan,” he is quoted as saying. “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.”"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda," he adds. "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."
According to US media reports quoted on Inquirer.net, bin Laden’s body was buried at sea following Islamic tradition. Before being discovered in Pakistan, the terrorist leader had successfully remained out of sight for years, despite the worldwide manhunt launched to find him and the $25-million reward on his head. US forces finally found his hiding place by patiently tracking one of his couriers over an extended period, a senior US official revealed.
CNN.com reports that crowds celebrated bin Laden’s death outside the White House, chanting “USA! USA!” and “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye!” Still others belted out the National Anthem. Meanwhile, those who gathered at Ground Zero in New York, where the twin towers used to stand, sang “God Bless America.”
The US State Department has issued a worldwide alert for traveling Americans because of “enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan.”
For more information on this story, read any of these articles:
- President Obama’s full statement on the death of Osama bin Laden on CNN.com
- US has killed Osama bin Laden —Obama on Inquirer.net
- Bin Laden is dead, Obama says on NYTimes.com
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(Screencap courtesy of CNN.com)
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