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Osama bin Laden is Dead: Party Sunday Open Thread

Updating

ABC reporting US ground forces took him out” “all around him were killed in a very fierce battle.”

Two helicopters full of SEALS went in and did a little clean up. None were hurt. One helicopter was lost.

According to our Kysen, Joint Special Operations Command did the work:

the crème de la crème of our forces…a teamwork of Rangers, SEALS, and other elite special forces.

A woman used as a human shield was killed. Nice way to go out, dirtbag.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Consider this a Party Sunday Open Thread. :~)

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 shou
ld 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.


139 comments

  1. fogiv

    Osama bin Laden has been killed, a United States official said Sunday night. President Obama is expected to make an announcement on Sunday night, almost 10 years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

    http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com

  2. DTOzone

    in my senior year at NYU…I’ve probably spoke about it here.

    I wanted to join the Army and be the guy who killed him. I wanted to walk into the cave, with my assault rifle…look him in the face, tell him my name and I came from “New York, United States”

    and then blow him away.

    Oh well.  

  3. DTOzone

    by how many Facebook statuses in my News Feed are saying “not convinced” “don’t believe this” “too convenient”

    One referred to Osama Bin Laden as a CIA agent who was secretly working for America and Israel. CIA agents work for Israel now?

    Where do I find these crazy people?

  4. Kysen

    killed in a mansion outside of Islamabad?

    Not in a cave? In fucking luxury in Islamabad?

    Oh, yah…this looks really fucking good for Pakistan.

    Not.

    I hope they throw his body in the offal pile outside the Smithfield production plant.

    And, yes, I know that is a not nice thing for me to say.

    Fuck it.

    Fuck Pakistan.

    Fuck him.

    I hope he burns in hell.

  5. spacemanspiff

    I just let out a bit more air out of my lungs.

    It feels like I can exhale a bit better now.

    Can’t wait to hear all the details.

    USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

  6. sricki

    That’s all I have to say at this point. Just wow. I’ve been saying “wow” and “holy shit” repeatedly for the last … however long. Just…

    Wow.

    Holy shit.

  7. That our forces had had a very good bead on exactly where he was for months and took their time to get it set up, not only to get him, but to get his body for the proof.

    That’s our President.  That’s MY President!

  8. jsfox

    Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice being preempted for the announcement was the icing on the cake! ;0)

  9. fogiv

    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.

    emphasis mine. [snicker]

  10. Hollede

    but I can only remember seeing a crowd like this outside of the White House, in total celebration, happen twice in my lifetime. The first was when President Obama was elected and now again tonight with this final justice for Osama bin Laden. Both of these occurrences were/are amazingly unifying and joyous moments for our country and both happened because of President Barack Hussein Obama. Sweet justice indeed.  

  11. Kysen

    “This thing about . . . let’s put 100,000 of our special forces stomping through Pakistan in order to find bin Laden is just simply not the strategy that will work. … I truly am not that concerned about him.

    -George W. Bush (Sept ’06)

    (emPHAsis mine)

    “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.”

    -President Obama

    (emPHAsis mine)

  12. But I did. Donna too. Right at the end of that speech.

    September 11, 2001 sucked wind. So did the 12th. I spent most of the week alone in the middle of nowhere in the wrong country with no way home. The whole week blew chunks.

    Suzanne is the only person I know who somebody killed. I didn’t know her well, but she was a brilliant and sparkly voice in the world that just harmonized with me. It was the midst of the Cisco madness and hers became some of the calls that were always a bright moment in the day. I would smile when I saw her number.

    Bin Laden – the fuck – cost Suzanne’s family much more than it did me. And you can repeat that theme not 3,000 but tens and hundreds of thousands of times. The miserable freak has inspired children to wear explosive vests and perform even more horrific acts on others. This past decade of war is more at his feet than any other’s.

    Having a few hours to feel this and consider it I realize it has more of an impact than I would have expected. It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow and next week.

  13. DeniseVelez

    I have not set foot there.

    By serendipity I did not make it to work in my office at the WTC on 9/11.

    Many of my friends died there that day.

    As well as friends who were first responders.

    Closure.

    Thanks POTUS.

  14. DeniseVelez

    which I don’t usually watch (hate Morning Joke)

    that a huge amount of intel was seized in the mansion where we got Osama.

  15. Strummerson

    Not that I don’t think this is good news.  I understand the inclination to celebrate and it does give me some relief and confidence in our governments efforts to protect us…but, this is not the end or the way out of the cycle of violence.

    Then there’s my snark response: The timing is quite suspicious.  Last month he opens his reelection effort.  Last week he unveils his forged birth certificate.  Now he kills bin Laden, who was probably critically ill anyway.  He’s still an anti-American Muslim Foreigner.  And none of these blatant and obvious PR efforts can fool real Americans.

    Also, if Bush had done it, he would have been the force behind the mission.  But now, our brave forces had to do this in spite of the pansy in the White House.

  16. DTOzone

    I mean I abhor torture as much as the rest of half the country, but I just can’t get into the whole waterboarding=9/11 thing.  

  17. Rashaverak

    I wonder whether under Bush, the U.S. would have even announced killing Bin Laden. Announcing it to the world does nothing but make a martyr of him.

    50 posted on 2 May 2011 13:50:39 GMT+00:00 by kevao

    http://www.freerepublic.com/fo

  18. creamer

    people close to them 9/11. I think I understand the urge to celebrate even if I don’t have the urge personally. I’m glad he’s gone.

    Good time to declare victory and come home.

  19. fogiv

    twitter feed from guy in the neighborhood who unwittingly tweeted the raid. practically a live blog. the first tweet:

    Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).

    Reply Retweet Favorite ReallyVirtual 20 hours ago

    http://chirpstory.com/li/1288

  20. Strummerson

    From Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas in Gaza:

    “We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood….   We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him mercy with the true believers and the martyrs.”

    http://www.haaretz.com/news/di

    I guess I was wrong to support including Hamas in negotiations.  I wonder how this will affect last week’s agreement with FATAH that was supposed to clear the way for elections and negotiations…  Richard Pearl and David Horowitz and Bibi Netanyahu are gonna have a field day with this.

  21. as Joe Biden would say. It is going to dominate the news for quite a while. The response from people in this country to the news of bin Laden’s death has been quite extraordinary.

    To tell the truth, I was a little taken aback by the reaction to the news. Spontaneous celebrations broke out around the country, most noticeably in NY and DC. It was reminiscent of celebrations at the end of wars, as some have pointed out. Yet this isn’t the end of a war. It is only the death of one man. I couldn’t help but wonder why there was such a strong emotional response to the news?

    Part of the seemingly excessively celebratory nature of the response may be found in an ironic coincidence(?). The news of Osama’s death was eight years to the day from President Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” spectacle. In those eight years, there have been few, if any, reasons to celebrate. The wars have dragged on year after year and death after death. A slow draw down of troops in Iraq hardly inspires people to dance in the streets. The Afghanistan theater has given people even less reason to celebrate.

    Eight years ago, we had reason to celebrate. The ouster of the Taliban in Afghanistan had been remarkably easy. Then, in 2003, we saw the American military live up to its reputation when they defeated Saddam’s forces in a matter of days with very few allied casualties. It was a remarkable demonstration of force that showed the power of the greatest military force the world has ever known. Those were heady days, indeed.

    Then it all went to hell.

    Our great military and the brave men and women that proudly wear this country’s uniforms were suddenly asked to become occupying forces instead of doing what they are trained to do. The wars dragged on at a cost of blood and treasure that was unsustainable. People truly felt there was no end in sight. Instead of coming together in celebration we began to turn against each other. These were sad days for this country.

    That all changed last night. Finally, after eight long years, there was reason to celebrate. True, the celebration was for the death of a single man. But, that man was more than a man. He was the personification of all that we are fighting. In that one respect, he is like Hitler. He is the very embodiment of terrorism. And for that reason alone his death is justification for a cathartic release of emotion.

    May he burn in hell.

    (Does this earn me a ‘meh’, Chris?)

  22. Jjc2008

    and his team succeeded in this. I cannot cheer like it’s a football game, because in the end, people died.  Yes, Osama and those that helped and followed him, perhaps did deserve it but who am I to decide or even cheer those things.  I remember a line from “The Lord of the Rings.”

    “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

    I remember reading this the first time and stopping, thinking, taking it in.  

    For sure Osama’s actions and plans that killed many innocent people made me feel things I never want to feel.  I think, on that day and for days after, I was capable of killing him. I have never used a gun ever but in those days I could imagine myself pulling a trigger, killing a fellow human being, and not feeling regret.  I did not like that feeling.

    Now, I am glad our president and our forces did what needed to be done.  

    As for the right, as I suspected, they will not cheer him, or give him credit.  This has always been what has separated the right and the left, imo.   After 9/11 (before Iraq) I felt strong in my support of my country and all its leader.  While I did not care for W and never could, on those first two days, I was willing to open my mind and heart to be a part of the unity that I believed was good for our country, for all of us.

    I doubt if 9/11 happened under B. Clinton’s watch or Obama’s, there would be any sense of unity because no matter what either of those men do, the extreme right will hate, demean, and put them down.  With Obama, I think the racism adds to it, but I have no doubt they would have called B. Clinton (or Hillary for that matter) liars or opportunists.  IMO, the right started being conservatives before they were Americans during the civil rights area…(LBJ once remarked that he could walk across water and all the right would say would be, “See he can’t swim.”)

    I think it solidified during the Reagan years, and started to grow more extreme during the Clinton years and once again the extreme is going more extreme.

    Sad but it is how I see it.

  23. I’m so conflicted about the past few days.  A lot of different thoughts going through my head.  Sigh.  I’m glad OBL is no longer a threat but I’m not part of the celebratory crew at this person’s death.  I just can’t do it because his death does open up a very precarious situation for us all.

    But I will say this…for all the naysayers that believe this President is a coward or does not have any balls…take THAT in stick it in your pipe.  Talk about leadership!  This man is unflappable!  That’s the kind of leader I can support.  I may not agree with everything that has happened since he has taken office but my support of and for this President has not abated since January of 2008.  

    Looking forward to reading your comments.

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