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Obama: Bin Laden dead


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2011 May 1, 3:05pm   12,045 views  72 comments

by Vicente   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

Done!

East Room

11:35 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: 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.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON OSAMA BIN LADEN

#politics

« First        Comments 48 - 72 of 72        Search these comments

48   MarkInSF   2011 May 2, 3:39pm  

Not a huge fan of mediamatters but this was interesting

Rush Slamming Obama for saying he'd sent in troops into Pakistan to capture or kill Osama:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW_ZLK1R-os

And today:

Congratulations, Mr. President, for Continuing Bush Anti-Terror Policy

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_050211/content/01125106.guest.html

Seriously, it you don't realize Rush Limbaugh is a hypocritical asshole now, there is something deeply flawed about your character.

49   MarkInSF   2011 May 2, 3:50pm  

Actually, I may have to eat my words after reading beyond the headline:

Rush:

He did not scrub the mission to get Bin Laden. In fact, it may be that President Obama single-handedly came up with the technique in order to pull this off. You see, the military wanted to go in there and bomb like they always do. They wanted to go in there and drop missiles and launch bombs, a number of totally destructive techniques here. But President Obama, perhaps the only qualified member in the room to deal with this, insisted on the Special Forces. No one else thought of that. Not a single intelligence advisor, not a single national security advisor, not a single military advisor came up with the idea of using SEAL Team 6 or any of the Special Forces.

Our military wanted to go in there and just scorch the earth, leaving no evidence of anything after the mission. But President Obama single-handedly understood what was at stake here. He alone understood the need to get DNA to prove the death. Obama alone understood the aftermath, alone understood that there would be doubting Thomases if the place was just obliterated and no evidence was to be found. According to news reports, not one member of the military, not General Petraeus, nobody in the intel community, nobody had the slightest idea of going in there and using Special Forces. It was President Obama, single-handedly and alone, who came up with the strategy that brought about the effective assassination of Osama Bin Laden.

Wow.

50   marcus   2011 May 2, 4:48pm  

Later he said that if Obama were a shoo in for 2012 that BinLaden would still be alive. In other words Obama only did it for political reasons. Typical republican projection, because they assume that all people are like they are, only in it for their own selfish gain. Hey, I guess it's human nature to assume that others are motivated by the same things that you are.

http://www.politicususa.com/en/rush-limbaugh-bin-laden

See down towards the end.

51   MarkInSF   2011 May 2, 4:59pm  

marcus says

See down towards the end.

Yeah, I know. He's a total prick, just like I said in my first post. Still, I was kind of surprised at his gushing words, that when far beyond the boilerplate congratulations.

52   RayAmerica   2011 May 3, 1:09am  

simchaland says

We liberals respect every human life, even our enemies. (The unborn are not yet humans, they are potential humans so don’t even go there.)

Very interesting observation. In the procedure known as "partial birth abortion," the baby is killed as it begins to emerge from the mother's womb. According to your definition, at that point it is not "human." And yet, had it been granted the extra several minutes (or seconds) to emerge alive, it would suddenly be "human." I can't think of a better illustration to prove the radical death culture of the radicalized left.

54   terriDeaner   2011 May 3, 2:21am  

gowi says

...

Ha, ha!

I was wondering when someone would pull this lil' number... let the good times roll!

55   HousingWatcher   2011 May 3, 3:13am  

If Bush deserves credit for killing Bin Laden, then Bill Clinton deserves credit for capturing Saddam Hussein.

56   Done!   2011 May 3, 4:59am  

marcus says

Later he said that if Obama were a shoo in for 2012 that BinLaden would still be alive. In other words Obama only did it for political reasons. Typical republican projection, because they assume that all people are like they are, only in it for their own selfish gain. Hey, I guess it’s human nature to assume that others are motivated by the same things that you are.

Oh yeah, sure like Rush has copyright on that sentiment. Right!!!

57   MarkInSF   2011 May 3, 5:08pm  

shrekgrinch says

How many quotes do you think I can find where Obama said one thing but then said an entirely different thing? Take the debt ceiling votes, for just one example.

So, if you don’t realize Barak Hussein Obama is a hypocritical asshole now, there is something deeply flawed about your character as well.

Touché.

58   Huntington Moneyworth III, Esq   2011 May 3, 10:22pm  

I am glad there is at least one thing shrekgrinch and I agree on: praise for the men and women who executed the presidents orders. But I cannot fathom why right-wingers can't give Obama credit where it is due. Are Obama hatred so blinded by hate they can't see the truth? Even ultra right congress people are praising Obama for assembling the right team to get the job done. Even they understand the potential risks taken by Obama (political and personal) to order this mission. Obama is target number one by al Qaeda now. Can the righties here give Obama any credit?

59   ArtimusMaxtor   2011 May 3, 10:26pm  

Yea sure ok.

60   ArtimusMaxtor   2011 May 3, 10:28pm  

I'm waiting on the movie. I don't know why the heck it's taking so long.

61   ArtimusMaxtor   2011 May 3, 10:32pm  

Mark that was precious.

62   ArtimusMaxtor   2011 May 3, 10:39pm  

This is just further proof that Obama can tread water. Has the cure for rickets. Can turn grey hair blonde. He does not have to cut his toe nails like the rest of us. We are all amazed and astonished at his daring feets. We are sure Hitler is dead. There is a lot of uniformity in that statement. Ergo Osama sleeps with the fishes. Of that we are sure. Gods gonna bless the United States. I can't wait for that to happen. Everybody thats not a believer. Time to start running like hell.

63   Vicente   2011 May 4, 12:20am  

shrekgrinch says

If Obama had any brains, yes. But he doesn’t…except when it comes to lying, really.

You could just cut and paste this in every post, instead of your usual keyboard diarrhea.

64   RayAmerica   2011 May 4, 4:28am  

Here’s Nancy Pelosi from a press conference on September 7, 2006:

[E]ven if [Osama bin Laden] is caught tomorrow, it is five years too late. He has done more damage the longer he has been out there. But, in fact, the damage that he has done . . . is done. And even to capture him now I don’t think makes us any safer.

And here’s Nancy Pelosi yesterday:

The death of Osama bin Laden marks the most significant development in our fight against al-Qaida. . . . I salute President Obama, his national security team, Director Panetta, our men and women in the intelligence community and military, and other nations who supported this effort for their leadership in achieving this major accomplishment. . . . [T]he death of Osama bin Laden is historic. . . .

65   Â¥   2011 May 4, 11:40am  

SoCal Renter says

But I cannot fathom why right-wingers can’t give Obama credit where it is due. Are Obama hatred so blinded by hate they can’t see the truth?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Bullshit

66   Â¥   2011 May 4, 1:57pm  

Nothing like a Tu quoque fallacy argument to highlight how full of bullshit Shrek and the rest of the conservatives that roll by here are. These guys are really descending into clown-like behavior now.

67   marcus   2011 May 4, 3:29pm  

"A patriot's guide to still hating Obama for killing Osama"

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/05/03/osama_reactions_guide

"Did you know that Osama's been dead for years, kept on ice, until Obama needed a poll boost? Also he's not really dead, and also he's been dead since 2002. Also Obama didn't even want to kill Osama but the military made him. And Obama only did this to silence Donald Trump."

68   TechGromit   2011 May 5, 6:19am  

The only question I have is how the raid was carried out. I would think landing a mile or so from the Osama bin Laden compound, silently sneaking up on it, using a ladder and some wire cutters to make short work of this barriers then sneak into the compound and take them by surprise would be a better strategy. Stealth and silencers would make for a far safer operation then landing in the court yard saying were here. 40 minutes seems like an awfully long time for superior numbers that are better trained and equipped to kill 5 defenders. If bin Laden's guys were better organized, a good half a hour would be more than enough time to burn and destroy any documents that would be of use to the American military.

69   Â¥   2011 May 5, 6:29am  

40 minutes seems like an awfully long time for superior numbers that are better trained and equipped to kill 5 defenders

No, most of that was gathering intelligence. The actual op apparently went quickly.

Any plan that has the singular attribute of working successfully is difficult to criticize.

I too thought that making the insertion further away would be better, but we don't know what the military knows about the situation.

For one, that area is wired down by the Pakistanis. Insertions require local assets and risk early discovery and conflict with the local gendarmerie.

Bumrushing the villa in a direct aerial assault doesn't really sacrifice that much surprise. In fact, since it was a super-secret stealth helicopter that made the landing, it might have increased it compared to an infiltration attempt.

Arguably better to have two fireteams in the courtyard than separate teams trying to be Solid Snake sneaking over the walls.

70   MarkInSF   2011 May 5, 9:04am  

shrekgrinch says

Uh…I just provided one in the very same quote you decided to ‘interpret’ in our own way, gowi.

LOL. Yeah you gave an IMAGINARY example:

shrekgrinch says

The path to understanding that is to simply imagine a scenario where this happened with a President McCain instead.

71   tatupu70   2011 May 5, 11:26am  

So, when someone asks for an EXAMPLE, you give a SCENARIO. And you claim other posters have poor reading comprehension?

Oh, and by the way. Just checked. Linda Lingle is still a Republican

72   American in Japan   2011 May 5, 6:36pm  

Two readings of interest. It's not necessary to agree with everything, but some good points are made.

http://www.alternet.org/story/150842/did_osama_bin_laden_win_the_%22war_on_terror%22?page=entire

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/five-things/osama-bin-ladens-death-and-its-impact-on-u-s-foreign-policy/9057/

I tend to thnk that Bin Laden wanted to get the US to "bankrupt itself" with a larger and larger military expenditure.

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