WASHINGTON (MNI) – President Obama Sunday night confirmed a small
team of Americans killed 9/11 terrorist Osama Bin Laden earlier in the
day after he authorized the operation following months of tracking
down rumors of Bin Laden’s whereabouts.

That the leader of Al Qaida was living in a mansion 40 miles from
Islamabad, Pakistan, with members of his family — some of whom were
also killed — and not in the lawless tribal areas of Afganhistan was
the major surprise within the unexpected yet long-awaited announcement.

By the time President Obama spoke to the TV cameras shortly before
midnight, word had already spread of the operation, drawing a crowd
cheering outside the White House gates.

“Tonight, I can report to the American people and the world, the
United States has conducted an operation that has killed Osama bin
Laden, the leader of al Qaida,” the president said.

“Last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence
community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden,” Obama said.
“It was far from certain and it took many months of work to run this
thread to ground.”

“I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed
more information about the possibility that we located bin Laden hiding
within a compound deep inside Pakistan,” he continued.

“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,” he said. “Today, at my direction, the United
States launched a targeted operation against that compound.”

“A small team of Americans carried out the operation with
extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed,” he
continued. “They took care to avoid civilian casualties.”

“After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of
his body,” Obama said.

The attack took place in the northwestern Pakistani district of
Abbottabad and involved at least two American helicopters. A Pakistani
helicopter reportedly crashed in the operation.

The crowd outside the White House continued to grow past midnight,
at one point singing the national anthem and waving the American flag.

“There is no doubt al Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against
us,” Obama said.

“Our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslin leader,”
he said.

The president said Pakistan helped “lead us to bin Laden and the
compound where he was hiding.”

“As a country we will never tolerate our security being threatened,”
Obama said, “nor stand idly by when our people have been killed.”

“On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have
lost loved ones to al Qaida’s terror, justice has been done,” he said.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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