Jackson Free Press

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.

Previous Comments

ID

163321

Comment

Hooray and congratulations to our President, our troops, and the intelligence groups that worked together to bring justice for 9/11 by sending this POS SOB to his rightful end.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2011-05-02T10:58:55-06:00

ID

163322

Comment

So , is the "War on Terror" officially over? what strategic means can we employ to end it? There is no way to win a war against radical people who feel they have nothing to lose, no infrastructure, and no key people to take out. There is no war strategy that will successfully rid the world of radical extremists. Radicalism is born out of people being oppressed, or people perceiving themselves as oppressed. The best thing this country can do win this "War" is to become a true world/global citizen and stop trying to be a world empire. Make sure that we as a country are dealing with other nations justly and respectfully, and let the chips fall where they may in terms of how any extremists would respond, and deal with those individuals accordingly. I will feel much safer when I can say with certainty that this country deals justly with other nations and is truly a good global citizen.

Author

Renaldo Bryant

Date

2011-05-02T11:18:22-06:00

ID

163323

Comment

Blackwatch, I agree fundamentally with what you said, and you might note that nowhere in the speech does Obama use the phrase "war on Terror." Like the wars we have on other nouns, I think it's nonsensical, and I think POTUS feels similarly. (Not sure if he's as into doing away with the drug war or not, but he avoids "war on terror" in my experience.) He calls it war against Al Qaeda, and, in that light, it might be interesting to note that he's making General Petreaus head of CIA. It suggests there's something of a new 21st century landscape out there where the U.S. will be developing sophisticated anti-terrorism protocols for dealing with these new realities while, at the same time, promoting the revolutions and democratic institutions in the region. It's interesting to watch, and only causes one to ponder more and more how much further down this road we'd be if we hadn't wasted time, lives and treasure in Iraq.

Author

Todd Stauffer

Date

2011-05-02T12:07:03-06:00

ID

163326

Comment

I agree Gentlemen. So glad we have a president who isn't a warmonger, chickenhawk, coward, xenophobe, bully, colonizer/imperialist, obvious liar and nut. Now we await Obama's critics and haters to respond and dirty up what seems to be progress.

Author

Walt

Date

2011-05-02T17:15:56-06:00

ID

163330

Comment

I don't think anyone can deny that the death of UBL leaves the world a better place. I also don't think anyone is shocked that he was living less than a mile from a Pakistani military academy either. This is not over by a long shot folks. There are lots of people out there that would love to take Usama's place and they are not afraid to prove their abilities to other terrorists. It is progress, and I congratulate the president and all those involved, but this is not anywhere close to over.

Author

Jacksonlibertarian

Date

2011-05-02T19:54:16-06:00

ID

163331

Comment

What President Obama did, through his duties as Commander-in-Chief in bringing bin Laden to justice, was legitimate; it was indeed the right action to take. War is never ideal, but it is occasionally necessary. And I consider the murder of 3,000 innocent civilians more than enough reason to deem this as totally necessary.

Author

jamesparker

Date

2011-05-03T05:07:07-06:00

ID

163332

Comment

Yes, Walt, glad we have a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president celebrating death. Though Obama was heralded as the anti-Bush, he still flies into Libya and declares it as his war-of-choice without asking permission from congress. Could have sworn W was chastised for this. I am shamelessly paraphrasing John MacArthur but we both hold the same sentiments for W and Obama, especially considering how one president was loathed by the "END THIS WAR!" crowd and another president is somehow skating by unscathed.

Author

jbreland

Date

2011-05-03T09:02:19-06:00

ID

163337

Comment

No, Blackwatch, acts of terrorism are certain to be attempted. The goal is to continue to strengthen our ability to stop it before it happens. We talk so much about the tragedies that ben Laden and his Al-Qaeda organization have caused; however, we are forgetting aobut our "home-grown terrorist", i.e., Timothy Mcvey. The next phase of this movement should, in my opinion, be the appeal to the hearts of men/women throughout the world. National security will not be improved with the concept of "MIGHT" but, with the acknowledgement of "RIGHT".

Author

justjess

Date

2011-05-03T11:48:56-06:00

ID

163346

Comment

JBreland, you seem to have misremembered why Bush was criticized. No one attacked him for failing to ask Congress for permission to go to war in Iraq. He did ask and receive permission. The problem was that he misled both Congress and the American people in making the case for that war. (I assume that the Bush Administration truly believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, but the administration was deliberately deceptive about the poor quality of the evidence they had to support their claims.) It goes without saying that there can be no comparison of our involvement in Libya with the war in Iraq. We have no ground troops in Libya, among other differences. We also have a UN mandate and a broad coalition that includes NATO, not some pathetic "coalition of the willing." Beyond that, anyone who believes that Obama promised to be a dove must not have paid attention to the things he actually said in his campaign for the presidency, when he made it clear that he would be much more aggressive in Afghanistan and Pakistan than Bush had been. The death of bin Laden is one result.

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2011-05-03T16:19:42-06:00

ID

163347

Comment

Thanks Brian for correcting JBreland on the facts. Nonetheless, I'm not crazy about Obama authorizing our going into Libya. I don't know that the Libyan people were suffering to any great extent under their leader no matter how he got to be leader. However, if you're going o invade, the Obama administration seemed to have done it with great precision and little damage to us. Then he got a real coalition to go along with it. President Bush said this morning with Condoleeza, Cheney and Rumsfeld looking on that had he known, despite the animal rights groups, that the seals he saw at Seaworld could be drafted into the navy and trained to fire weapons and walk staircases he would have used them on his watch to look for Bin Laden. Cheney was so senile he nodded in agreement. Condo was so loyal she refused to correct him. And Rumsfeld was so enamored by the idea of personally profiting from the idea that he didn't even look befuddled. I imagine he was trying to figure out how to privatize the Navy Seals for his financial reward.

Author

Walt

Date

2011-05-03T17:00:02-06:00

ID

163354

Comment

Pardon my ignorance, Brian. However, I, among many, do not care if we place ground troops in Libya or we drop bombs from outer space. Killing is killing and I would never want my country involved, regardless of what President is pulling the trigger.

Author

jbreland

Date

2011-05-04T11:28:57-06:00

ID

163364

Comment

I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. It's all pretty disturbing! I don't understand the obsession with people wanting to see pictures and videos. I'm glad they dealt with bin Laden, but I don't need to see a picture of anybody with their head blown off. I'll just believe them on this one! Even if Bush were still in office, I would believe it if they said they got him. Why would they lie about it, just to have them release a video proving we lied? I am also disturbed by the celebrating and dancing in the streets. He was a horrible person that changed the lives of ALL Americans, but celebrating death is just not right. Remember when we saw the footage of them dancing in the streets after we were attacked on 9/11? A lot of folks around here and on Facebook are saying some incredibly ignorant stuff about this. They don't want to give Obama credit. They say this happened because of what Bush started. They think it is a re-election strategy for Obama and don't believe it, so they demand pictures. Hell, even Dick Cheney congratulated the president. He said they used information from the Clinton presidency, then did what they did and passed on their info to the Obama administration. This is a victory for America, not just one person! Having said that, I do give most of the credit to Obama. I remember when Bush said, in 2002, "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority," then he shifted his focus to Iraq. Compare that to what Obama said in the 2008 debates, "If we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act, and we will take them out. We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority." Now, we can say "Mission Accomplished," without the aircraft carrier landing and the flight uniform exaggerating his crotch. Obama handled this just right! This is how Bush should have handled it from the start. A surgical strike to remove the problem, not an endless "War on Terror" that ends up being a ground war against countries that had nothing to do with 9/11.

Author

Tre

Date

2011-05-05T08:06:43-06:00