BREAKING NEWS

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UBL killed in a "ground operation" ... in Pakistan. Interesting.

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Senior Pakistani intelligence official confirms that Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan.

@ap

[TitanTiger 21,064]

Closet Muslim, eh?

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Closet Muslim, eh?

Yep, a Kenyan Muslim accomplished the mission. Who would have thunk it?

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Downtown State College, Pa. http://yfrog.com/gydwwyvj

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UBL shot "at least once in the head" - can you imagine being that guy?

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How much consideration was given to blasting "All I Do Is Win" as Obama stepped away from the mic?

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How much consideration was given to blasting "All I Do Is Win" as Obama stepped away from the mic?

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CNN interview with NYC firefighter: "I know I speak for every New York city firefighter when I say I hope he rots in hell."

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“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.” - Mark Twain

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May 1, 1945: Hitler confirmed dead. May 1, 2011: Bin Laden confirmed dead. 66 years later. If it's 66 years and 6 hours, that's freaky.

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“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.” - Mark Twain

+1

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President Obama statement:

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.

George W. Bush statement:

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."

http://wireupdate.com/wires/17092/statement-by-former-u-s-president-bush-on-bin-ladens-death/

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Whoa, this guy was live tweeting the raid (w/o knowing about it)...

@ReallyVirtual

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Presidential Debate, October 7, 2008:

MR. BROKAW: Senator McCain, thank you very much.

Next question for Senator Obama. It comes from the F Section, and it's from Katie Hamm. Katie?

Q: Should the United States respect Pakistani sovereignty and not pursue al Qaeda terrorists who maintain bases there, or should we ignore their borders and pursue our enemies, like we did in Cambodia during the Vietnam War?

SEN. OBAMA: Well, Katie, it's a terrific question.

And we have a difficult situation in Pakistan. I believe that part of the reason we have a difficult situation is because we made a bad judgment going into Iraq in the first place when we hadn't finished the job of hunting down bin Laden and crushing al Qaeda.

So what happened was we got distracted, we diverted resources, and ultimately bin Laden escaped, set up base camps in the mountains of Pakistan in the northwest provinces there.

They are now raiding our troops in Afghanistan, destabilizing the situation. They're stronger now than at any time since 2001. And that's why I think it's so important for us to reverse course because that's the central front on terrorism. They are plotting to kill Americans right now. As Secretary Gates, the Defense secretary, said, the war against terrorism began in that region, and that's where it will end.

So part of the reason I think it's so important for us to end the war in Iraq is to be able to get more troops into Afghanistan, put more pressure on the Afghan government to do what it needs to do, eliminate some of the drug trafficking that's funding terrorism.

But I do believe that we have to change our policies with Pakistan. We can't coddle, as we did, a dictator, give him billions of dollars, and then he's making peace treaties with the Taliban and militants. What I have said is we're going encourage democracy in Pakistan, expand our non-military aid to Pakistan so that they have more of a stake in working with us, but insisting that they go after these militants.

And 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.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2011/may/01/obama-vowed-kill-osama-bin-laden/

So let's think about this for a second: Iraq war winding down, combat troops removed, check. More troops into Afghanistan, check. Kill bin Laden, check.

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Pakistani official: fighters on the roof of #Osama's compound opened fire on choppers as they came close to the building with RPG's. (AP)

@CBSNews

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Still waiting on DNA results? This guy has it handled.

I've thought this dude has been dead for months. Would love to see some obvious proof.

At least we knew Saddam was captured and ultimately hanged.

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Finally, a President strong enough to get the job done. "Mission Acompplished"

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Press Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the Killing of Osama bin Laden: http://wh.​gov/CrN

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While I think it provides justice and closure to those affected by 9/11, what does this really mean?

Nothing.

Bin Laden was a figurehead. There are many more terrorists left to deal with.

Gas prices are going to continue to soar and our debt will continue rise.

This is SSDD, it's just this one happens to be the Tom Cruise of terrorists.

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Gas prices are going to continue to soar...

U.S. stock-index futures and shares jumped, while crude oil dropped the most in two weeks and the yen weakened after President Barack Obama said Osama bin Laden is dead.

...

“This is a positive development in the campaign against terrorism,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at Manila-based Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. in Manila. “In the last 10 years, bin Laden’s presence has been a serious threat to global stability.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/s-p-500-futures-jump-oil-drops-on-bin-laden-s-death-yen-silver-decline.html

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How much consideration was given to blasting "All I Do Is Win" as Obama stepped away from the mic?

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While I think it provides justice and closure to those affected by 9/11, what does this really mean?

Nothing.

Bin Laden was a figurehead. There are many more terrorists left to deal with.

Gas prices are going to continue to soar and our debt will continue rise.

This is SSDD, it's just this one happens to be the Tom Cruise of terrorists.

I think this is an example of one of two extremes. The first of course is to think that OBL's death will somehow end the war on terror or that Al Qaida will slink away and collapse immediately. It's one guy. It's one step.

The other extreme is to say that it means "nothing." It's much more significant than that. It is just one man, but it was a very important one. This guy had taken on superhuman status in the eyes of his followers. This not only brings a sense of justice and accomplishment to us, but is a damaging psychological blow to Al Qaida and her sympathizers. It could signal the beginning of the end for them.

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Finally, a President strong enough to get the job done. "Mission Acompplished"

Obama didn't do it alone..... Thank you U.S. Navy Seals!