Nearly 10 years after the 9/11 attacks, U.S. forces have killed Osama bin Laden, President Obama announced tonight.
Bin Laden was reportedly killed earlier today by U.S. forces in the
Pakistan city of Abbottobad, roughly 90 miles from Islamabad. The raid on bin Laden’s compound, where he had been suspected of living since last August, lasted roughly 40 minutes and left no U.S. casualties.
In his speech, President Obama sounded notes of resolute triumph: “Justice has been done.”
“We must also reaffirm, the United States is not and never will be
at war with Islam,” the president continued. “Bin Laden was not a Muslim
leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims. His demise should be
welcomed by all who welcome peace and human dignity.”
Reaction to the news, which leaked to Twitter roughly 20 minutes before the speech, was swift.
In a statement, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg cheered the news:
“The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New
Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically
important victory for our nation — and a tribute to the millions of men
and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for
our nation.”
The sentiment was shared across the country and the political spectrum. In New York, celebrants gathered at Ground Zero, while in Washington, crowds assembled in streets outside the White House to celebrate, chant “U-S-A!” and— reportedly — sing “Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye.”
