Americas
Osama bin Laden killed in Pakistan
US president confirms al-Qaeda leader's death, saying he has been killed in
firefight following US raid in Abbottabad.
Last Modified: 02 May 2011 03:31
Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, is dead.
US president Barack Obama said bin Laden, the most-wanted fugitive on the US
list, has been killed on Sunday in a US operation in the Pakistani city of
Abbottabad, about 150km north of Islamabad.
"Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the
United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden, a
terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people," Obama said in
a statement.
"Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they
killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against
al-Qaeda.
"We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war
against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many
Muslims," Obama said.
US celebrations
Barack Obama called bin Laden's death the 'most significant achievement' againt
al-Qaeda [EPA]
As the news of bin Laden's death spread, crowds gathered outside the White
House in Washington DC to celebrate.
Former US president George Bush called his death a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable
message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Bush said in a
statement.
According to Al Jazeeera's Rosalind Jordan in Washington, the operation had
been in the making for the last nine or 10 months.
"The fact that it happened inside Pakistan, there have been suggestions that
Pakistani intelligence may have been protecting them," she said.
Patty Culhane, another Al Jazeera correspondent, said the US authorities got
intelligence last September and were able to track bin Laden down through his
couriers. They followed them to his compound which is reported to be worth over
a million dollars.
Reporting from Pakistan, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the development had
caught a lot of people by surprise .
"He was considered by many as a hero, but not to the extent that people would
come out on the streets. The reaction so far not likely to be strong on the
streets, perhaps a protest here or there by the religious parties," he said.
'Symbolic victory'
Qais Azimy, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said Afghan officials
described bin Laden's killing as a "symbolic victory", since he was no longer
directly connected to the group's field operations.
"This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by
Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden"
Mark Kimmit, US military analyst
Mark Kimmit, a US military analyst, said bin Laden's death "was not the end of
terrorism, but an end of a chapter."
"Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic
value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day
to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and
that will be there for a number of years.
"This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by
bin Laden, but it definitely is more than bin Laden," he said.
It is, however, a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security
team. Obama's predecessor, George Bush, had repeatedly vowed to bring to
justice the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and
Washington, but never did before leaving office in early 2009.
He had been the subject of a search since he eluded US soldiers and Afghan
militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. The
trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials
believed he had been hiding in Pakistan.
While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his views in
videotapes spirited from his hideaway.
Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of
attacks - including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.
Having the body may help convince any doubters that bin Laden is really dead.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
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