On national television this evening, President Obama informed the public that bin Laden had been killed in a firefight with a small team of America forces who had attacked a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in an effort to capture the Al Queda leader. There were no American casualties.
The President’s speech covered just about every aspect of the situation, and reflected on the history of bin Laden and his murderous mayhem on the world. He also keyed in on an important fact: Al Queda has not been shut down. There will likely be continued attacks along with targeted reprisals for today’s successful operation.
Although the details are still sketchy, it appears that the terror leader was killed earlier in the day, and presumably verification and notification of certain world leaders was necessary before notifying the public at large.
Although there will doubtless be days and weeks of analysis of bin Laden’s killing, the events leading up to it, the aftermath, the statement it makes to terrorists, the statement it makes to leaders like Gaddafi (who just lost his own son in a NATO attack that appears to have targeted him). As the President said, it is important to remember that a large number of people in the military, intelligence, domestic security, foreign partners and our elected leaders have worked hard for the last 10 years to search out those responsible for 9/11 and to protect our interests, and they have done a magnificent job despite occasional problems.
The President deserves congratulations and appreciation for his role in continuing to lead our resources in apprehending bin Laden (dead or not). Both he and President Bush have done well in working to bring Osama to justice.
So, let’s keep the partisan bickering to a minimum for just a day, can we? This is a time to celebrate, even if there is more work to be done. This is a landmark achievement for America at a time when some were ready to give up and throw in the towel. It is immensely gratifying to see that our efforts have not been in vain.
Celebrate, and remember those who lost their lives in 2001, and who have given their lives since then in the effort to protect us all from the scourge of terror.