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Washington: The world`s most wanted man,
Osama bin Laden is dead, US President Barack Obama has confirmed. Osama was
killed in a firefight in Pakistan, he added.
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In a dramatic, late-night White House speech, Obama revealed that he had
been briefed last August on a possible lead to Osama’s whereabouts and he
authorised an operation last week to bring the al Qaeda chief “to justice”.
The President also said that Osama’s body was in US custody.
A small team of Americans carried out the operation in Abbottabad in which
no US national was killed and care was taken to avoid civilian casualties,
he said.
"The United States has conducted an
operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda and a
terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of men, women and
children," Obama announced.
"Justice has been done," the President added.
The US believes that three adults besides Osama bin Laden were killed in
Sunday`s raid in Pakistan and that one of the dead was an adult son of bin
Laden, a senior Obama administration official said.
Obama nonetheless added that the US must and will stay vigilant against more
attacks.
It is a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team, after
many Americans had given up hope of ever finding Osama bin Laden.
`A momentous occasion’
Wild celebrations have broken out in America following the confirmation of
Osama’s death.
Former US president George W Bush, who had repeatedly vowed to bring Osama
bin Laden to justice "dead or alive" for the September 11, 2001 attacks,
described al Qaeda chief’s death as “a momentous occasion”.
"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.
Former US president Bill Clinton said in a statement: "This is a profoundly
important moment not just for the families of those who lost their lives on
9/11 and in al Qaeda`s other attacks but for people all over the world who
want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our
children."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is also likely to hold a press conference soon
and will speak on the development.
US-Pak ties
In a bid to soothe concerns, Obama said the US will never be at war with
Islam. He further called Osama a mass murderer of Muslims. He urged all to
welcome the demise of Osama.
Touching upon Washington’s ties with Islamabad, which are reported to be
strained of late, Obama said he called upon Pakistan President Asif Ali
Zardari and the leaders agreed that this is a historic day.
The Americans did not choose this fight, which started with a senseless
slaughter, Obama said, adding he would never tolerate US’ security being
compromised.
Officials long believed Osama was hiding a mountainous region along the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The Saudi-born leader of al Qaeda had been hunted since a series of attacks
on Western targets including the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and
Washington.
The development comes just months before the tenth anniversary of the
September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, orchestrated by
Osama’s al Qaeda organisation, that killed more than 3,000 people.
The attacks set off a chain of events that led the United States into wars
in Afghanistan, and then Iraq, and America`s entire intelligence apparatus
was overhauled to counter the threat of more terror attacks at home.
Al Qaeda was also blamed for the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa
that killed 231 people and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17
American sailors in Yemen, as well as countless other plots, some successful
and some foiled.
(With Agencies’ inputs)
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