"justice has been done"

may 1st, 2011

9 years, 7 months, and 20 days after September 11th, 2001

President Barack Obama delivered this statement to the nation at  10:35 P.M. CST:

"The United States of America has conducted an operation that has 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."

"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."

"On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were untied 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 out 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 Paskistan."

"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 out broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network."

"Last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden."

"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against the compound on 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."

"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda."

"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 unparallelled 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."  

"Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are; our nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."