Politics & Government

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Confirms in Speech

President announces the terrorist leader is dead

Update: 11:49 p.m. A team of Americans attacked and killed Osama bin Laden today at a compound in Pakistan, President Barack Obama said during a late-night speech to the nation Sunday.

Bin Laden's death ends nearly a decade of searching for the Al Qaeda mastermind, who directed the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans.

"But his death doesn’t mark end of our efforts. We must and will remain vigilant at home and abroad," the President said in his speech.

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In his minutes-long speech, the President thanked the intelligence community – who secured leads on bin Laden's location in August. He also said that this fight was never about Islam.

“The U.S. is not – and never will be – at war with Islam … bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims," he said.

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"Justice has been done," Obama said.

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Nearly 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Osama Bin Laden is dead, news sources began to report Sunday night.

A U.S. Official told the New York Times that the leader was dead Sunday night. 

Shortly after the White House released a statement around 10:20 p.m. saying the President would make an announcement on an undisclosed topic, speculation exploded on Twitter. Minutes later, The New York Times and the Washington Post  reported bin Laden had been killed in a CIA operation in Pakistan, citing a number of sources.

"Tonight I can report to the American people and to the world, that 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 innocent men, women and children," Obama said in his statement.


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