Bin Laden Reported Dead; "Justice Has Been Done," Obama Announces

Osama bin Laden, terrorist and mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, has been killed by U.S. forces in a firefight in Pakistan, president Barack Obama announced to the nation in a speech late Sunday evening.

"We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies," Obama said. "We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror:  Justice has been done."

The news sparked celebrations across the country, and television media showed images of celebrations in New York City and at the White House. Students at the University of Maryland also celebrated the news,

Tips on bin Laden's whereabouts first surfaced in August, Obama said.

"It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground," Obama said. "I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.  And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in 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 Washington Post reported that U.S. forces flew into bin Laden's compound in helicopters and shot him in the head after he resisted the attack. Details of the hunt for bin Laden's whereabouts are also available via the Huffington Post.

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

Several local residents were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks of nearly ten years ago. Chevy Chase resident Michele M. Heidenberger, a flight attendant for American Airlines flight 77, died when the hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon,

Late Monday evening, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement on bin Laden's death:

“The death of Osama bin Laden is an important milestone in the fight against terrorism and a relief to millions of Americans and others around the world who have felt his murderous destruction.  Osama bin Laden was a murderer who devoted his life to the destruction of freedom, democracy and our way of life.  Tonight all Americans can feel safer knowing that bin Laden is dead, but we must remain vigilant in the continued fight against al-Qaeda and any terrorists who seek to harm our nation.  I join the President and all Americans in thanking the military professionals who carried out this mission. We depend on them and owe them our gratitude and our prayers.”