BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE world’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, was killed last night (May 1) by American troops in Pakistan.
In an address to the nation, US President Barack Obama said bin Laden’s death has been the most significant achievement to date in his nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.
“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, Obama said.
He noted that for two decades bin Laden was al Qaeda’s leader and symbol and he had plotted attacks against the US and its friends as well as the country’s allies.
“The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our effort to defeat al Qaeda. His death does not mark the end of our effort. There is no doubt that al Qaeda will pursue attacks against us. We must, and we will, remain vigilant at home and abroad,” President Obama told the American nation.
Former US President George W. Bush, who indicated that President Obama had informed him of bin Laden’s death via telephone, said, “This momentous achievement marks a victory for Americans, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message. No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”
The al Qaeda leader, who had a US$25M bounty on his head and had evaded US forces for almost 10 years, was killed when a small team of US troops undertook an operation yesterday in Abbottabad, situated north of Pakistan’s capital Islamadad.
A US official was reported as saying that during the 40-minute operation, one helicopter was lost due to technical failure and three other men were killed, including one of bin Laden’s sons.
The official also stated that one woman was killed when she was used as a shield.
According to information reaching this publication, the size and complexity of the structure where Osama bin Laden was killed had “shocked” US officials.
The height of its walls were approximately four to six metres (12ft-18ft), eight times higher than other houses in the area, and was valued at several million dollars though it had no telephone or internet connection.
According to CNN, in addition to the 9/11 disaster in 2001, Osama bin Laden had been implicated in a series of deadly, high-profile attacks that had grown in their intensity and success during the 1990s. They included a deadly firefight with US soldiers in Somalia in October 1993, the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa that killed 224 in August 1998, and an attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors in October 2000.
CNN also reported that a senior US official said diplomatic facilities around the world were placed on high alert following the announcement of bin Laden's death, and that the US State Department issued a “worldwide caution” for Americans.
The caution includes a travel alert warning of the “enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan”. And some fear al Qaeda supporters may try to retaliate against US citizens or US institutions.
UPDATES
Osama bin Laden buried at sea
According to an Associated Press report, after bin Laden was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, senior administration officials said the body would be handled according to Islamic practice and tradition. That practice calls for the body to be buried within 24 hours, the official said. Finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world's most wanted terrorist would have been difficult, the official said. So the U.S. decided to bury him at sea.
The official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security matters, did not immediately say where that occurred.
Oil Prices
Oil prices slipped early Monday, as investors breathed a sigh of relief following news that US forces had killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Crude for June delivery fell $2.07, or nearly two percent, to $111.86 a barrel in early morning trading.
Taliban’s Response
"Now Pakistani rulers, President Zardari and the army will be our first targets. America will be our second target," Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.
US Dollar Rebound
BB reported that the US dollar has rebounded and stock markets gained in Asia and Europe after US President Barack Obama said Osama Bin Laden had been killed.
