Washington, May 2
Announcing the killing of Osama bin Laden, US President Barack Obama today insisted that that the Al-Qaida chief was not a “Muslim leader” but “a mass murderer of Muslims” and made it clear America would never be at war with Islam.

“As we do, we must also reaffirm that the US is not — and never will be — at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam,” Obama said in his speech.

He said bin Laden was not a “Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims”. Obama said Al-Qaida had slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including those in America. “So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity,” Obama said.

Meanwhile, Laden's elimination is not just a long-awaited victory for the United States in the fight against terrorism but a significant and personal success for President Barack Obama, who is expected to shortly launch his bid for re-election next year.

Obama, who has been keen on ending the US' war in Afghanistan, made the issue of killing the world's most wanted terrorist the centre of his election campaign in 2008 along with several domestic issues.

"We will kill bin Laden," the now 49-year-old Obama bluntly declared during the days that preceded his election as the US President in November 2008.

After he took over as President in January 2009, Obama never missed any opportunity to tell Americans that his administration was serious in eliminating bin Laden, who declared an open war against the US and killed thousands of Americans in terror attacks, including the 9/11.

And, the killing of bin Laden, considered a major foreign policy success, would not have come at a better time for Obama as he is faced with criticism from Republicans and others of his foreign policy. Opinion polls have been saying that his popularity among Americans is decreasing day by day.

However, announcing the death of bin Laden at a rare late-night press conference at the East Room of the White House, Obama did not take personal credit for the success.

Obama, who has always insisted that terrorists across the world should be denied safe havens, dedicated the success to American soldiers and people.

The President also used the moment to remember the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and issued a renewed call for national unity.

"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda," Obama said in his speech. He was cautious when he said bin Laden's death does not mark the end of the US' effort.

The US President also rightly used the opportunity to reaffirm the Islam world that the US is not at war with them. "As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam," Obama said.

Obama insisted that bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, but a "mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, Al-Qaida has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity." And, Obama also called his predecessor George W Bush, who mounted an offensive against the then Taliban regime in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, to convey him the news that Osama bin Laden was no more. Obama also spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari before formally announcing the killing of Osama. — PTI

The US has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaida, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory. We were 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-Qaida, an organisation headed by Osama bin Laden. And so we went to war against Al-Qaida. Around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of Al-Qaida terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot. Yet Osama avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan.

Shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority. Last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden, hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. Last week, I determined we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorised an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the US launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. 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-Qaida. — IANS