Osama bin Laden has been killed, and the U.S. has his body, President Obama announced late Sunday night in an unusual late-night press conference at the White House.
The president said bin Laden was killed in a “U.S.-led” anti-terrorist operation last week that involved Pakistani anti-terrorist forces and intelligence officials. Obama said he received a lead months ago of the whereabouts of bin Laden deep in Pakistan outside the capital city of Islamabad, and he told CIA Director Leon Panetta to make the hunt for bin Laden the top priority of the agency.
After a firefight in his hiding place of Abbottabad, Pakistan, bin Laden was killed, and the U.S. took possession of his body, Obama said.
Obama said bin Laden had declared war with Pakistan, and today is a historic day for both the U.S. and Pakistan — a country whose relations with the U.S. have declined in recent years.
“Finally last week I decided we had enough intelligence to take action,” Obama said Sunday.
Obama did not mention the status of No. 2 in al Qaida command Ayman al-Zawahiri.
He said no American troops or civilians were harmed in the fight.
Obama said the U.S. is not and never will be at war with Islam, calling bin Laden not a Muslim but a mass murderer of Muslims.
“His demise should be welcomed by all who believe in world peace and human dignity,” Obama said. “On nights like this one, we can say to all those families [affected by 9-11] … Justice has been done.”
The Associated Press reported before Obama’s speech that bin Laden had been killed a week ago, and the U.S., in possession of the body, was waiting for the results of a DNA test confirming his identity.
The al Qaida leader’s death comes almost 10 years after the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that sparked the intense manhunt that included multiple evasions by bin Laden of anti-terrorist forces.
Before and during Obama’s announcement in Washington, onlookers gathered outside the White House and could be heard chanting “U-S-A” and singing “America the Beautiful,” among other patriotic songs.