Osama Bin Laden has been killed in a special operation near Islamabad in Pakistan, US President Barack Obama says.
US forces have reportedly took possession of Bin Laden's body after a firefight.
President Obama said the operation was carried out by a small number of Americans.
"I report to the American people and to the world, the United States
has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of
al-Qaeda and a terrorist who was responsible for the murder of thousands
of innocent men, women and children," President Obama announced in a
televised address on Sunday night.
He said that after 9/11 the United States quickly learnt that the
attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda headed by Osama Bin Laden which
had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to
killing innocents in the US and around the globe.
" And so we went to war against al-Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends and our allies over the last ten years," he said.
President Obama thanked "the tireless and heroic work" of US military
and counter terrorism professionals saying his country had made great
strides in the effort.
"We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our home land
defence. In Afghanistan we removed the Taliban government which had
given Bin Laden and al-Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the
globe we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of
al-Qaeda terrorists including several who were a part of the 9/11
plot," said Mr Obama.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also made a televised address saying the news would be welcomed right across the UK.
"Of course it does not mark the end of the threat we face from
extremist terror, but it's I believe a massive step forward, he said.
Mr Cameron said Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the death of
thousands of innocent men, women and children of every race a religion
right a cross the world including the death of many many British
citizens both in the UK and other parts of the world.
" I would like to congratulate those who carried out this brave
action. I would like to thank President Obama for ordering this action
and think it is a moment we should thank all of those who were day and
night, often with no recognition, to keep as safe from the threat of
terror," said Cameron.
The Taliban have confirmed Bin Laden's death.
As the news emerged crowds gathered outside the White House to celebrate.
US embassies in the worlds have been put on alert because of the possible al-Qaeda attacks.
Bin Laden was considered the most wanted by the United States with a $25m reward on his head.
The al-Qaeda leader was accused of masterminding many attacks against
US targets including the 9/11 attack in New York in which 3,000 people
lost their lives.
Osama Bin Laden's whereabout was not clear after the US-led invasion
of Afghanistan but there were speculation he was hiding somewhere in
Pakistan. However, Pakistanis officials had claimed he was somewhere in
the mountains on the Afghan side of the border.
Meanwhile, MSNBC reports that the trail that led to Bin Laden began before 9/11.
A senior official in Obama administration has told MSNBC in a
background briefing from the White House that the US had started
gathering information on people with close relations to Osama Bin Laden
from the time he was regognised as a threat.
Detainess had given information to the US on couriers of Osama Bin
Laden out of whom one courier in particular has the US attention.
The learnt the man's name in 2007, and in 2009 identified areas in Pakistan where the courier and his brother were active.
Finally it was in August 2010 that the US found their residence in an isolated area in Abbaottabad.
The US intelligence described the residence discovered as a custom built compound to hide someone of significance.
The US had soon found out that a third family lived there in addition
to the two brothers, and then learnt that Bin Laden and his youngest
wife resided there.
Then the operation was carried out in which a US helicopter was lost,
but no Americans died and all of them could safely leave the area by
helicopters.
The exact number of Americans involved in the operation has not been disclosed.
The operation team was reportedly in the compound for about 40 minutes without encountering any local officials.
According to unnamed officials quoted by MSNBC, Bin Laden himself had taken part in the firefight.
Bin Laden, his son and two couriers were killed in the firefight, and
one woman used as a shield was also killed while some other women in
the compound got hurt whose identities have yet to be known.
There are also unconfirmed reports that Bin Laden's body had been buried at sea.
باراک اوباما اعلام کرد کماندوهای آمریکایی طی عملیاتی اسامه بن لادن رهبر شبکه القاعده و عامل حملات یازده سپتامبر را کشته اند.
وی گفت که بن لادن روز یکشنبه در پناهگاهی در پاکستان کشته شد و جسدش در اختیار آمریکا است.
ساعاتی بعد از قول مقام های آمریکایی گفته شد که جسد او را به دریا انداختند.
با انتشار خبر کشته شدن رهبر شبکه القاعده، گروهی از مردم در اطراف کاخ سفید در واشنگتن تجمع کردند و به ابراز شادمانی پرداختند.
آقای اوباما که اواخر یکشنبه شب در کاخ سفید صحبت
می کرد، گفت پس از آغاز ریاست جمهوری خود، لئون پانتا را به ریاست سازمان
سیا منصوب و به او تاکید کرد که اولویت اصلی آمریکا در جنگ با القاعده
دستگیری و یا کشتن اسامه بن لادن است.
وی افزود در ماه اوت سال گذشته تیم امنیت ملی کاخ
سفید به او گفتند که اطلاعاتی بدست آورده اند که ممکن است به یافتن بن
لادن منجر شود و سرانجام هفته پیش با تکمیل شدن این اطلاعات دستور انجام
عملیات علیه رهبر القاعده صادر شد.
هزاران نفر در اطراف کاخ سفید به شادی مشغولند
رئیس جمهور آمریکا گفت یک تیم کوچک عملیاتی آمریکا
روز یکشنبه به محل اختفای اسامه بن لادن در پاکستان حمله کرد و موفق به
کشتن او شد.
این گروه به ساختمانی در شهر ابیت آباد، واقع در
حدود یکصد و پنجاه کیلومتری اسلام آباد، پایتخت پاکستان، حمله کرد و موفق
به کشتن او شد.
مقامات آمریکایی گفته بودند که سنت های اسلامی در مورد جنازه اسامه بن لادن رعایت می شود.
براساس گزارش منابع خبری، اسامه بن لادن در
پناهگاه او در یک ساختمان مجلل در شهر ابیت آباد، واقع در شمال شرق اسلام
آباد، پایتخت پاکستان، هدف حمله قرار گرفت و کشته شد.
پرویز کامیاب خبرنگار بی بی سی در واشنگتن که از
اطراف کاخ سفید گزارش می دهد می گوید در نخستین دقایق بامداد دوشنبه هزاران
نفر که بیشتر آنها جوان هستند، با حمل پرچم آمریکا بسوی محل اقامت رئیس
جمهور سرازیر شده و فریاد می زنند: "آمریکا، آمریکا."
مردم زیادی نیز در اطراف محل برج های دوقلوی تجارت جهانی در نیویورک که در جریان حملات یازده سپتامبر فروپاشید جمع شده اند.
آقای اوباما با تاکید بر اینکه مبارزه با القاعده
ادامه خواهد یافت افزود آمریکا با اسلام در جنگ نبوده و نیست و بن لادن نه
فقط رهبر مسلمانان نیست بلکه مسلمانان را قتل عام کرده است.
به گفته تحلیلگران این شبی به یاد ماندنی برای
آمریکا و موفقیتی بزرگ برای آقای اوباما است. مرگ اسامه بن لادن شانس
انتخاب مجدد او را به ریاست جمهوری افزایش می دهد.
جورج بوش، رئیس جمهور پیشین آمریکا، کشته شدن اسامه بن لادن را "دستاورد بسیار مهم" توصیف کرده است.
وی بلافاصله پس از انتشار خبر کشته شدن بن لادن طی
بیانیه ای گفت: "این دستاورد بسیار مهم نشانه پیروزی برای آمریکا، برای
مردمی است که خواستار صلح در سرتاسر جهان هستند و همچنین پیروزی برای
کسانی است که عزیزانشان را در 11 سپتامبر سال 2001 از دست دادند."
