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1、The White HouseOffice of the Press SecretaryFor Immediate ReleaseMay 02, 2011Remarks by the President on Osama Bin LadenEast Room11:35 P.M. EDTTHE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osam
2、a bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist whos 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
3、 national memory - hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.
4、And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their childs embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving
5、a gaping hole in our hearts.On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, w
6、hat God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.We were also 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 Qaeda - an organiza
7、tion headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country 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 10 years, thanks to the tireless an
8、d heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, weve made great strides in that effort. Weve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And
9、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.Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along tha
10、t border and operate through its affiliates across the world.And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle,
11、 and defeat his network.Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more
12、 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,
13、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 bi
14、n Laden and took custody of his body.For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaedas leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nations effort to defeat al Qaeda.
15、Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. Theres no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must - and we will - remain vigilant at home and abroad.As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not - and never will be - at war with Islam. Ive made clea
16、r, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda 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.Over the years, Ive repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we
