Statement on Death of Osama bin Laden

Statement

"This is something Americans have waited nearly a decade for, and I offer the highest praise to our brave military, our intelligence community and President Barack Obama, who authorized this operation. This was a gutsy and risky move to enter the highly fortified compound where Osama bin Laden was holed up, and the execution of this raid by our military's elite was precise and heroic.

I congratulate President Obama for insisting on a ground operation, as opposed to the use of a drone, and very much appreciated his personal call to former President Bush, who devoted so much effort to finding Osama bin Laden. While justice was a long time coming, this top-secret effort results in justice being served.

Americans should be immensely proud of our military for taking out the world's most heinous terrorist, who is responsible for the death of thousands of innocent men, women and children and scarred the USA so horribly on a sunny morning on September 11, 2011. The success of this raid is even more significant as no brave Americans died while carrying out this secretive mission.

The death of Osama bin Laden does not erase the grief or devastation of the families and friends of those who perished in New York City and the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field near Shanksville, PA. They remain in our prayers, as do the courageous first responders who lost their lives and those who suffered grave harm trying to rescue the innocent who were attacked on that fateful day.

While the killing of Osama bin Laden has drawn cheers from many Americans, we cannot be lulled into a false sense of security that we have seen the last of al Qaeda or others who want to do us harm. Americans deserve the sense of relief we feel today, but we must remain vigilant."

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