First Lady Michelle Obama welcomes televison host Kelly Ripa, ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, and other participants in Run Across America to the White House. Run Across America is hosting community runs to help encourage young people to lead active, healthy lives. May 2, 2011.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Speaker Boehner Delivers Remarks on the Successful Mission to Bring Justice to Osama bin Laden
Washington (May 2)At a press briefing today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) addressed the successful mission to bring justice to terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Following are video and text of Speaker Boehner’s remarks: |
“The tragic events of 9/11 ten years ago remind us that we’re all Americans, and that what unites us as Americans is far greater than what divides us. And I think last night’s news unified our country in much the same way.
“The death of Osama bin Laden is an important moment in the war against radical extremism and terrorism - an important event for peoples all around the world who have been subject to the terror of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
“To the families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001: We will never forget what you lost. For those who have fought and died in the war against terror, and their loved ones: We honor your sacrifice. And to those who seek to destroy freedom by preying on innocent human life: We will not rest until we bring you to justice.
“Our fight for freedom and liberty around the globe continues. We face a complex and dangerous terrorist threat even today. It is important that we remain vigilant in our efforts to defeat our terrorist enemies and protect the American people. This makes our engagement in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan more important, not less.
“I want to congratulate -- and thank -- the hard-working men and women of the United States Armed Services. I want to thank all those involved in the intelligence community for their tireless efforts and perseverance that led to this successful evening.
“I also want to commend President Obama and President Bush for all their efforts to bring Osama bin Laden to justice.”
Statement by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on the Death of Osama Bin Laden
Release Date: May 2, 2011
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
The death of Osama bin Laden is an important success not only for the United States, but the entire world. Our efforts to combat terrorism, however, do not fixate on one individual, and we remain completely focused on protecting our nation against violent extremism of all kinds.
We remain at a heightened state of vigilance, but the Department of Homeland Security does not intend to issue an NTAS alert at this time. I have been clear since announcing NTAS in January that we will only issue alerts when we have specific or credible information to convey to the American public. However, our security posture, which always includes a number of measures both seen and unseen, will continue to respond appropriately to protect the American people from an evolving threat picture both in the coming days and beyond.
I commend the President and offer my gratitude to the men and women who defend and protect our nation at home and abroad, whether they wear a military or law enforcement uniform or serve as one of thousands of unsung heroes in the intelligence and homeland security community. It is true that we are stronger and safer than we were on 9/11 – not only because Osama bin Laden is dead, but because of the unflagging dedication and hard work of so many people throughout the world committed to freedom and security.
Sohaib Athar the ral time twitter of raid on obl
Uploaded by sohaibathar on May 2, 2011
as recorded by a friend who happened to be in the neighborhood
ReallyVirtual 10 hours 28 mins ago
@raihak The day there is uninterrupted electricity in Lahore for a whole month, I will start packing my bags, until then, Abbottabad is home
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and now I feel I must apologize to the pilot about the swatter tweets :-/
@raihak The day there is uninterrupted electricity in Lahore for a whole month, I will start packing my bags, until then, Abbottabad is home
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and now I feel I must apologize to the pilot about the swatter tweets :-/
@raihak The day there is uninterrupted electricity in Lahore for a whole month, I will start packing my bags, until then, Abbottabad is home
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and now I feel I must apologize to the pilot about the swatter tweets :-/
Two helicpoters, one down, could actually be the training accident scenario they're saying it was >> http://bit.ly/ioGE6O
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Here's the location of the Abbottabad crash according to some people >>> http://on.fb.me/khjf34
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@smedica 'safer' is a relative term that has lost its meaning in Pakistan
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@smedica It must have been more, I started noticing the helicpoter when the noise got irritating - which part of Abbottabd are you in?
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@tahirakram very likely - but it was too noisy to be a spy craft, or, a very poor spy craft it was.
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@smedica people are saying it was not a technical fault and it was shot down. I heard it CIRCLE 3-4 times above, sounded purposeful.
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@wqs figures, if they have the right to shoot planes flying over the president house, the must have the same instructions for PMA
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The abbottabad helicopter/UFO was shot down near the Bilal Town area, and there's report of a flash. People saying it could be a drone.
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@kashaziz technically, it is unidentified until identified, and it is a flying object, so year, why the hell not, we have seen weirder stuff
Captured on Twitter: Raid against Osama bin Laden
By Reed Stevenson and Kamran Haider | Reuters – Mon, 2 May, 2011 10:34 AM EDT
A computer screen in Singapore May 2, 2011, shows the Twitter page of Sohaib Ath …
DUBAI/ABBOTTABAD (Reuters) - In the early hours of Monday, Sohaib Athar reported on Twitter that a loud bang had rattled his windows in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad, adding that he hoped it wasn't "the start of something nasty.
A few hours later Athar posted another tweet: "Uh oh, now I'm the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it."
In the age of Twitter, perhaps it's no surprise that the first signs of the U.S. operation that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were noticed by an IT consultant awake late at night.
Athar, a resident of Abbottabad where bin Laden was holed up in a fortified mansion, first noticed the sound of a helicopter and thought it unusual enough to post via his Twitter account.
"I was awake, working on my computer when I heard a sound of helicopter. It was rare here. It hovered for about six minutes and then there was a big blast and power gone," Athar, 34, said in an interview with Reuters.
"I tweeted it because it was something unusual in the city," said Athar, adding that he moved from Lahore to the city a year and a half ago to avoid "bomb blasts and terrorist attacks."
After liveblogging and speculating for several hours over what happened, it dawned on Athar and those following him that they were witnessing the end of a worldwide manhunt for the man held responsible for orchestrating the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"I think the helicopter crash in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the President Obama breaking news address are connected," said one of Athar's followers.
Seven hours after Athar's first tweet, President Barack Obama announced bin Laden's death in an operation by U.S. forces where one helicopter was lost.
Twitter, launched five years after the 2001 attacks, is used by an estimated 200 million people per day, serving as an internet platform for users to broadcast, track and share short messages of no more 140 characters in length.
Athar's tweets, initially peppered with jokes ("Uh oh, there goes the neighborhood") eventually turned to exasperation as his email inbox, Skype and Twitter accounts were flooded by those trying to reach him ("Ok, I give up. I can't read all the @ mentions so I'll stop trying").
The number of people following Athar, whose Twitter handle is "ReallyVirtual," ballooned to nearly 33,000 later on Monday, from several hundred before.
Athar also runs a coffee shop in the center of Abbottabad, across from the Army Burn Hall College school in the same neighborhood as bin Laden's mansion. He fears that his new hometown, a relatively affluent enclave about 35 miles north of Islamabad, could now come under attack.
"They can attack military installation and this city has more targets than anywhere else," Athar said.
Separately, in the United States, the first indication that bin Laden had been found and killed came from a another tweet by Keith Urbahn, who says on his Twitter profile that he is chief of staff for former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
"So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn," Urbahn tweeted more than an hour before Obama's speech.
(Editing by David Stamp and Ralph Boulton)
President Obama Tours Tornado-Damaged Areas
President Obama is joined by First Lady Michelle Obama and local, state and Federal officials, as he tours areas devastated by tornadoes and severe storms in Alabama. April 29, 2011
I didn't vote for Obama, but I have to say this was really nice of him to get up close and personel with the people who were hurting and lost everything. And I didn't vote for bush and not knocking anybody, but just like the guy below me said, all bush did was do a fly over with the Governors from my understanding.
20 hours ago 26 
What an eventful last 10 days for Obama! He wanted to see first hand and give morale and support to the tornado victims, get his long form birth certificate to appease teabaggers, had to go to a White house correspondents dinner the next day, acted as a true leader and effective Commander in Chief to give orders to get bin laden dead or alive.... This stuff is way more heavy and important than a fancy schmancy royal wedding.
Mr. President Obama, we salute you.
10 hours ago 21
Thank God for this man...his taking office was timely and he continues to be a blessing. It's about time we had someone in office really looking out for people and actions speak so much louder than words. We have a long way to go, but we have the right man for the job. Obama, I have an idea to help solve the homeless problem and would love to discuss it with you. perhaps the time has come today. Keep doing what your doing...the USA needs more men like you. Contact Oprah if you want to talk, ok.
President Obama you are just amazing. What President can handled the many problems that you have faced and still not lose his cool or your ability to reason logically. Your accomplishments are Historic.
START treaty, Healthcare Law, Finance Reform, DADT repeal, Nobel Peace Prize, Reinvestment Act and now Osama Bin Laden.
First Family Tours Kennedy Space Center
President Obama, along with First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, take a tour of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL. The family had planned to watch the launch of the Shuttle Endeavour, but the launch was delayed due to equipment issues. April 29, 2011.
Dyson: Trump part of a "bigotocracy"
Bob Scheiffer spoke with Michael Eric Dyson of Georgetown University and Michael Gerson, former member of the Bush White House, on President Obama's jabs at Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents Dinner and the motives behind Trump's birther investigation.
National Security OBL Geronimo E KIA
@whitehouse
The White House May 2, 2011
The President, VP, national security team get updated on mission against Osama bin Laden in the Sit Room, 5/1/11
The scene outside the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue
Death of Osama Bin Laden
Prime Minister David Cameron has issued a statement on the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden.Osama Bin Laden, who was responsible for some of the worst terrorist atrocities including the 9/11 attack, was killed in a US operation in Pakistan.
Mr Cameron congratulated President Obama on the operation and said now was a time to remember all those murdered by Osama Bin Laden.
The PM said:
“The news that Osama Bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world. Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen - for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British.“It is a great success that he has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of global terror. This is a time to remember all those murdered by Osama Bin Laden, and all those who lost loved ones. It is also a time too to thank all those who work round the clock to keep us safe from terrorism. Their work will continue.“I congratulate President Obama and those responsible for carrying out this operation.”
Mr Cameron also spoke on television at his residence at Chequers. The Prime Minister said:
“This news will be welcomed right across our country.
“Of course, it does not mark the end of the threat we face from extremist terrorism. Indeed, we will have to be particularly vigilant in the weeks ahead.
“But it is, I believe, a massive step forward.
“Osama bin Laden was responsible for the death of thousands of innocent men, women and children right across the world – people of every race and religion.
“He was also responsible for ordering the death of many, many British citizens, both here and in other parts of the world.
“I would like to congratulate the US forces who carried out this brave action. I would like to thank President Obama for ordering this action.
“And I think it is a moment when we should thank all of those who work day and night, often with no recognition, to keep us safe from the threat of terror.
“But above all today, we should think of the victims of the poisonous extremism that this man has been responsible for.
“Of course, nothing will bring back those loved ones that families have lost to terror.
“But at least they know the man who was responsible for these appalling acts is no more.”
Crowd celebrates Osama bin Laden's death
A crowd of hundreds celebrated out front of the White House after President Obama announced the death of al Qaeda figurehead Osama bin Laden. Chip Reid reports.
Osama bin Laden is dead
May 1, 2011
(CBS News)
Al Qaeda looks to co-opt Egypt, Tunisia unrest
After ten years of hunting, a team of U.S. personnel kill Osama bin Laden in a firefight near the Pakistani capital
Osama bin Laden over map of europe (CBS/AP)
(CBS News)
Updated 12:47 p.m. ET
The founder and spiritual figurehead for al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, is dead.
President Barack Obama said in an address from the White House that a small team of Americans carried out the operation to kill bin Laden in Pakistan, and that cooperation from Pakistani authorities was crucial.
"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," Mr. Obama said. "Tonight, we can say to those who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror, justice has been done."
A senior official told CBS News that bin Laden resisted capture by a security team, and was killed in the ensuing firefight.
Obama chaired no fewer than five National Security Council meetings meeting on the pursuit of bin Laden, CBS News has learned, and gave the order to plan attack on compound on the morning of April 29. He gave final order for the attack this morning, which he described in his speech as resulting in a "firefight" in which no U.S. personnel were harmed.
Key dates in the hunt for Osama bin LadenCrowds gathered outside of the White House and in Times Square following the announcement, and spontaneous celebrations broke out.
The long-lost terrorist mastermind had eluded an aggressive hunt by U.S. authorities for nearly ten years since the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001.
CBS News correspondent Lara Logan reports that human intelligence was vital in killing bin Laden, which is an important boost to the image of U.S. international intelligence gathering, because it says that no enemy is safe anywhere.
Bin Laden's death is a major accomplishment for Mr. Obama and his national security team, as the administrations of both presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush hunted the Saudi-born terrorist.
WikiLeaks: al Qaeda watched towers burnAl Qaeda looks to co-opt Egypt, Tunisia unrest
Security at "strategic places in Pakistan has been beefed up as a precaution against any retaliation to news of Osama bin Laden's death", a senior Pakistani security official told CBS News early on Monday. "If he (bin Laden) is really dead, there will be attempts to seek revenge," said the official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity.
Former State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said on Twitter: "#BinLaden's death does not eliminate the threat from #alQaeda, but it is hard to see anyone playing the same organizational role he did."
Americans fill streets to mark bin Laden's death
(CBS/AP)
Updated 1:53 p.m. ET
NEW YORK - Joyous at the release of a decade's frustration, Americans streamed to the site of the World Trade Center, the gates of the White House and smaller but no less jubilant gatherings across the nation to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden — cheering, waving flags and belting the national anthem.
Ground zero, more familiar these past 10 years for bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace" and solemn speeches and arguments over what to build to honor the Sept. 11 dead, became, for the first time, a place of revelry.
"We've been waiting a long time for this day," Lisa Ramaci, a New Yorker whose husband was a freelance journalist killed in the Iraq war, said early Monday. "I think it's a relief for New York tonight just in the sense that we had this 10 years of frustration just building and building, wanting this guy dead, and now he is, and you can see how happy people are."
She was holding a flag and wearing a T-shirt depicting the twin towers and, in crosshairs, bin Laden. Nearby, a man held up a cardboard sign that read, "Obama 1, Osama 0."
Dionne Layne, 44, of Stamford, Conn., spent the entire night at ground zero with her two children, ages 9 and 11. "They can't get this in a history class," she said. "They have to be a part of this."
Layne said she witnessed the second tower come down on Sept. 11 from Brooklyn, where she lived at the time.
Uptown in Times Square, dozens stood together on a clear spring night and broke into applause when a New York Fire Department SUV drove by, flashed its lights and sounded its siren. A man held an American flag, and others sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."
On an overcast morning in Shanksville, Pa., where a hijacked plane apparently meant for Washington crashed in a field after passengers fought back, a few visitors gathered Monday at the fence-lined overlook that serves as a temporary memorial while a permanent one is built.
"I thought of Sept. 11 and the people lost," said Daniel Pyle, 33, of Shanksville, who stopped at the site on his way to work at a lawn care company. "I wanted to pay homage to the people lost that day. I think this brings a little bit of closure."
In Washington, in front of the White House, a crowd began gathering before President Barack Obama addressed the nation late Sunday to declare, "Justice has been done." The throng grew, and within a half-hour had filled the street in front of the White House and begun spilling into Lafayette Park.
"It's not over, but it's one battle that's been won, and it's a big one," said Marlene English, who lives in Arlington, Va., and lobbies on defense issues. She said she has baked thousands of cookies to send to friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan over the years and that she was at the White House because they couldn't be.
The celebrations began to come together late on Sunday night, after Americans began hearing about the death of bin Laden from bulletins on television, texts and calls from family and friends and posts on social networking sites.
Bin Laden was slain in his luxury hideout in Pakistan, early Monday local time and late Sunday night in the United States, in a firefight with American forces. Obama said no Americans had been harmed in the operation.
Even before the president made the official announcement, news of bin Laden's death filtered across the country. As the New York Mets played the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" began in the top of the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Fans all over the stadium checked their phones and shared the news.
The chant — "U-S-A! U-S-A!" — echoed in Dearborn, Mich., a heavily Middle Eastern suburb of Detroit, where a small crowd gathered outside City Hall and waved American flags. Across town, some honked their car horns as they drove along the main street where most of the Arab-American restaurants and shops are located.
At the Arabica Cafe, big-screen TVs that normally show sports were all turned to news about bin Laden. The manager there, Mohamed Kobeissi, said it was finally justice for the victims.
There were smaller, spontaneous gatherings around the nation — a handful of Idahoans who made their way to the state Capitol in downtown Boise, a small group who waved flags and cheered on an Interstate 5 overpass south of Seattle known as Freedom Bridge.
The celebration in New York came precisely one year after a militant from Connecticut spread panic by driving a bomb-laden SUV into the heart of Times Square. As the most intense manhunt in history wore on, year after year after 9/11, the city dealt with smaller scares — the Times Square plot, subway and bridge threats, orange alerts.
"It's really a terrific day for not just America but for the world. To have this cancer pulled from us is the right thing," said Guy Madsen, 49, who drove to the city from Clifton, N.J., when he heard of bin Laden's death. "This is judgment day, and we're winning."
Several hours later, the first copies of Monday's Daily News hit the streets, with a big picture of bin Laden on the cover and the headline: "ROT IN HELL," with the last word in 4-inch-high type.
Over that same decade, the city has lived on with the pain from the day itself, more distant but never erased. Stephanie Zessos, who lives in the neighborhood and works for the fire department, said sadness also was mixed in with the late-night celebration.
"I texted a friend of mine who's a firefighter who lost a brother on 9/11, and he said the pain will never go away," she said.
Along with the outburst of joy over bin Laden's death, there was an increase in security — at least in New York, where authorities said there would be extra police at all three area airports "out of an abundance of caution." The Port Authority also said there would be more police along the George Washington Bridge and at ground zero.
But for the most part, as Sunday stretched into Monday, the nation stopped to reflect, and to rejoice.
After hearing of bin Laden's death, Mike Low, of Batesville, Ark., sat down in his daughter's bedroom in front of a glass case holding her remains and shared the news. The daughter, Sara, was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the World Trade Center.
He described his reaction as mixed — satisfaction for the loved ones left behind but continuing pain over his daughter's death.
"This is something we struggle with and will the rest of our lives," said Low, 67.
With final exams looming, thousands of Penn State University students gathered in State College, Pa., the student newspaper reported. One was dressed as Captain America, fireworks were set off and colorful chants rose up from the crowd. At Ohio State University, some students, including the student body president, jumped into a lake on campus to celebrate, according to The Lantern newspaper.
At the White House, Will Ditto, a 25-year-old legislative aide, said he was getting ready to go to bed when his mother called him with the news. He decided to leave his home on Capitol Hill and join the crowd. As he rode the subway to the White House, he told fellow passengers the news.
"It's huge," he said. "It's a great day to be an American."
American flags of all sizes were held aloft, worn draped over the shoulders or gripped by many hands for a group wave. Some people climbed trees and lampposts to better display the flags they carried. Others without flags simply pumped their fists in the air.
The impromptu street party took on aspects of a pep rally at times. Some people offered up the "hey, hey, goodbye" singsong chant more typically used to send defeated teams off to their locker rooms. Parth Chauhan, a sophomore at George Washington University, trumpeted a World Cup-style vuvuzela.
George Washington University student Alex Washofsky, 20, and his roommate Dan Fallon, 20, joined the crowd. Washofsky, a junior and a member of the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps, recalled the day shortly after Sept. 11 when President George W. Bush evoked the phrase from "Wanted" posters in the old West, "dead or alive."
"And we did it," Washofsky said.
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