Osama Bin Laden is dead, President Obama announced Sunday night, in a televised address to the nation. His death was the result of a U.S. operation launched today in Abbottabad, Pakistan, against a compound where bin Laden was believed to be hiding, according to U.S. intelligence. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said.
The announcement that Obama would speak came at 9:45 p.m., less than an hour before he was initially scheduled to go on the air. The unusual hour, and the fact that the White House gave no details about the topic, set off a flurry of speculation.
Officials long believed bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, was hiding in a mountainous region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy live blog Oldest Newest Today 11:11 PM WATCH: President Obama Announces Bin Laden Killed
The Associated Press offers the following video of President Obama's announcement that Osama bin Laden has been killed. WATCH:
Today 11:06 PM Gov. Romney: 'A Great Victory For Lovers Of Freedom And Justice Everywhere'
Today, the Romney for President Exploratory Committee released the following statement from Gov. Romney on the killing of Osama bin Laden:
“This is a great victory for lovers of freedom and justice everywhere. Congratulations to our intelligence community, our military and the president. My thoughts are with the families of Osama bin Laden's many thousands of victims, and the brave servicemen and women who have laid down their lives in pursuit of this murderous terrorist.” Today 10:59 PM George W. Bush: 'No Matter How Long It Takes, Justice Will Be Done'
President George W. Bush said:
Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.
Today 10:51 PM WATCH: Celebration Ensues Outside The White House
Live video from The Washington Post of the scene outside the White House: WATCH:
Editor's Note: You may receive an error message or color bars and a tone in between live feeds. Due to the nature of live events, you may need to reload this page, press the play button to start the video feed or wait a few moments until the video begins.
Today 10:49 PM President Bill Clinton: 'A Profoundly Important Moment'
"This is a profoundly important moment not just for the families of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and in al-Qaida's other attacks but for people all over the world who want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our children.
I congratulate the President, the National Security team and the members of our armed forces on bringing Osama bin Laden to justice after more than a decade of murderous al-Qaida attacks." Today 10:46 PM Rep. Peter King Commends Obama Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement on the killing of Osama bin Laden: “I commend President Obama on the announcement of the killing of Osama bin Laden. “Today, the American people have seen justice. The leader of the United States’ top enemy has gotten what he deserves for orchestrating the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent Americans on September 11, 2001. “In 2001, President Bush said ‘we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.’ President Bush deserves great credit for putting action behind those words. President Obama deserves equal credit for his resolve in this long war against al-Qaeda.
“This great success would not have been possible without the tireless work of countless brave men and women who have served around the world in this War on Terror.” Today 10:44 PM 'Justice Has Been Done'
Obama: "On nights like this one, we can say to families who lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: justice has been done." Today 10:44 PM Sen. Saxby Chambliss Commends Special Operations Units
HuffPost's Ryan Grim reports:
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today regarding President Obama’s announcement:
"This is a historic moment for the U.S. special operations and intelligence communities. I highly commend the special operations units who undertook this mission and carried it out with no injuries to women or children inside the compound. The CIA and others in the U.S. intelligence community did a phenomenal job over several months in carrying out this assignment." Today 10:36 PM Obama Statement
Obama: "I can report to the American people and to the world, that the US has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden.”
"Shortly after taking office, I directed... the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority."
More to come... Today 10:32 PM 'U.S.A.' Chants At White House
CBS's Mark Knoller reports: markknoller @ markknoller : Crowd outside WH has grown to several hundred. They're chanting "USA. USA."
Today 10:15 PM CIA Operation
Osama bin Laden was killed in a CIA operation, according to officials. latimes @ latimes : Update: A CIA-led operation has killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and recovered his body, U.S. officials said.
Today 10:10 PM Killed In Pakistan REUTERSFLASH @ REUTERSFLASH : Bin Laden killed in mansion outside Islamabad, Pakistan - CNN says
Today 10:09 PM DNA Match
According to ABC's Brian Ross, the FBI subpoenaed brain tissue from bin Laden's sister to get a DNA match. Today 10:02 PM U.S. Has Body
The U.S. has Osama's body, according to reports. Today 9:54 PM Dead
President Obama is expected to announce that Osama bin Laden is dead, according to reports. More to come... More
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