UPDATE: President Obama Announces That Osama Bin Laden Is Dead
Nearly ten years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, it has been confirmed that President Obama will make an announcement shortly that the mastermind of that attack, Osama bin Laden, is dead. BBC adds that "The US is in possession of Bin Laden's body." You can watch a live feed of the announcement here. President Obama just announced: "Tonight I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden."
As many people are noting, today is the 8th anniversary of President Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' speech. We wrote about the 5th anniversary here, and you can read more about the strange anniversary here. ABC reporter John Berman explains in a tweet how bin Laden's body may have been identified: "Amazing fact vis Brian Ross: years ago US subpoenaed brain from deceased Bin Laden sister...in order to make DNA match when necessary."
According to CNN, around 9:30 pm, the major news organizations were informed that the President would be making a rare Sunday evening statement about national security. According to MSNBC: "Will be speaking about a "Serious and grave CIA operation happening overseas." Wolf Blitzer of CNN is calling it "an extremely dramatic statement." NY Times reporter Brian Stelter just tweeted: "NYT NEWS ALERT: Osama bin Laden Is Dead, White House Says." According to the news wire: "osama bin laden is dead, and has been for over a week, was killed by a US bomb."
Update: NBC 's Chuck Todd claims that small group is cheering outside White House and sang "We are the champions." Tzvi Twersky tweets this tidbit: "Want to see amazing? Turn on ESPN and watch the Phillies-Mets. Players are dumbfounded as to why fans are chanting 'USA.'"
Update: ABC says it was a human mission with Navy Seals, and bin Laden was shot in a mansion. President Obama just announced that the operation took place in Pakistan earlier today, and bin Laden was killed "after a firefight." No civilians were killed, no U.S. soldiers were killed. More quotes from his speech below:
■"Osama was not a Muslim leader, he was a mass murderer of Muslims."
■"The United States is not at war with Islam."
■“On nights like this one, we can say that justice has been done.’’
■“Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11, that we have never forgotten your loss”
NBC's Chuck Todd just added: "One of the most significant, if not THE most significant, accomplishment for this president in this term." Mayor Bloomberg's reaction: "New Yorkers have waited nearly ten years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort ... ”
Update: The NY Times writes: "President Obama said that on Sunday, a small team of U.S. operatives launched a “targeted assault’’ on a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad where months of intelligence work had established that Mr. Bin Laden was living. Mr. Bin Laden was killed after a firefight, and the troops took custody of his body."
http://gothamist.com/2011/05/01/president_obama_about_to_make_annou.php