Μπάρακ Ομπάμα: "Κομμάντο σκότωσαν τον Μπιλ Λάντεν"

Ο Πρόεδρος Ομπάμα ανακοίνωσε επισήμως το θάνατο του Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν,με διάγγελμά του από το Λευκό Οίκο, δέκα χρόνια μετά την επίθεση που συγκλόνισε την υφήλιο στους Δίδυμους Πύργους της Νέας Υόρκης.  Αμερικανοί πολίτες είχαν συγκεντρωθεί έξω από το Λευκό Οίκο,αναμένοντας το διαγγελμα του Προέδρου,μετά από τη μετάδωση των πρώτων πληροφοριών ότι ο Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν είναι νεκρός. Σύμφωνα με τις μέχρι στιγμής πληροφορίες, ο Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν εκτελέστηκε κατά τη διάρκεια επιχείρησης της CIA Ισλαμαμπάντ. Ο νούμερο ένα καταζητούμενος στον πλανήτη, είχε εντοπιστεί από πράκτορες της CIA, σε σπίτι σε προάστιο του Ισλαμαμπάντ. Λεπτομέρειες της επιχείρησης ακόμη δεν έχουν γίνει γνωστές , ωστόσο όπως λένε αμερικνικές πηγές το πτώμα του Μπιν Λάντεν είναι στα χέρια των αμερικανών. 40 λεπτά κράτησε η μάχη. Ο νούμερο ένα καταζητούμενος άνθρωπος στον πλανήτη, είχε εντοπιστεί από τη CIA . Ο Μπιν Λάντεν κρυβόταν σε μία έπαυλη κυριολεκτικά “τυλιγμένη” σε ηλεκτροφόρα σύρματα. Σύμφωνα με τις πληροφορίες που μεταδίδουν οι αμερικανοί, στην επιχείρηση συμμετείχαν εναέριες αλλά και χερσαίες δυνάμεις. Σύμφωνα με τις ίδιες πληροφορίες σκοτώθηκαν εκτός από τον Μπιν Λάντεν άλλα τρία άτομα,στα οποία περιλαμβάνεται και ο γιός του. Την είδηση επιβεβαίωσε σε δημόσιο διάγγελμά του προς τον αμερικανικό λαό, ο πρόεδρος των Η.Π.Α., Μπαράκ Ομπάμα. Ο Αμερικανός πρόεδρος ανακοίνωσε ότι ο Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν έπεσε νεκρός κατά τη διάρκεια στρατιωτικής επιχείρησης «υπό την ηγεσία» των Η.Π.Α. στο έδαφος του Πακιστάν, τονίζοντας ότι το πτώμα του βρίσκεται στα χέρια των αμερικανικών δυνάμεων που επιχειρούν στα σύνορα Πακιστάν-Αφγανιστάν στο πλαίσιο του πολέμου κατά της διεθνούς τρομοκρατίας. «Σήμερα το βράδυ είμαι σε θέση να ανακοινώσω στους Αμερικανούς και σε όλο τον κόσμο ότι οι ΗΠΑ ηγήθηκαν της επιχείρησης που οδήγησε στο θάνατο του Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν, επικεφαλής της αλ Κάιντα, ένος τρομοκράτη που ευθύνεται για τη δολοφονία χιλιάδων αθώων ανδρών, γυναικών και παιδιών. Η μάχη εναντίον της τρομοκρατίας συνεχίζεται αλλά σήμερα οι Η.Π.Α. έστειλαν ένα ηχηρό και ξεκάθαρο μήνυμα. Η δικαιοσύνη μπορεί να καθυστερεί αλλά στο τέλος αποδίδεται», υπογράμμισε.  Παράλληλα ξεκαθάρισε ότι οι σχέσεις των Η.Π.Α. με το Πακιστάν δεν αλλάζουν από το γεγονός ότι ο επικεφαλής της Αλ Κάιντα σκοτώθηκε σε πακιστανικό έδαφός, επισημαίνοντας ότι οι Η.Π.Α. δεν έχουν πόλεμο με τον Αραβικό Κόσμο. Oπωσδήποτε συνιστά έκπληξη πρώτου μεγέθους το γεγονός ότι ο Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν είχε εγκαταλείψει τα βουνά του Ουαζιριστάν και φιλοξενείτο σε έπαυλη σε μία πόλη, η οποία είναι γεμάτη με ανθρώπους των αμερικανικών μυστικών υπηρεσιών, αλλά και της πακιστανικής μυστικής υπηρεσίας. Φαίνεται ότι τα χρόνια αλλοίωσαν το αίσθημα επιφυλακής; που είχε. Άλλωστε και οι ίδιοι οι Αμερικανοί παραδέχονται ότι τα μέτρα φύλαξης δεν ήταν τόσο υψηλά όσο πίστευαν αρχικά.

Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες, δόθηκε μάχη μεταξύ των ανθρώπων του Μπιν Λάντεν και των αμερικανών κομάντος, η οποία διήρκεσε περίπου 40 λεπτά και κατέληξε με τον θάνατο του ηγέτη της Αλ Κάιντα, ο οποίος πυροβολήθηκε στο κεφάλι, αλλά και τριών ακόμα ενηλίκων, εκ των οποίων ο ένας εικάζεται πως είναι γιος του Λάντεν. Οι άντρες που έλαβαν μέρος στην επιχείρηση στη συνέχεια έκαψαν την έπαυλη φοβούμενοι ότι ενδέχεται να χρησιμοποιηθεί σαν χώρος λατρείας από τους οπαδούς του Λάντεν. Άλλος αξιωματούχος επισήμανε πως ο θάνατος του μπιν Λάντεν θέτει την αλ Κάιντα σε "φθίνουσα πορεία" και θα είναι δύσκολο να ανακάμψει. Στο μεταξύ, οι Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες κάλεσαν σήμερα τους πολίτες τους στο εξωτερικό να είναι προσεκτικοί, φοβούμενες "αντιαμερικανικές επιθέσεις" μετά την ανακοίνωση του θανάτου του μπιν Λάντεν. "Με δεδομένη την ανασφάλεια και την ρευστότητα της κατάστασης, οι αμερικανοί πολίτες σε περιοχές που είναι πιθανόν να προκληθούν αντιαμερικανικές βιαιότητες, καλούνται να περιορίσουν τις εξόδους από τις κατοικίες τους και τα ξενοδοχεία και να αποφεύγουν συγκεντρώσεις και διαδηλώσεις", επισημαίνεται σε ανακοίνωση του Στέιτ Ντιπάρτμεντ. Στο άκουσμα της είδησης εκατοντάδες Αμερικανοί ανεμίζοντας σημαίες συγκεντρώθηκαν έξω από το Λευκό Οίκο εν αναμονή της ανακοίνωσης από τον αμερικανό πρόεδρο, σύμφωνα με ανταποκριτή του Γαλλικού Πρακτορείου. Η αμερικανική γερουσία είχε επικηρύξει τον Μπιν Λάντεν για 50 εκατομμύρια δολάρια, ενώ ο πρώην πρόεδρος Τζορτζ Μπους ο νεότερος είχε δώσει εντολή να συλληφθεί ή να δολοφονηθεί. Σε δηλώσεις του ο Μπους χαρακτήρισε "κοσμοϊστορικό" το γεγονός. Ο δήμαρχος της Νέας Υόρκης Μάικλ Μπλούμπεργκ δήλωσε ότι ελπίζει η ανακοίνωση της δολοφονίας του Οσάμα Μπιν Λάντεν, του εγκεφάλου πίσω από τις επιθέσεις της 11ης Σεπτεμβρίου, να παρηγορήσει όσους έχασαν αγαπημένα τους πρόσωπα σε εκείνες τις επιθέσεις.

Osama Bin Laden with senior al-Qaeda members Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Muhammad Atef.

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Leader of Al-Qaeda is dead following US operation in Pakistan.

• 8:37am

  A leading US Muslim organisation welcomed  the killing of bin Laden, saying he was a threat to America and the world. The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement:
  

  We join our fellow citizens in welcoming the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been eliminated as a threat to our nation and the world through the actions of American military personnel.
  As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and Al-Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide.

• 8:30am

  India said the killing of Osama Bin Laden was a "victorious milestone" in the war against terrorism but urged the world to continue battling militancy, a statement from the foreign ministry said.
  

  The world must not let down its united effort to overcome terrorism and eliminate the safe havens and sanctuaries that have been provided to terrorists in our own neighbourhood. The struggle must continue unabated.

• 8:16am

  Thousands have flocked to Ground Zero to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden, alleged mastermind of the devastating September 11 attacks on New York nearly 10 years ago.
  New York's police chief Raymond Kelly called the death of bin Laden a "welcome milestone" for the families of the 3,000 victims of the 2001 strikes by Al-Qaeda.
• 8:13am

  Abbottabad is named after a colonial officer, so the 'Abbott' is the same as the Western pronunication of the name.
  'abad'= aa-baa-d. Low 'a's, as in the British pronunciation of 'class'.
• 8:00am

  This background on the operation to kill bin Laden was given to Al Jazeera by a senior US offiicial:
  

  On June 2, 2009 the President signs a memo to Director Panetta stating “in order to ensure that we have expanded every effort, I direct you to provide me within 30 days a detailed operation plan for locating and bringing to justice Usama Bin Ladin…”
  In the lead up to this operation, the President convened at least 9 meetings with his national security Principals. Principals met formally an additional five times themselves; and their Deputies met 7 times. This was in addition to countless briefings on the subject during the President’s intelligence briefings; and frequent consultations between the NSC, CIA, DoD and Joint Staff. The President was actively involved in reviewing all facets of the operation.
  The President made the decision to undertake the operation at 8:20am on April 29th in the Diplomatic Room before he left for Alabama. In the Dip Room were Donilon, Daley, Brennan and McDonough. Donilon then prepared the formal orders and convened the Principals at 3pm to complete the planning.
  May 1 -- staff worked pretty much all day today on the operation. Principals have been in the Situation Room since 1pm.
  2:00pm the President met with the Principals to review final preparations.
  3:32pm the President returned to the Sit Room for an additional briefing.
  3:50pm the President first learns that UBL was tentatively identified.
  7:01pm the President learns that there’s a “high probability” the HVT was UBL.
  8:30pm the President receives further briefings.

• 7:00am

  US president Barack Obama said Osama bin Laden, the most-wanted fugitive on the US list, was killed on Sunday in a US operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, about 150km north of Islamabad. 
  

  US president Barack Obama said bin Laden, the most-wanted fugitive on the US list, has been killed on Sunday in a US operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, about 150km north of Islamabad. "Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people," Obama said in a statement. "Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.  "The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.  "We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims," Obama said. US celebrations Barack Obama called bin Laden's death the 'most significant achievement' against al-Qaeda As the news of bin Laden's death spread, crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC to celebrate.   Former US president George Bush called his death a "momentous achievement".  "The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Bush said in a statement. According to Al Jazeeera's Rosalind Jordan in Washington, the operation had been in the making for the last nine or 10 months.  "The fact that it happened inside Pakistan, there have been suggestions that Pakistani intelligence may have been protecting them," she said.  Patty Culhane, another Al Jazeera correspondent, said the US authorities got intelligence last September and were able to track bin Laden down through his couriers. They followed them to his compound which is reported to be worth over a million dollars.  Reporting from Pakistan, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the development had caught a lot of people by surprise . "He was considered by many as a hero, but not to the extent that people would come out on the streets. The reaction so far not likely to be strong on the streets, perhaps a protest here or there by the religious parties," he said. 'Symbolic victory' Qais Azimy, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said Afghan officials described bin Laden's killing as a "symbolic victory", since he was no longer directly connected to the group's field operations.  "This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden" Mark Kimmit, US military analyst Mark Kimmit, a US military analyst, said bin Laden's death "was not the end of terrorism, but an end of a chapter." "Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.  "This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by bin Laden, but it definitely is more than bin Laden," he said.  It is, however, a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team. Obama's predecessor, George Bush, had repeatedly vowed to bring to justice the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, but never did before leaving office in early 2009. He had been the subject of a search since he eluded US soldiers and Afghan militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan. While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway. Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks - including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen. Having the body may help convince any doubters that bin Laden is really dead.

  Americans celebrate outside the White House after hearing the news of bin Laden's death [Reuters] Global reactions to the news of Osama bin Laden's death. Barack Obama - US president Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama Bin Laden and took custody of his body. The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against Al Qaeda. We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims. Tonight, we give thanks to the counter intelligence officials who have tirelessly worked, we give thanks to them men who carried out this operation. Finally, let me say to the families, we have not forgotten your loss, today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country. Tonight we are once again reminded that American can do whatever we set our mind to ... we can do these things not because of wealth and power but because of who we are. George W. Bush - former US president 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. Michael Bloomberg - New York City mayor The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically important victory for our nation - and a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation. New Yorkers have waited nearly 10 years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001 Raymond Kelly - New York police commissioner Killing of Osama bin Laden a "welcome milestone" for the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. David Cameron - British prime minister 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. The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world. Robert Fisk - journalist Osama bin Laden was the founder of Al Qaeda, but to suggest that he was in command, sitting in some computer cave, is completely rubbish. He spent most of his time hiding, most of his time running from the US authorities. I never thought he would hang around long in Afghanistan but in Pakistan he had a soft spot. He felt safer in Pakistan than he did in Afghanistan, and I think that is correct. You have to realise that Bin Laden is a very popular mind, even with the royalty. He was saying things about the West, which their dictators wouldn't say, his condemnation of the West, and he had to say it from a cave. He is a figure who would be reflected upon. Steve Clemmons – The New America Foundation It's game changing news. We got used to the fact that Osama bin Laden was beyond our reach. He has slipped off the radar screen, he was a pop culture figure with a fanatic bent. The Muslim world are going to continue to have to deal with those who are inspired by him but of course knocking off a symbol globally is significant. Imtiaz Gul – political analyst It has come as a big surprise to most of the Pakistanis, particularly the location. Many believed that he had been long dead. It is very close to the Pakistani military academy.  I’d presume that the Pakistani intelligence was involved to the extent, previous had been captured with their assistance.  In most cases, the Americans wouldn’t tell the Pakistani security institutions where they were headed so in this case they (Pakistani intelligence) were probably on board but probably didn’t know where they (the US) were going to. Mark Kimmit - Military Analyst/US Army Brigadier This is not the end of the movement, this is not the end of the terrorism but this is the end of the chapter Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since Bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an Al Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years. This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden.