02 May 2011
Worldwide Travel Alert: US President Barack Obama has confirmed in a late night presidential address that the mastermind of the September 11 attacks in New York, Osama Bin Laden, has been killed in a small US security operation outside Islamabad, Pakistan.
Obama said that intelligence gathered last August had given a lead to the location of the al-Qaeda figurehead – then, later last week, he had ordered the operation to proceed. Bin Laden was killed in a mansion after a fire fight, with forces seizing his body, which is now under DNA examination.
It has also been reported that other members of his family were killed, including one of his sons, during the mission. He said that care was taken by security forces that no civilians were harmed in the operation - although it has been revealed that a woman in the enclave was killed after Osama used her as a human shield.
“The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's efforts to defeat al-Qaeda,” the president said during his address. "Justice has been done."
Crowds have now gathered outside of the White House, and at Ground Zero in New York, to celebrate the death of Bin-Laden, as the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks draws closer.
Carrie Lemack, whose mother was killed on American Airlines Flight 11 said that she was relieved the terrorist mastermind had been killed. “(I) cannot express how this feels to my family, but relief is one word. We hope we can now focus on all that madman took, namely nearly 3000+ innocent victims, and not on him.”, she said via email to CNN.
However, despite the celebrations, there are now concerns that the huge blow to al-Qaeda will cause retribution attacks. The United States has released a Worldwide Travel Alert for its citizens, especially those in Pakistan, warning of the potential for attack. "The US Department of State alerts US citizens travelling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan," the travel alert said.
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