President Obama: Osama bin Laden is Dead

Nearly 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Barack Obama announced Sunday night that Osama bin Laden has been killed.

In a nationally televised speech, Obama said he authorized an operation last week “to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.”

He said the U.S. launched a targeted operation in Pakistan on Sunday. “After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” the president said. No Americans were harmed.

U.S. special forces launched the assault by helicopter, sources reported, and were resisted by Bin Laden. Several others in the compound were reportedly killed.

Many have lost loved ones to this cause. In all, 126 military personnel from Washington state have died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn - the country's main military operations in the Middle East since Sept. 11, 2001.

Logistically, the instillation has grown and seen influxes of soldiers and their families since then. The Northwest itself, with its Stryker brigades and Navy ships, was one of the launching points for the war on terror.

Roughly 1,000 troops from Joint Base Lewis-McChord are currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, said base spokesman Joseph Piek.

So knowing all that, knowing more so than any other region how much Bin Laden symbolized evil, and the mission to bring him to justice symbolized the will of the American people, Patch asks the following:

What does Osama Bin Laden's death mean to us here in the Northwest?

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., released the following statement:

"The President's announcement tonight is tremendous news for all Americans and for counterterrorism efforts worldwide. The superb work of our military and intelligence communities have led to the death of the mastermind of the worst attack in our nation's history.  It is indeed a great moment.

"I applaud our troops, intelligence operatives, and the Administration for never wavering in this important goal in the broader war on terrorism. 

"This is a particularly important day for the thousands of Americans who lost a family member, friend or loved one nearly ten years ago. And all of our thanks go to those who have been lost in our military efforts and to our veterans and their families.  

"This is indeed a significant moment and one that will continue to propel our efforts to root out terrorists wherever they reside.  We must continue to remain vigilant and focused on the protection of the American people."

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., released the following statement about the news:

“This event is a milestone in a decade-long global war on terror,” Reichert said.

“Thanks to the bravery and courage of our military men and women, Osama bin Laden will no longer be able to encourage violence and do harm to those whose only supposed crime is valuing freedom. Justice was served and the world is a safer place without this monster. Again, I thank our military and intelligence personnel for their service and sacrifice. This would not have been possible without their diligence and commitment to this essential mission.”

A jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House as word spread, the Associated Press reported.

Former President George W. Bush, who was in office on the day of the attacks, issued a written statement hailing bin Laden's death. "The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," he said.

The 9/11 attacks set off a chain of events that led the United States into wars in Afghanistan, and then Iraq, and America's entire intelligence apparatus was overhauled to counter the threat of more terror attacks at home.

According to the Associated Press, senior administration official say Obama gave the final order for U.S. officials to go after bin Laden on Friday. The official added that a small team found their quarry hiding in a large home in an affluent suburb of Islamabad. The raid occurred in the early morning hours Sunday.

Administration officials offered some details of the operation.

Based on statements given by U.S. detainees, intelligence officials have known for years that bin Laden trusted one Al-Qaida courier in particular and they believed he might be living with him in hiding. In November, intelligence officials found out where he was living, a huge fortified compound in an affluent suburb of Islamabad. It was surrounded by walls as high as 18 feet high, topped with barbed wire. There were two security gates and no phone or Internet running into the house.

Intelligence officials believed the $1 million home was custom-built to harbor a major terrorist. CIA experts analyzed whether it could be anyone else, but time and again, they decided it was almost certainly bin Laden.

Three adult males were also killed in Sunday's raid, including one of bin Laden's sons, whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden's sons, Hamza, is a senior member of al-Qaida.

For more details, see this article from the Huffington Post.