Tonight, i can report to the American People and to the world.

That the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden,
the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist whos responsi!le for the murder of thousand of
innocent men, women, and children.
"t was nearl# $% #ears ago
That a !right Septem!e da# was darkened !# the worst attack on the American people in
histor#.
The images of &'$$ are seared into our national memor# (
)i*acked planes cutting through a cloudless Septem!er sk#+
The Twin Towers collapsing to the ground+
Black smoke !illowing up from the Pentagon+
The wreckage of ,light &- in Shanks.ille, Penns#l.ania,
/here the actions of heroic citi0ens sa.ed e.en more heart!reak and destruction.
And #et we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world.
The empt# seat at the dinner ta!le.
1hildren who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father.
Parents who would ne.er know the feeling of their childs em!race.
2earl# -,%%% citi0ens taken from us, lea.ing a gaping hole in our hearts.
On Septem!er $$, 3%%$,
"n our time of grief,
The American people came together.
/e offered our neigh!ors a hand, and we offered the wounded our !lood.
/e reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our lo.e of communit# and countr#.
On that da#, no matter where we came from,
/hat 4od we pra#ed to,
Or what race or ethnicit# we were,
/e were united as one American famil#.
/e were also united in our resol.e to protect our nation
And to !ring those who committed this .icious attack to *ustice.
/e 5uickl# learned that the &'$$ attack were carried out !# al Qaedaa6
An organi0ation headed !# Osama Bin Laden, which had openl# declared war on the United
States
And was committed to killing innocents in our countr# and around the glo!e.
And so we went to war against al ( Qaeda
To protect our citi0ens, our friends, and our allies.
O.er the last $% #ears,
Thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our militar#
And our counterterrorism professionals,
/e.e made great strides in that effort.
/e.e disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense.
"n Afganistan, we remo.ed the Talo!an go.erment, which had gi.en !in Laden and al
Qaeda safe ha.en and support.
And around the glo!e, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al
Qaeda terrorist,
"ncluding se.eral who were a part of the &'$$ plot.
7et Osama Bin Laden a.oided capture
And escaped accross the Afghan !order into Pakistan.
8eanwhile, al9Qaeda continued to operate from along that !order and
Operate through its afiliates across the world.
And so shortl# after taking office,
" directed Leon Panetta, the director of the 1"A,
To make the killing or capture of Bin Laden the top priorit# of our war against al9Qaeda,
:.en as we continued our !roader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.
Then, last August, after #ears of painstaking work !# our intelligence communit#,
" was !riefed on a possi!le lead to Bin Laden.
"t was far from certain, and it took man# months to run this thread to ground.
" met repeatedl# with national securit team as we de.eloped more information
A!out the possi!ilit# that we had located Bin Laden hidin within a compound deep inside of
Pakistan.
And finall#, last week, " determined that we had enough intelligence to take action,
And authori0ed an operation to get Osama Bin Laden and !ring him to *ustice.
Toda#, at m# direction,
The United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in A!!otta!ad,
Pakistan.
A small team of Americans carried out the operation with e;traordinar# courage and
capa!ilit#.
2o Americans were harmed.
The# took care to a.oid ci.ilian casualties.
After a fireflight, the# killed Osama Bin Laden
And took custod# of his !od#.
,or o.er two decades, Bin Laden has !een al9Qaedas leader and s#m!ol,
And has continued to plot attacks against our countr# and our friends and allies.
The death of Bin Ladenmarks the most significant achie.ement to date
"n our nations effort to defeat al9Qaeda
7et his death does not mark the end of our effort.
Theres no dou!t that al9Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks againts us.
/e must9
And we will9
<emain .igilant at home and a!road.
As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not ( and ne.er will !e ( at war
with "slam.
".e made clear, *ust as President Bush did shortl# afte &'$$,
That our war is not against "slam. Bin laden was not a 8uslim leader+
)e was a mass murderer of 8uslims.
"ndeed, al9Qaeda has slaughtered scores of 8uslims in man# countrie, including our own.
So his demise should !e welcomed !# all who !elie.e in peace and human dignit#.
O.er the #ears, ".e repeatedl# made clear
That we would take action within Pakisan if we knew where Bin Laden was.
That is what we.e done. But its important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with
Pakistan
)elped lead us to Bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.
"ndeed, Bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against
the Pakistani people.
Tonight, " called President =ardari, and m# team has also spoken with their Pakistani
counterparts.
The# agree that this is a good and historic da# for !oth of our nations.
And going forward it is essential that Pakistan continue to *oin us in the fight against al9
Qaeda an its affiliates.
The American people did not choose this fight.
"t came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citi0ens.
After nearl# $% #ears of ser.ice, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war.
These efforts weigh on me e.er# time ", as 1ommander9in91hief, ha.e to sign a letter to a
famil# that has lost a lo.ed one,
Or look into the e#es of a ser.ice mem!er whos !een gra.el# wounded.
So Americans understand the cost of war.
7et as a countr#, we will ne.er tolerate our securit# !eing threatened,
2or stand idl# when our people ha.e !een killed.
/e will !e relentless in defense of our citi0ens and our friends and allies.
/e will !e true to the .elues that make us who we are.
And on nights like this one, we can sa# to those families who ha.e lost lo.ed ones to al9
Qaedas terror>
?ustice has !een done.
Tonight, we gi.e thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals
who.e worked tierlessl# to achie.e this outcome.
The American people do not see their work, nor know their names.
But tonight, the# feel the saticfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of *ustice.
/e gi.e thanks for the men who carried out this operation,
,or the# e;emplif# the professionalis, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who
ser.e our countr#.
And the# are part of a generation that has !orne the hea.iest share of the !urden since that
Septem!er da#.
,inall#, let me sa# to the families who lost lo.ed ones on &'$$
That we ha.e ne.er forgotten #our loss,
2or wa.ered in our commitment to see that we do whate.er it takes to pre.ent another
attack on our shores.
And tonight, let us think !ack to the sense of unit# that pre.ailed on &'$$.
" know that it has, at times, fra#ed.
7et toda#s achie.ement is a testament to the greatness of our countr# and the
determination of the American people.
The cause of securing our countr# is not complete. But
Tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whate.er we set our mint to.
That is the stor# of our histor#,
/hether its the pursuit of prosperit# for our people,
Or the struggle for e5ualit# for all our citi0ens+
Our commitment to stand up for our .alues a!road,
And our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.
Let us remem!er that we can do these things not *ust !ecause of wealth or power,
But !ecause of who we are>
One nation, under 4od,
"ndi.isi!le
/ith li!ert# and *ustice for all.
Thank #ou. 8a# 4od !less #ou. And ma# 4od !less the United States of America.