Breaking News: Osama Bin Laden is Dead
Posted: May 1, 2011 Filed under: Afghanistan, Breaking News, Foreign Affairs | Tags: Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden 80 Comments
Live coverage from CNN here. The US has his body. It’s been verified. Bin Laden was killed in a US operation in Pakistan. Updates coming continually.
President Obama will be making an announcement on TV shortly.
What I’m seeing right now is that he was killed in a predator drone strike. ABC reports that there is a DNA match. John King is saying they have actionable US intelligence.
CNN: Bin Laden killed “In a mansion outside Islamabad along with other family members.”
There’s a lot of twitter stuff out there about how he was killed. It sounds like this operation may have started about a week ago. Obviously, the President’s speech is going to clear some of this up.
Update: The President has announced that it was a US operation outside of Islamabad and that there was a fire fight. Evidently, US special forces acted on the “actionable” intelligence. The attack was today.
peej
Carissa
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
I just went over to NBC to catch the local news and I’m watching. Wow.
So it is true?
Yes. Obama will be speaking in a bit. It’s been verified, we have the body. It wasn’t an accident, from what I’m hearing. We had intelligence about his location and we got him. At least that’s what I think I’m hearing, these talking heads like to hear themselves talk and sometimes go in circles.
Well aint that a peach? On one hand, I’m thrilled that that asshat is not breathing anymore. On the other hand, this will be spun as though Obumbles went into the cave and killed him with his bare hands.
Anywho, the man is dead. Let him and his 72 virgins begin their long existence.
Hillary 2012
CBS news said he was shot in the head. Not sure if that is true but does not sound lke a drone attack…
I haven’t heard that on NBC. I might switch over to CBS. Thanks.
Okay, I”m watching CNN and I swear John King is drunk off his ass! He’s slurring and can hardly talk.
Wow, I just went to CNN. There’s a cheering crowd outside the White House!
Sorry, Wonk put a post up too … I was trying to remove the one that had the least comments and I goofed …
it’s back up~!!!!!
Thanks. I’m sober, but I thought I was seeing things, lol. I might have a drink to toast this evening. Whatever anyone thinks, it is big, big news. I’m surprised at how many people are posting to Facebook on it and I’m sure Twitter is going nuts.
This is 8 years to the day from the Dubya mission accomplished speech … just ironic, isn’t it?
I wonder how Pat Robertson is going to spin this since now we have gays serving openly?
Be great if it was a gay sniper who got him!
Oh wow, I just got this news…amazing…
I guess we can forget about getting a different President now. This is going to cement Obama’s reelection chances.
Yep. “Historic, with a capital H” — John King, CNN
He’s slurring like crazy and saying silly things. I think he’s crazy drunk!!!!
Yes, but I’m glad that it was a Democrat who was President rather than a Republican when Bin Laden was killed. If it had happened during a Republican administration we’d be stuck with those a-holes for decades to come.
So much for that Noble Peace Prize.
I don’t know — I think it’s much too early to affect 2012. Yeah, the fan base is practiced at milking Obama’s tiny accomplishments long and hard, but the dead-cat bounce from this won’t last a month, I’d guess.
Don’t think this is a dead cat bounce situation.
Plus he didn’t have any real challenger for 2012 before this to begin with anyway.
I dunno, Wonk. I think Obama’s about tapped out on bread and circuses. Unless there is tangible benefit, bringing the troops home, ending the war on terror, or making the world safer if AQ’s funding wholly dependant on one guy, will this really move votes?
I don’t think it has to move votes, though. I don’t think he’s in a losing position. He killed Osama Bin Laden and the GOP has got nothing. The oligarchy wants Obama in 2012.
But as the 2008 primary proved, the oligarchy can’t always dictate the outcome. Well, okay, it can, as in 2012 it’ll be the oligarchy’s favorite son vs. the oligarchy’s second favorite son, but….:) I just feel like it’s too early to tell how it will shake out, and economic factors will possibly weigh more heavily. It’s not like the electorate is unused to being forced to choose between mutually unacceptable options or dozens of separate flavors of right-wing wackos. I would never bet against Obama, however.
It is early, and the economy is the nbr 1 issue, but I’m not seeing a first and second fav son situation. I think they’ll put out the GOP version of a Kerry, so that O can win again and pervert the Dem brand some more… I think they’re saving their first favorite son/new puppet for 2016.
Oh god, that sounds all too plausible. We’re doomed!
I just have this sinking feeling that the Obama way of out-Repubicaning Republicans will now be rampant Democratic orthodoxy. That the old FDR way will now be passe.
Not that it isn’t passe already… but hopefully you get what I mean.
I don’t know about that Wonk. The big money is drifting back to the Republicans, esp after Dems got crushed in the midterms.
In 2008 they would have preferred an outright Republican instead of Obama’s covert one, except (everyone thought) there was no way a Republican could win. Hence they hired Obama. As fast as he’s sinking the country in their favor, if he looks even a bit weak, they’ll go with the Repubs this time because they’ll the country even faster.
In the end it doesn’t matter ALL that much, since big money always backs both horses so they can’t lose anyway.
Obama didn’t want to win the House though, imho, and didn’t fundraise for Dems in ’10 the way he will for himself in ’12.
I’ll stop short of saying nothing can happen to change things… but let’s just put it this way, Mitt Romney wouldn’t be very smart to waste his own money on this election cycle.
I absolutely understand what you’re saying, Wonk, and I do think outRepublucaning the Republicans will be the strategy for a very, very long time, but ultimately I think (hope?) it will prove to be unsustainable. They’re just not as good at it, and in the long run it won’t pay dividends like it does for the Teflon Party. Without some incredible luck, they wouldn’t have gotten this far. Granted, the Dems cling to a strategy for about 100 years after it stops working, but we live in an age of desperation, panic, and instant gratification. A few cycles of being decisively out Roved should create a backlash.
Judy Woodruff just tweeted that it’s two minutes until POTUS.
Memeorandum still has Trump at the top of its page and the bin Laden story way down. We need a liberal alternative.
it’s leading on memeorandum now… probably just needed a nudge up there bc it’s breaking.
I’m watching the “spontaneous” demonstration in front of the W.H. If I see any Obama t-shirts I’m gonna be awfully suspicious.
Obama says its a US operation.
wish he’d forget the description of 9/11 and just give us the details …
argh!!!!!!!!!!!
Why not announce it earlier? I’ve heard something about waiting for DNA confirmation but that would take this long?
It takes quite awhile. To get it in a week would be really fast.
CNN said that the President authorized the operation last week, but he was killed earlier today. I keep changing channels and I’m hearing different things on different networks. It will probably be a couple days before we actually know.
yes, some kinds of DNA test take awhile …
The worst attack on the US in history? Was it really worse than Pearl Harbor?
Worse than the war for independence?
More people were killed on 9/11 than at Pearl Harbor.
I honestly don’t think you can compare the two–the beginning of US entry into WWII vs 9/11.
When I think of what my dad went through in the 5 years following Pearl Harbor…
I see it this way, the attack on Pearl Harbor was against a military installation.
The attack on WTC was against regular civilians…two different things.
But then I would have an biased opinion, since it affected our family directly. So I am very glad that this guy is dead.
9/11 was the beginning of US entry into WWIII – or so it seems sometimes.
I remember my father, a WWII vet, saying just after 9/11 “This is worse than Pearl Harbor.”
Pock-is-stahn.
That’s basically the way I’ve always heard it growing up… though when O says it, I always think he’s going to say pocky-sticks for some reason.
Bin Laden’s been dead for a week.
So when O released his birth certificate he knew Bin Laden was dead? After putting off releasing it for three years.
Timing is all.. interesting.
yup, talk about the Trump Card.
That was so bad you should hang your head in shame. 😆
So he wasn’t dead a week ago but O authorized it a week ago?
Oh yeah, Trump card is an understatement.
The timing thing still seems to be an unknown here so they just cleared it up
ED Henry: There were five secret meetings to from March 4 to April 30 for info to pin down the intelligence.
He gave the order during the royal wedding and bin laden was killed today.
Pakistan intelligence was on the scene when he was killed.
Thank god he was actually able to tear himself away from his Royal Wedding Viewing Party, if this had come up during his set at the Correspondents’ Dinner, this mission would’ve had a very different conclusion…
Obama said bin-Laden was located and killed in compound in Abbottabad Pakistan
George W. Bush gives statement…
Kind of sad that people are shouting “USA! USA!” because of an assassination by our government.
im glad the killed that prick
Me too…I say this as the wife of a survivor of the World Trade attack.
Well that is Washington, Home of a lot of military, CIA and National Security Council who had been responsible for catching him for a lot of years.
So does this mean we leave Afghanistan now?
Good question
Don’t hold your breath.
I’m going to guess no, because Obama is a spineless weasel, it would be too risky for the political branch and they’ll pin their hopes on the usual, just pretend it’s not still going on and if necessary, change the name.
Osama was financing Al chaida. A lot of people belived that was Saudi money. So – now we will see if the money dries up.
GOPLeader Eric Cantor
by JudyWoodruff
I commend President Obama who has followed the vigilance of President Bush in bringing Bin Laden to justice http://j.mp/jgpXD1
interesting …
Bush let him get away–after all the bin Ladens were/are good friends of the Bush family.
I can remember them leaving on their little private jets, when all air space was shut down.
Yes, quite a few of them lived here in the Boston area.
well this puts Panetta’s appointment to the Pentagon into perspective as well…
Jane Hamsher: Obama preempts Celebrity Apprentice with announcement of bin Laden’s assassination.
Is that Trump’s show?
yes
lol
GhostOsama is tweeting he’s got 72 virgins
That is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read.
Dubya’s statement is here on TPM:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/05/statement_from_fmr_prez_bush.php
New thread up top!!!
Osama’s dead, thank god. My New Yorker’s heart can finally rejoice at the news.