it was unfortunate that he was killed in the operation, because he could have lead to some answers that could have helped us with future attacks and everything. but i am really glad that now the united states can really be at a very consensus united base and we are safe and everything. and being here at (inaudible) central, i know that people that came in 2006, we can have a better feeling about our day-to-day . .

this marks a victory for america, people who seek peace around the world, and for those who lost loved ones on september 11, 2001. the fight against terror goes on. tonight, america has sent an unmistakable message. no matter how long it takes, justice will be done. that statement is from president bush. right now, we will take you to al jazeera for a live simulcast,

including the scene outside the white house. there is archival video of our osama bin laden -- of osama bin laden. he has been captured and killed in the u.s. operation. he was confirmed by the president a short while ago in the east room of the white house. i will let you listen in to al jazeera coverage of the story. >> it is different from after 9/11. we are seeing a shift in strategy. let me be very frank. in afghanistan, people are very puzzled as far as the war against terrorists goes. we do not know what strategy they will adopt after what happened today. >> thank you for joining us on the line from afghanistan. we've got news that the most

wanted man in the world is dead. u.s. president barack obama has just announced that osama bin laden has been killed by u.s. forces. >> tonight, i can report to the american people and the world that the united states has conducted an operation that killed osama bin laden, the leader of al qaeda, the terrorist responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. >> obama says osama bin laden was killed in a special operation by u.s. forces in a .ideout in pakistan >> today, the united states launched a targeted operation against the compound in pakistan. a small team of americans carry out the operation with the extraordinary courage and

ability. no americans were harmed. they took care to avoid civilian casualties. after a firefight, they killed osama bin laden and took custody of his body. >> now, live pictures from the united states. americans celebrating the news that bin laden has been killed. crowds are gathering outside the white house on this may 1. here is a look back to the life of osama bin laden. >> the most wanted man is now dead. osama bin laden was sought by security forces before the attack of 2001. he has dominated global consciousness ever since. he was born in saudi arabia in 1957. he was the son of a prominent businessman of colossal wealth. at the age of 14, inherited more than $300 million.

this general knew him as a school board. >> he was one of the lightest and most kind boys in the school. he kept to himself. he was very religious. -- this general knew him as a schoolboy. >> he would not participate in the shenanigans of students and things people used to get into. he was a very religious muslim. >> osama bin laden steady business and economics. -- studied business and economics. >> the same attitude, quiet, a true gentleman. >> osama bin laden has been on the most wanted list. two years later, he was blamed

for the bombing of a u.s. destroyer. 17 american servicemen died. it was the attacks of september 11, 2001, it gained him the greatest notoriety. the hijacking of passenger planes and destruction of the twin towers in new york saw nearly 3000 people killed. >> when he spoke, it was interesting in that he is probably the only arab figure i have met who does not say the first thing that comes into his mind. for most people when the camera comes up, they say something because they are afraid of looking stupid. i would ask a question of him. he would sit on the ground and think about how he wanted to reply. he would get a piece of wood and start cleaning his teeth. i would sit there watching him, waiting for his words. >> his central belief was that sharia islamic law was the only

way to bring peace to the middle east. he believed all other ideologies needed to be fought against, even if it resulted in the death of women and children. over time, he has visibly aged. he was later seen walking with a stick, giving rise to speculation about his health. from fighting against troops in afghanistan to winning the support of locals, he was a world figure for a quarter of a century. al qaeda has lost its figurehead. many argue this will have little affect on the group whose followers have sworn to see his vision through to the end. >> we have correspondence standing by with reaction from afghanistan. patty, we cannot state enough.

this is a big moment for barack obama. >> you have seen the reaction of people spontaneously gathering outside the white house to celebrate. it is midnight on a sunday night. a lot of americans and probably gone to bed. they have no idea that they will wake of in the morning and this will be shocking to many americans. we are approaching the 10-year anniversary of september 11. it has been a huge source of frustration for the american public. so many years in afghanistan, so many billions of dollars. the crowd is gathering by the moment. this is a huge gathering. it is midnight on a sunday night in the beginning of may. i just got off the phone with senior administration officials at the white house. i want to give you more details we're getting. i thought the president said it was in august when they first got the intelligence they thought might lead them to osama

bin laden. senior officials since september. there is a bit of a contradiction there. they've been working to confirm the intelligence. the senior official tells me that the president started to chair security council meetings in march. those are his key defense, cia, state department officials. they have meetings and track intelligence. now they say it was on friday that he gave the order. i thought the president said it was before that. apparently, it was on friday. the team went in this morning. i need to track down the confirmation. most likely, it was a navy seal team that went in. the administration official described where they found osama bin laden as living in a large house in a secured compound in a suburb of islamabad. we're just getting more information. the timing of this is very interesting. the obama administration chose

to unveil this on a sunday night at 11:30 in the evening. it seems as if they wanted to get this out before it leaked out. they have been briefing and members. they had been briefing members of congress. after that, it would get out quickly. this is going to be a huge moment. president george w. bush said he wanted osama bin laden dead or alive. there was a key frustration of his. before he left office, there was another push to see if they could track him down. even bill clinton weighed in saying this is a profoundly important moment. the crowd outside the white house gathering. i was coming into the studio into could hear them to the blocks away chanting "usa." at baseball games, the word leaked out in the middle of the game. the fans erupted in cheers of "usa."

this will be "a profound moment," to use the words of the president. >> he did use those words and say it was a significant achievement. what did they say as far as the plan next? obama said u.s. authorities had custody of osama bin laden's body. are they saying what they will do with it? >> they are not saying. it is going to be the key debate. there will be those who do not believe the united states. in the case of saddam hussein, they did put the pictures on tv. the question is whether they want to do that. this administration is very concerned about what will happen next. they are very afraid that there could be retaliatory strikes. they are preparing the american public that it could be the case. the embassies have been put on

alert. they do feel this would be a chance for al qaeda to strike back. i can imagine is a fierce debate inside the situation room as to whether or not they need to show pictures and evidence of the body. the president said they had custody of his body. that is very telling. i am not quite sure what they're going to do. they do not want to provoke any more of a response than they are already afraid of. >> thank you. we continue to watch outside the white house as they are celebrating the news that osama bin laden has been killed. let's get reaction from afghanistan. he joins us from the capital in kabul. what is the reaction? >> there is not much reaction. i managed to speak with some afghans that no a osama bin

oren from the early 1980's have done research about the war in afghanistan. one man knows osama bin laden from the 1980's. he said it will not affect the war in this region. for the past 10 years he was in the region, he managed to train hundreds of fighters to be like him. there will be an immediate replacement for him. it will not affect the war. osama bin laden came to afghanistan to fight against the russians. they were supported by the u.s. against russia. the man who knows him from those days told me he was a fighter in this country and has now become a hero. what we are hearing from others in afghanistan is that immediate

reaction might be from al qaeda to attack or try to take revenge. much of the reaction will not affect the war in this country. in afghanistan, they are playing the role of facilitator. osama bin laden was a symbol of al qaeda but not the man in the field or who makes major decisions. it is other people around al qaeda there are actively fighting in afghanistan and helping the anti-government forces, taliban. >> think you very much from kabul. we go now to speak with al jazeera. what is the reaction there?

>> it is still relatively earning morning here in islamabad. the streets are relatively quiet. one would imagine that the news that osama bin laden has been killed and killed here in pakistan only an hour and a half outside of where i am in belamabad, it will no doubt th shocking to many pakistanis. a number will be happy about it. some may feel differently. osama bin laden has been killed here in pakistan, since the september 11 attacks, the war in afghanistan. there have been rumors and speculation that osama bin laden is in the country. we're now hearing he has been killed outside the capital of the country. >> what reaction is that likely

to trigger that it happened in pakistan? how are people likely to react to the news? >> one thing that people may be looking for or hoping happens as a result is that it will be an end to the throne strikes. they have been very controversial in pakistan. it has resulted in some of the worst ties between pakistan and the united states, especially in recent weeks. it is hugely unpopular here in pakistan. we're now hearing that osama bin laden in the early morning hours here in pakistan was killed in a coordinated attack by the u.s. military. they are hoping the united states would have less of the presence in pakistan. president obama said a key thing in his address. he said this is the closure of a chapter. this is not the end of the game. one would imagine the u.s. will

still work towards fighting those fighting against the united states. one would imagine that these trona strikes --drone strikes will continue and anger many pakistan is. many people are waking up to the news that osama bin laden is dead. >> remind our viewers of the details of the operation. obama said osama bin laden was killed in pakistan. what have you heard about how he was killed and where the operation took place? >> our thanks to al jazeera and their live simulcast of the events taking place in pakistan and elsewhere. let's bring you up to speed. the president announced a short time ago that osama bin laden was killed in a firefight or operation that the president ordered inside pakistan.

this is the end of the 10-year manhunt for the world's most wanted terrorist. words from george bush. also, this statement from the state department that given the uncertainty of the volatility of the current situation, u.s. citizens in areas with recent events are strongly urged to limit travel outside of homes and hotels and to avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations. this is from the state department. u.s. citizens should stay current with local events and media. we will take a call from salt lake city, utah. >> [unintelligible] >> doh ahead. we will go to ohio.

>> this news is great. >> i am stunned by the previous caller. as far as bush getting credit for the assassination of been one, bush and his regime are the ones that start of the mess we're in. we went into afghanistan to originally get him. we allowed him to walk over the mountains into pakistan. then he went into iraq. then allow all these boys in the financial empire to rip us off. they're still getting away with it. it is greatly finally got osama bin laden. lives.ve lost over 4000 i am not prejudiced. obama should get a little credit. the true heroes are the ones who rolled over on the modern -- bin laden and the seal team that

went in and got him. >> all i can say is god bless america. i really hate the fact that a person like that attacked our children, women, people who had nothing to do with the military. god bless you. love you from america. >> one official saying american forces acting on intelligence launched a targeted assault that killed bin laden is eluding capture has frustrated the bush and obama administration. we're getting your reactions to the event tonight. >> i am pleased that this particular chapter is over. however, i do not think the story is over.

it is unfortunate that he was killed rather than captured and put on trial and sentenced to life imprisonment. will we need to do now -- what we need to do now is work for peace. this war cannot continue between us and the forces behind bin laden. many more people will die if this continues. >> this statement from president bill clinton, "i congratulate obama and the members of the armed forces for bringing osama bin laden to justice after more than a decade of murderous al qaeda attacks. next up is a viewer from palm springs, california. >> what great news we're getting. as a united states navy veteran

of desert shield/desert storm, it is about time. america needs to worry about america. we have so many problems and things keeping us back. this is just one thing that needed to be done a long time ago. it has finally happened. i hope now that america can worry about america, bring our guys home. i do not know what is taking the government so long to fight everybody else's wars when we are having hurricanes and terrible natural disasters. the really big one is going to come and we are not even ready for that. we cannot even take care of ourselves. >> the vice chair of the senate select committee on intelligence calls this an historic moment for u.s. special operations and intelligence community. jamar says that the highly commend those who carried out

the mission with no injuries to women or children inside the compound. he went on to say that the cia and others in the intelligence community did a phenomenal job over the past several months in carrying out the assignment. that statement is from senator chambliss. >> next caller. >> i am extremely proud of the seals. i turned the tv to the fox news channel. they were the first ones to declare osama bin laden as a murder. what kind of the world are we living in? i hope that they can focus on things happening in our country including the immigration situation. i hope they stopped looking them as terrorists. killings are going on in mexico. they will finally be able to give us a hand. god bless america and god bless the navy seals.

>> it is 23 minutes past midnight in washington, d.c. the state department is alerting u.s. citizens traveling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for intra-american pilots given the recent counter- terrorism activity inside pakistan. the president is confirming that some of the law and was captured and killed in the u.s. operation in pakistan. demonstrations are going on in washington. the president give a statement from the east room of the white house with in the last 35 minutes. that is available on our website at c-span.org next up is a viewer from arizona. >> people have a hard time in arizona about what the recent president has been doing. this is a celebration not matter whether you are a republican or democrat. >> the associated press is confirming bin laden's body is

in the custody of the united states. next up, new york. >> tonight i am very glad and feel very happy that we were able to get osama bin laden finally after 10 years. also, i hope this brings closure to the families that lost their loved ones. we have to continue our efforts to find and attack terrorists anywhere trying to do harm to our citizens. i hope the families have some closure. i hope the families have some closure on a loved ones they lost in 2001 -- 9/11. for me, it was rough. i do have a business in manhattan. i knew quite a few people that

did die on 9/11. for me, some type of closure, happiness, and some sadness because you start thinking about them. you just wish they were around. god bless the navy seals. hopefully, we will never forget the people we did lose and their families. we will stay with them side by side. >> thank you for the call. it was eight years ago when president bush on board the abraham lincoln gave the declaration of mission accomplished. eight years to the day, some of the mob has been captured and killed. developments on what happened are coming in as we approach 12:30 in the east. first word began to leave shortly before 10:00. the white house said the president would have a statement from the white house of national security importance. by 11:30, there was indication

that the news was that osama bin laden had been captured and killed. bin laden was killed in a joint raid overnight in pakistan north of islamabad. the town is also home to the pakistani military academy. two helicopters were involved. one crashed after fire from militants. the president made the announcement late tonight at the white house. it capped the manhunt of more than a decade for the man believed to the architect of the september 11 attacks. we want to take you to al jazeera for live coverage in a simulcast. the demonstration outside the white house continues to grow with the word of bin laden's capture and killing. >> we are approaching the 10- year anniversary of september 11. there have been a lot of efforts, money, and time spent

trying to track down osama bin laden. the american public was asking why they could not find this one man. the administration said it was about more than osama bin laden. they're not saying that tonight. >> we have correspondents all over the world bringing us reaction to the news that osama bin laden is dead. let's go to kabul, the afghan capital. what is the latest from where you are? in the past few minutes, i managed to talk to an afghan official. he told me it is not surprising about where osama bin laden was. it answers lots of questions, the fact that he was 60 kilometers from the capital of islamabad with military bases located in that area.

it was a focus for security reasons of the pakistan government. he describes that it will answer all the questions and claims they have done in the past years to say that osama bin laden and al qaeda leadership is not in this country of afghanistan. i managed to talk to another source. he told me because the relationship between pakistan and the united states is very tense nowadays, osama bin laden was a big get. americans can repair the relationship that is very tense nowadays. someone now speak to else. we will go back to you soon as you get more information and reactions start coming out of kabul. we have someone on the line from islamabad,