bin laden was founded as a comfortable conditions in pakistan. there are places like yemen in terms of terrorism. we still have 100,000 troops in afghanistan. >> the basis for the presence in afghanistan is to bring that country the security that it can have and to not allow al qaeda to never again use afghanistan as a launching point. we're determined to bring security that these countries, these people need and deserve because of what we need -- can help with them with. >> we did not let any other

countries know. >> the president has had a number of conversations with foreign leaders. this is something of international significance and he will continue to have those discussions. >> hyou cannot say if he'd talked to chancellor merkel or president sarkozy? >> i could, but i'm not going to. >> in light of this, the unique features and size of the compound, is it likely the neighbors had known anything about this, who lived there? >> when you look at the features of this compound, 18 foot walls, barbwire, this was a family, a compound that had limited interaction, to the best of our knowledge and observation with the surrounding houses. it clearly was different than any other house out there. in have the appearance of what

sort of a fortress so it does raise questions about -- >> did they help them, basically? >> i think there was -- we have had some indications that the family was there tried to remain anonymous and tried not to have that interaction. again, it does raise questions about a compound of that size in this area not raising suspicions previously. >> thank you. >> j.k. a follow up. >> i wanted to clear something up because a few of us are confused. the woman was confused was in wife? -- bin laden's >> that is letter standing. >> he was using her as a shield? >> she served as a shield. she foughthen -- back and there was an opportunity to get to bin laden, she was positioned in a way that

indicated she was being used as a shield. whether or not bin laden or the sun or whatever put her there, or she put herself there. that is my understanding that she met her demise and she was one of his wives. >> how many people in the compound? >> thank you. >> i am sure we will have more. >> are you a reason you said 99.9% certain is bin laden? why not say 100%? >> that is based on dna. >> i want to start by addressing a question. tonight, the president will obviously, as john said, makes remarks related to the successful mission against osama bin laden. one of the things you'll hear him sound will echo what he said last night, which is that this is a good day, or good days for america and for americans. the fact that we were able to accomplish this as a lot about our country and for severance -- perseverance.

i think you can fairly say that the victims in this country on 9/11, the americans who were victims, were not republicans or democrats, they were americans. those who launched the -- who have been working on this diligently for 9.5 years, not republicans or democrats, they are americans. those who carried out the mission yesterday, the same considered -- be said about them. one theme you will hear from the president tonight is about the capacity for americans to come together and achieve difficult goals when we work together. >> will we get that live? >> we can follow up with you and logistics. i do not believe that we are -- there is some logistical issues here. we will get it to you afterwards if not live. let me do 10 minutes or so so we can file and other things. i will move around and take the

associated press and move around a little bit. >> thank you. this is in line with what we were talking about but of the president gave this order on friday morning and went on this long trip on friday, have the dinner, he was' golfing, can you talk about his mood as he was trying to keep his poker face going through these other events, meanwhile knowing the actions that were taking place in pakistan? >> it is important to note that compartmentalization here. there was a success at a different level, the ability to keep the mission secret. having spent a great deal of time with him on friday, i can say that he was focused on the devastation in tuscaloosa. he was focused on and talked a lot about it in the wake of that visit. and the experience i think that was unique about all that is you

discover that one folks get an opportunity to meet the president, there are different ways that they do that, in town hall meetings, rope lines, or things like that. there is something unique about even the president being able to meet individuals who have suffered such terrible things as those residents of tuscaloosa dead in their moment of despair that is very powerful. i think he felt that. so he was focused on that, and cape canaveral and on to the commencement address at miami- dade college. having said that, he was taking calls and being updated regularly, and the same goes with saturday and sunday, which sunday he spent a great deal of his day in the west wing and in the situation room. george. >> back to the meeting tonight, other than bin laden, what is

his objective as far as budget and the debt limit and so on? >> i think as we have said, this is a continuation of his effort to bring leaders of congress to hear in a social setting with spouses to improve communication in general. and there is no agenda, there is no goal in terms of of budget or any other issue, except to have that kind of conversation, which i think he finds to be a useful thing to do in terms of, in some ways, creating a better environment for the kind of work that the white house and the congress need to do together. nothing beyond that, george. andre. >> thank you. two things. who is in charge of the compound

now? >> that was asked. our understanding of the visuals that we've seen is the pakistani authorities are in charge of the compound. >> secondly, more importantly, what was the legal basis for the operation? >> i would refer you to what the president has said. since taking office and prior to it, that given the attack that osama bin laden launched the united states, the lives that he took not just on 9/11 but on other occasions, the that he was a high-value target and a legitimate target, and that this president believed since long before he became president that given actionable ointelligence o capture or kill osama bin laden, he would move very quickly and surely to take that action. and the opportunity presented itself. >> this would have applied not only to pakistan but other countries if he was found

somewhere else? >> i would say that there was a great deal of confidence, as has been discussed by experts for a long time now, that he was in the border region or in pakistan. i do not think the hypothetical really makes a lot of sense. let's see. cheryl. >> has the president picks a newcomer summit -- commerce secretary, and when can we see that? >> i do not have personnel announcements for your timing of personnel announcements for you. >> almost lost in this news is the nato strike against it off me -- against gaddafi's compound. does the white house believe that mission was in keeping with carrying out the un resolution? >> yes, and there has been ample commentary about that from nato.

we do believe that and continue to focus on the mission as we do one other missions. >> is there a message to gaddafi in this? >> you could say that. thank you. >> many briefings in washington today after the announcement last night of osama bin laden's capture and killing. we expect to hear from nancy pelosi live at 5:30 p.m. eastern here on c-span. at a medal of honor ceremony honoring to the real korean war veterans, the president talked more about the u.s.-led rate in pakistan and the people it took to make it happen. >> good morning, everybody, please be seated.

on behalf of michele and myself, welcome to the white house, to hawaii, aloha,m y.a and thanks to the chaplain for that indication. this is a good day for america. our country has kept its commitment to see that justice is done, the world a safer and is a better place because of the death of osama bin laden. today, we are reminded that as a nation, there is nothing we cannot do. what we put our shoulders to the wheel and work together, when we remember the sense of unity that defines us as americans. we have seen that spirit, that patriotism, in the crowds that

have gathered, here are outside the white house, at ground zero in new york, and across the country, people holding candles, waving the flags, singing the national anthem, people proud to live in the united states of america. we're reminded that we are fortunate to have americans who dedicate their lives to protecting ours. they volunteer. they train. the insurer separation from their families. they take extraordinary risks so that we can be saved. they get the job done. we may not always know their names. we may not always know their stories. but they are there. every day, on the frontlines of freedom and we are truly blessed. i do want to acknowledge before we begin the ceremony two

individuals who have been critical as part of my team who are here today. someone who will go down as fine -- one of the finest secretaries of defense in our history, secretary bob gates, who is here. [applause] and sitting beside him, someone who served with incredible valor on behalf of this country and is now somebody who i think will go down as one of the greatest secretaries of veterans affairs in our history, eric shinseki. [applause] i have to say that as commander in chief, i could not be prouder

of our men and women in uniform. that is true today -- true now, in today's wars. it has been true in all our wars. and it is why we are here today. long ago, a poet of the first will grow -- world war or the far this -- road of the sacrifice of young soldiers in war. they shall not role, as we that are left girl, age shall not worry them, nor the years condemn. at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. today, we are joined by two american families who six decades ago gave our nation one of their own, private first class henry svehla and private first class anthony

kaho'ohanohano. they did not grow. they made the all to read sacrifice when there were 19 and 21 years old. aides did not bury them. in the hearts of their families, forever young, loving sons, protective brothers, hometown kids who stood tall in america's hometown, in america's uniform. today, we remember them. and we honor them with the highest military decoration that our nation can be stowe, the medal of honor. in so doing, we also honor their families, who remind us it is our extraordinary military families who also bear the heavy burden of war. we're joined by members of congress who are here. we're very grateful for you. we're also joined by leaders from the army and our armed

forces, including chairman of the joint chiefs of staff admiral mike mullen and the vice chairman, general jim "hoss" cartwright. there they are right there. [applause] and this is not in the script, a limited knowledge that without the leadership of bob gates, mike mullen, hoss karr right, today and yesterday would not have happened. their steadiness and leadership has been extraordinary. i couldn't be prouder of them, and i am so grateful they have been part of our team. [applause] >> the associated press is

reporting that a senior pakistani intelligence official is rejecting suggestions that osama bin laden was being protected by pakistani officials. he said the government did not know that osama had been living in a small pakistani city where three army regiments with thousands of soldiers are based, not far from the capital. we're going to capitol hill for more reaction. here are senators collins and lieberman speaking. nancy pelosi is holding a briefing at 5:30 p.m. eastern and we hope to bring to you -- bring back to live. the houses resuming at 6. -- house is resuming at 6:00 p.m. >> could afternoon, everybody. thanks for being here. senator collins and i wanted to

come here today most of all to say thank-you to the men and women of the american and intelligence and military and security committees for what they did for all of us yesterday. the fact is that today, the world is a safer and better place because of the brave and brilliant american patriots who worked together yesterday to kill osama bin laden, a mass murderer. the homeland security committee of the u.s. senate, senator collins and i have been privileged to be leaders together. we have concentrated on doing everything we possibly could to make sure that the lack of coordination within the united states government that facilitated the attacks against

america on 9/11 was ended. what happened yesterday was in some sense the exact opposite of the mistakes and the failure to cooperate which led to the 9/11 attacks against the united states. from everything we can determine, every element of our government, military intelligence, homeland security, worked together as a team, and the result was the end of the life of osama bin laden. i want to thank all of them and also particularly express my gratitude to president obama for his leadership as commander-in- chief. speaking this morning with one of the members of our national security team, and i want to point out this was not a political appointee. he said to me that president

obama throughout the preparations and deliberations and decision making that preceded the successful attack on bin laden yesterday, president obama was cool and decisive, and the decisions that were made were not easy ones. i want to express my personal gratitude for -- to president obama for the leadership he gave this great team of hours. notwithstanding how well the team performed yesterday, i want to say briefly that our senate committee on homeland security will continue to monitor and investigate every element of what our government is doing to protect the homeland security of the -- because the enemy is out there and the enemy will try to attack the american people here where we live and work. in that regard, let me make this point.

there has been much commentary on the fact that there may now be a heightened level of danger for a limited time as individuals or groups seek revenge for the murder of osama bin laden. i want to reassure everyone that all of our homeland security and intelligence agencies parlor to those dangers, and using every tool they have to detect, and if necessary, prevent such an attack. my own concern in the days ahead is that a so-called loan wolf, a single individual -- lone wolf, a single individual, will mobilize himself or herself to take action against the american people. and as we know of our committee, that we spend a lot of time

investigating the murder of 13 americans at fort hood by hassan, these are the most difficult cases to see and stop. my appeal to the american people is, please be aware. this is a classic -- if you see something, say something moment. if you see suspicious behavior, call the police immediately. that includes if you cease suspicious behavior by someone who is a friend or family member. the final point is this. i would like to put to death -- the death of osama bin laden in the context of a democratic uprisings that are occurring in the arab world.

for the war that we were drawn into on 9/11 against islamist extremism and terrorism, will not end with the death of one man. even that one man who most visibly propagated this political ideology that is a corruption of a great religion, this war against islamist extremism and terrorism will and -- end when the ideas he propagated discredited and abandoned alongside its totalitarian twins, fascism and communism. in this respect, it is fitting that bin laden was killed just as democracies are being born in the arab world.

the peaceful, used driven, democratic revolutions now taking place in tenacious, libya -- in tunisia, libya, in egypt, and syria -- his extreme ideology is the records -- recourse and democracy as the strong horse after all. to read our world of bin laden and bin ladenism. it is critical we help the democratic forces in the middle east succeed, for it will be at the hands of his fellow arabs and fellow muslims that bin laden is finally and firmly consigned to the ash heap of history. senator collins. >> thank you.

>> let me add by starting with my tremendous gratitude to everyone who was involved in this critical mission, from the president and his national security team to the extraordinarily courageous navy seals and intelligence operatives who executed this very dangerous operation, flawlessly and with such great courage. i could not help but think last night when i received the call from the director of the national counter-terrorism center that that center did not exist prior to our 2004 intelligence reform and terrorism prevention act.

when i was called to hear that osama bin laden had been killed, he talked about the extraordinary effort and cooperation and prior to 9/11 of 2001, just the opposite existed. there was not cooperation, information was not shared. we saw in this operation the opposite. we called our intelligence -- we saw intelligence working with special forces working with homeland security officials, everyone working together as he undertakes and carries out this extraordinary mission. i also agreed with senator lieberman that while this is an

extraordinary and significant development, with the mastermind of al qaeda, the architect of the attacks against our country and the inspiration for so many islamist jihadists around the world now being killed, it is not the end of our fight against islamic extremism. we must continue to not let down our guard. we must continued to be vigilant -- continue to be vigilant. i agree that one of the concerns i must have is that a homegrown terrorist will choose this moment to strike in an attempt to retaliate for osama bin laden's death. that is why i was pleased

that the department of homeland security in conjunction with the fbi put out a situational awareness alert which went to state and local law enforcement, homeland security officials across this country, giving them some intelligence information, telling them they should be prepared for an increase in attacks. perhaps the expediting of blocks that are under way and they should be on the alert for that to happen. not too long ago, there would have been no communication between washington and state and local enforcement. much less a system that one out

and provided this kind of information. i think it shows how far we have come in the past decade. we must not rest because the threat is still with us, despite this intelligence triumph. >> how will this change -- [unintelligible] >> my position has been clear. when you captured someone in the war on terrorism, they should be held as a prisoner of war. prisoners of war and detainees

are often -- some of the original intelligence that led to the suspicion about this individual came from someone -- what we have vermont -- from guantanamo. there are not criminals of the united states -- they are not criminals of the united states. >> [inaudible] >> the biggest symbol -- the man who was the inspirational leader of the forces that attacked us from afghanistan is now dead. the war in afghanistan goes on

and we have heard a few calls that we quickly withdraw because the war is over and bin laden is dead. i wish we could say that. if we did that, we would repeat the mistake we made once before when we pulled out of afghanistan and that region after the soviets did. then invited the taliban into afghanistan. from afghanistan, the attacks on 9/11. decisions have to be made based on the facts on the ground in afghanistan. i think the killing of bin laden gives us an increased momentum in the war in afghanistan. if i were the leader of the taliban, i would be frightened right now. the capacity of our military and special operations command

showed leading up to yesterday and the mission yesterday, a difficult mission against a tough target. this compound was built to house and protect osama bin laden. but they carried it out. wherever mullah omar is and other leaders are, they have reason to worry. >> i wanted to comment on the second part of your question, which had to do with pakistan. it seems to me that this incident shows that pakistan remains a critical but uncertain ally in the fight against terroristterrorism. it is difficult for me to understand how this huge compound could be built in a city just one hour north of the

capital of pakistan, in the city that contained military installations, including the pakistani military academy, and it did not arouse tremendous suspicion. especially since there were no internet or telephone connections and the waste was incinerated and there was barbwire all around the top of the compound. i think this tells us once again that unfortunately, pakistan at times is playing a double game. that is very troubling to me. >> is there anything that congress, the american government can do to change the way pakistan has -- is dealing with some of the al qaeda presence in this country, provisions of funding or in the

upcoming war bill? >> we need to keep the pressure on pakistan and one way to do that is to put more strings attached to the tremendous amount of military aid that we give the country. i do understand that the pakistan government is under tremendous pressure in -- internally. the fact is that it has been -- in pakistan's interest to work with us, to -- against the terrorist threat. that threat will turn toward pakistan itself. it has at times already. >> inevitably, there will be a lot of questions raised here in congress about what people in the pakistani intelligence agency, especially, knew or

should have known. pakistani officials had said to us, he is in the mountains in waziristan between pakistan and afghanistan. my inexperience with pakistanis is this is one of the most complicated, maybe the most complicated security intelligence relationship we have. on the one hand, they do give us very helpful intelligence assistance and military assistance. we have reason to believe that elements of their intelligence community continue to be very closely in touch with and perhaps supportive of terrorist groups that are fighting us and the afghans in afghanistan. this is going to be a time of them to prove theyghan

did not know that bin laden was there. >> reuters reported that americans had orders to kill, not capture. do you know if that is the case and why? it was, other concerns we have lost intelligence by not taking him alive? >> i do not know the answer to that. the description we have heard from officials at the administration is there was an initial attempt to capture him and put him under our control and he resisted. i do not know the exact description of how he resisted. the navy seals and special operations command forces felt it was consistent with their orders they had to kill him, and they did. >> do you think that, there were pictures taken of the killing. >> we're leaving this to go live to capitol hill for comments from house democratic leader nancy pelosi. >> good afternoon.

i am proud to be here with the democratic leadership of the house of representatives to say, hill to the chief. congratulations to president obama for his leadership, for his determination, for his commitment of resources, for his the capturetpriority and apprehension of osama bin laden. the director of the cia who was tasked to do this and others who played such a great role with such precision. not one american life was lost. i hope it is some comfort to the families of 9/11 that this has taken place. it is an historic event. we can never make them whole. i hope it is some comfort to them that at last, osama bin laden has been apprehended. we have more work to do. he is one person. terrorism is still out there.

we have a commitment to honor our of the office to protect and defend. president obama has done that. with this building on the work of president bush before him and before that, president clinton before 9/11 made of some of bin laden public enemy no. 1 in the u.s. and as we go forward, i hope we will have a chance to speak about this on the floor in the form of rote -- of a resolution and go to new york with a joint session as the new york jenna -- a delegation has suggested. this is a better occasion. can i say hill to the chief and a tribute to the leadership of our commander-in-chief, barack obama. i yield to our distinguished majority whip. steny hoyer. >> thank you.

yesterday was a day for which all freedom loving people have wished cents 9/11 of 2001. yesterday as our president indicated, was a day when one of the most heinous mass murders in our lifetime was brought to justice. asterday was a day that leader pelosi has pointed out, bill clinton, george w. bush, and president obama have worked diligently to accomplish. president obama, our intelligence community, members of our armed forces have all worked together to bring this day to reality.

as the leader pointed out, this is one person. this is a person who was diminished in his ability to carry out terror attacks on the u.s. and its people and territories. but who nevertheless remained a symbol for those who think that terrorism is a policy that was useful and important to pursue. whether they be islamic jihadists radicals or others who want to buy terror accomplish their objectives which the cannot accomplish through peaceful means. throughout the arab world today, we see people reaching for democracy. reaching for an opportunity to participate. reaching in peaceful ways.

bringing osama bin laden to justice was important for them. the terror is not the way. peaceful demonstrations, discussions, actions are. this was a day for which we all waited. we do not delude ourselves that yesterday solve our problem. yesterday will mean that we do not have to worry. eternal is -- eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. i congratulate president obama and with assistant leader clybourn and others to congratulate the president personally. he was courageous in authorizing this action. we know that its success was not

guaranteed. obviously, the preparation, the courage, the skill of those navy seals made it an extraordinarily successful enterprise and accomplished the objectives for which will have waited so many years. this is a good day for america, but it is a good day for freedom loving people throughout the world. i yield to mr. clybourn. >> thank you. i want us to keep in mind that yesterday's's resolution does not end despite any more than 9/11 started it. i am very respectful of the families of 9/11, but last night and this morning, i found

myself thinking about the families of those men and women at the u.s.s. cole, one of whom was a constituent of mine from charleston, south carolina. i thought about anton gunn, whose brother was on the u.s.s. cole. i thought about the embassy in nairobi. in 1998, these issues have been there for a long time. president clinton started us on this path, president bush kept us there, and president obama

has opened a new chapter in this fight. i congratulate him for doing it in such a way that it restores the faith and confidence of the people around the world that gives a tremendous surge of adrenaline to our citizens, to our men and women in uniform. this is a surge we have been waiting for. >> thank you all. >> house democratic leaders making comments about the death of osama bin laden.

the house is expected back in at 6:00 p.m. eastern the lead until then, we will hear from the chairman of the house intelligence committee. more than one dna sample was used to identify osama bin laden and it is clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was him. >> thank you for coming. we appreciate it. it is a great day for america. one down, to to go. we have a lot to be thankful for today. given our intelligence service pose a long-term effort to find and locate and bring to justice was bound and determined to evade custody or action with us. i wanted to start back a little bit. something happened four years

ago. a small piece of information that was set upon by our analysts and intelligent vote -- intelligence folks across the community. for a steady pace over time, worked to expand their circle of knowledge based on that one piece of information. it shows you what happens when the intelligence community comes together to solve a problem. it was the cia, it was national security agency, the nga, all coming together putting their resources on the table too slowly and surely tighten the noose around osama bin laden. there was a small number of people purposely so who got to see all the pieces put in one place. there is elements of the

intelligence community who did not know they were working toward this final goal. at the end, the most dangerous part, i would suspect, when they announced to the special forces that they were going to go on a particular mission to get ready to go and told them of their target. there was a loud and thunderous cheer which tells you the quality and commitment and courage of our special forces, that they were excited at the prospect of bringing justice to the person who masterminded the slaughter of 3000 innocent americans on u.s. soil. that was a very indicative place for us to go when it comes to appreciation of all the intelligence services and what was happening. before we get to the questions, i want to dispel the myth. because it took so long for us to get here, this was somehow an intelligence failure.

i think today is the wrong day to say that. when you look at how they traveled toward this target in absolute inches and how long it took them to beat what was a good operational security, this clearly demonstrates the new intelligence community after 9/11 and their ability to find and reach out anywhere in the world and take care of people who threaten the united states. i want to open it to any questions you might have. >> could you elaborate on what you were told? you said you were briefed on this operation. >> we were made aware in january of the compound. what they believed at that time, there was good indications it was osama bin laden but did not have enough. we did not have enough. over time, the kept building the case. they knew that someone important was using this facility in the

furtherance of terrorist activities around the world. there were not sure what the target was an going through the process of the difficulty of getting to the target was another set of conversations that we had in the months that preceded that briefing. >> how do you characterized the u.s. relationship with pakistan? there has been much said about how they could have done this without some of pakistan's cooperation and others said there were two sets of the isi, and some work with us and some at cross purposes. what is the relationship with pakistan and intelligence services? >> the liaison partnerships are always -- they are never in proposition. you have to take the service as it in the country in which you find it. the isi and government of

pakistan have been helpful when it comes to counter-terrorism actions an investigation. that is so. there have been lots of places where questions have been raised and i can guarantee you there will be questions raised about this case as well. done in a way that continues to, i argue, put pressure on the pakistani is to do the right thing. they have internal politics that may not sell as well as their ability to help us. we have to work through those issues to continue our relationship. it does not mean that hard questions will get asked, but we have to find that relationship. >> at what poin do you think that -- point to you think the united states is -- [inaudible] >> anytime you can take an operational or inspirational leader of the battlefield, it is

a great day for national security. osama bin laden was the mastermind of slaughtering 3000 people and who has been brought to justice. you can see the reaction of people showing up at the white house and in new york city. how important they believed it was. think of the psychological impact to al qaeda operatives ever where that the united states will be patient, we will be diligent, and we will reach out and touch you where we find you if you are risking the lives of our citizens or allies. >> were you told in january? when were you told that the president had ordered a mission? >> it was a gang of eight briefing. it did not happen all of the same time. i happen to be there on other business.

at the cia. they wanted to keep this as close as they could, given that any release of that information, knowing their security would jeopardize and could accelerate his packing up and leaving. >> when were you told? >> i have been talking to leon panetta over the four months and this weekend. we knew when the president authorized it and there were discussions it was likely to happen and we got a call after happen. >> the first strand came from [inaudible] do you feel that the killing is a confirmation those progrespros were successful and they should come back into policy? >> the u.s. policy is to follow the law in interrogations' and i support that. as an old fbi agent, i support that and as an american citizen.

it is a great example of how important interrogations' are. wherever they happen. in having a consistent -- having a consistent policy is crucial. some would argue there is not a smoking gun that came out in 10 years, but pieces of information were gleaned from interrogations' that were put together to get as osama bin laden. and to other pretty bad people we're just as has been meted -- just aice has been meted. i received a phone call, i was off traveling on an intelligence trip. i received a call. we talked saturday and on sunday as well. >> there was some reports that there were computer hard drives that were recovered.

is there any indication that there was an intelligence drove? you thought zoller harry -- zawahiri would emerge as the next leader. >> in any criminal scene, there is evidence and our folks were very good about collecting evidence they found on the scene. i am sure that that information -- it is being analyzed and will be analyzed and we hopefully will have some good news as we move forward. wahiri isely because zah ly next leader, it is like t to be him. my speculation is zawahiri.

this important -- points to the importance that we stay vigilant and yemen is an important front on the war on terror that we're watching closely. >> is it true that informants were offered $20 million and were they paid? >> that has been misrepresented. the old wanted poster put out. $25 million for information leading to the rest of osama bin laden have been out there on the street for a long time, and there is some confusion. there was no direct money offered other than there have been these rewards that were posted for some time, if you provided information that gets to osama bin laden and other certain members, it would be paid. there is no determination that is tied in to any reward. as wondering about

releasing the poes of bin laden? >> there is going to be a lot of talk about it. our liaison partners will have that opportunity to view those photos. this is something we will have to work through. i do not think that answer has been determined yet. we maintain dignity, if there was any. and providet inflame ar evidence we're confident it is osama bin laden. >> you said we have to work through things as pakistan. is it true there intelligence agency had known they were there and had known for some time? i would like to know about u.s. aid to pakistan.

>> i do not want to speculate if they did or did not. we will ask those questions and americans have the right to know that. i would like to know what they knew. at the same time, there are still equities we have in pakistan as it relates to national security. we know there are incredibly bad people there. of the 20 senior leaders in al qaeda, at least a dozen of them we believe to be traveling around pakistan someplace. it is incredibly important for us that we maintain a relationship so we can pursue those targets that we know are posing a threat to the united states. that is the balance. we will have to work through it. keeping a diplomat for 42 days, there is speculation about the release of information to bad guys through the isi. we hope we can work our way

through it. it does not mean that we will not ask hard questions. >> what do you make of the administration's assertion that [inaudible] about going into iraq and coming back and they [inaudible] also, [inaudible] >> the information started four years ago which was in the bush administration. >> i do not draw the nexus between going into afghanistan and iraq and not able to get bin laden. the reason we had difficulty is because of his operational security. the way he conducted himself and operated. it is a million-dollar compound plus, which is outlandish in that region of pakistan that was built to repel any operation

just as it happened. no internet connectivity. they would use cutouts, people to deliver messages. it is a tricky business. we do not get to walk around a replace in the world knocking on doors, doing fbi-style investigation about where is somebody. people who want to find blame today are misplaced in the sense that if you look at the incredible undertaking of the analysts of the operators, the case operators and the -- folks at the nsa who got tidbits and put it in one place and started drawing bad news, this was an incredible operation that i argue few countries in the world, if any, could do. >> it was prudent to do this.

it removes the thought that there will be a shrine to osama bin laden or a grave robbing or lasting impact for his death. it was the best to lessen the impact for those who want to make him more than he was. >> in -- people are calling for -- how you expect things will shift appeared? >> i get confused when they said it what -- they want troops pulled when the taliban is the one who is fighting us right now and they are the ones who gave safe haven to al qaeda to operate and planned the 9/11 attacks. we have to be careful not to find these national security

issues that happen for the positive for the negative, to define the things we have to do. this demonstrates this is a global war and terrorism. each place will require different operations, different planning, different intelligence techniques, different military operations techniques. we are in afghanistan. this spring offensive is so important that we need the taliban back. they rest in the winter. it is hard to get anywhere in afghanistan in the winter. this is their spring offensive. it is a cultural fighting force that has been going on for hundreds of years. now was the time we win that fight. for anyone to mix up the success with what i think will be a success in the spring offensive against the that the taliban's spring offensive, -- >> we're leaving this to go live

to the house of representatives. members are back after a two week break. boats are expected -- votes expected. for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1423. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1423, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 115 fourth avenue southwest in ardmore, oklahoma, as the specialist michael e phillips post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. lankford, and the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oklahoma.

mr. lankford: thank you, mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. i also ask unanimous consent that all members may have five lelingtive days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection with. mr. lankford: mr. speaker, h.r. 1423 introduced by the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. cole, would designate the facility of the united states pose office located 115 fourth avenue in ardmore, oklahoma, the specialist michael e. phillips post office. this bill is co-sponsored by the entire oklahoma state delegation and was favorably reported without amendment by the committee on oversight and government reform on april 13. mr. speaker, it's altogether fitting and proper that we name this post office in ardmore for army specialist phillips to honor a true american hero in his service to our country. at this moment on our -- in our war on terrorism, with the recent death of saddam hussein, this is a moment to remember -- osama bin laden, this is a moment to remember those who have been fighting the war on terror for years. michael e. phillips graduated from ardmore high school in

2006. at ardmore high, specialist phillips ac selled in both academics and athletics, playing football, track and cross country. he loved history as well as drawing and was so talented he was offered admission to the san francisco art institute. instead, however, specialist phillips felt the calling to serve his country. he said he wanted to join the army, they got in the car and went down to the recruiting institution. specialist phillips enlisted in the army in 2006 and was assigned to the arm yeas first battalion, 502nd infantry rentalmen, 101 air division based in fort campbell, kentucky. tragically on february 24, 2008, specialist phillips was killed when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device in baghdad. he was 19 years old. he left behind his parents, angela and steve, as well as two younger brothers and a younger sister.

as a representative from oklahoma, it is an honor to stand before this body and pay tribute to a fellow oklahoman who made the ultimate sacrifice, courageously defending our freedom. i'm truly grateful for his service and the service of specialist phillips for all of those who serve and protect us each and every day. i urge all members to join me in strong support of this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 1423, a bill to rename the fourth avenue post office in ardmore, oklahoma, after army specialist michael e. phillips who died at the young age of 19 while serving our country in iraq. specialist phillips was a member of the 101st airborne division based in fort campbell, kentucky, he kide on february 24, 2008, in baghdad from wounds

sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. specialist phillips loved history and was a true student athlete who ran cross country and played football while attending ardmore high school. he also compelled at drawing and had been offered admission to san sfrean art institute. -- san francisco art institute up. but he had other plans. he volunteered to serve his country before attending college and by with all accounts was an excellent soldier, always willing to go the extra mile, constantly trying to improve himself. specialist phillips made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom. we honor his sacrifice today by naming the post office on fourth avenue in ardmore, oklahoma, the specialist michael e. phillips post office. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this bill

and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from oklahoma. mr. lankford: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to now yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished colleague and friend the great state of oklahoma, the sponsor of this legislation, mr. cole. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. cole: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 1423, a bill with i sponsored to designate the post office in ardmore, oklahoma, as the specialist michael e. phillips post office. michael was driven by a personal sense of duty and honor. he joined the army because he recognized injustice and terror in our world with and sought to make a difference. specialist michael phillips lived out that sense of duty through military service and made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our nation remained security and free. mr. speaker, michael turned down an opportunity to attend the san francisco art institute, to volunteer for the united states army.

when asked why he wanted to join the army, michael simply stated, quote, i want to a career and we are at war. specialist phillips saw terrorists as thugs, often referring to them as, quote, the ultimate bullies in the world, unquote. a fervent student of history, michael knew that his service would be against a tough and formidable enemy. still, he enthusiastically embraced what he believed was the right decision and enlisted in the united states army. mr. speaker, michael phillips was only 17 years of age when he joined the military by the delayed entry program. he left for boot camp on june 24, 2006. upon finishing advanced infantry training, michael was assigned to bravo company one of the 502nd strike brigade of the 101st ashe division, one of the most storied divisions in the united states army. on october 13, 2007, michael and

his brothers in arms were deployed in iraq for combat operations. michael's enthusiasm for his work inspired maybes -- members of his platoon. in addition to his enthusiasm, specialist phillips also endeavored to foster real camaraderie amongst his fellow soldiers. even in the middle of a war, it was said that michael made bad times good and good times better. michael's team leader, matthew sergeant wayland, praised his abilities in terrain association, map reading and his tremendous bravery in combat. sergeant wayland reflected on specialist phillips' leadership skills noting, quote, i know that soldiers that did serve with him have taken away with them, as i have, the undoubted and unmistaken values that he always possessed and always portrayed. mr. speaker, specialist michael e. phillips was killed in action on february 24, 2008, in iraq just outside of baghdad.

an explosively formed penetrator, so-called e.f.p., hit the driver's side of the door and the vehicle that he was driving. despite the severity of his injuries, he continued to smile and reassure those taking care of him. even in the most grim and serious times, michael still fought and lifted up those around him. for his service, specialist michael phillips way ard warded a bronze star. he was also designated as a distinguished member of the 526 nt infantry regimen, a distinguished member award is for those who display honorable service, loyalty on active duty in peace and war. these are qualities michael phillips lived with each and every day of his service career. mr. speaker, michael always gave more than his share back to his community. when he did have time away from his duty, he would often visit his high school to speak with students and encourage them to pursue their goals. never without a smile, michael fought for his country, his

community and his family with valor and with honor. he wanted others in the world to have the freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy here in the united states and he risked his life to achieve that end. like many who have made the ultimate sacrifice, specialist michael phillips leaves behind loved one withs, friends and comrades in arms who treasure his memory and honor his service. michael is survived by his parents, steven and angela phillips, his brothers, david and anthony, and his sister, barbara, all of ardmore, oklahoma. he also leaves behind a nation and a community that will never forget his courage, his sacrifice and his devotion to duty. mr. speaker, i urge the passage of this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from the district of columbia. is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i note

that we are honoring specialist phillips the day after we learn that the nation has met its commitment to kill or capture osama bin laden. we could not know when this bill was placed on the calendar that it would come at a time like this, whether we honor men and women with who have served in iraq or afghanistan, we cannot help but we're grateful for their service, especially today. i have no further speakers, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. lankford: mr. speaker this weekend i spoke with specialist michael phillips' mom. she reminded me that michael was the first student in 10 years to sign up in the army in from ardmore high school. he was recognized as a distinguished member of the

regiment fo his capacity to keep up morale amongst his peers. i'd like to leave the house with two quotes from specialist phillips. the first comes from a let that are specialist phillips sent to the assistant principal at ardmore high school. he wrote, i'm doing this for my family, for you, for everyone, for america. to protect it from the bad guys. the second as recalled by his mother, he said, terrorism was like a virus. it had to be stopped, it had to be contained. mr. speaker, in light of yesterday's events in p.c.a., with the death of osama bin laden -- pakistan, with the death of osama bin laden, these words both spoken and written by specialist phillips couldn't be more timely or fitting. this young man's passion was to protect the country from the bad guys, the terrorist who then and now want to do us harm. specialist phillips ended up making the ultimate sacrifice, combating terrorism, protecting the country that he loves. for that, mr. speaker, i'm eternally grateful and so is our nation. the soldiers who carried out the operation yesterday as well as the members of our intelligence

community who have spent nearly 10 years hunting down the mastermind behind 9/11 of much like specialist phillips, brave and courageous individuals who sacrificed so much and risk it all, keeping us safe and preventing the bad guys from harming more innocent people. i have the utmost respect for those each and every person in our armed forces and intelligence community and i'd like to express my sincere gratitude for what they do and have done. they truly make me proud to be an american. again, i urge members to join me in support of h.r. 1423 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time having expired, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1423. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma rise? mr. lankford: mr. speaker, i'd like to ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking

this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules an pass h.r. 362. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: house calendar number 20, h r. 362, a bill to redesignate the federal building an united states courthouse located at 200 east wall street in midland, texas, as the george h.w. bush and george w. bush united states courthouse and george mahone federal building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. hultgren, an the gentlewoman from the district of columbia -- from the district of columbia,

ms. norton, each control 20 minutes. the speaker pro tempore: mr. speaker -- mr. hultgren: mr. speaker, i ask that all members have five days to rerevise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hultgren: this bill would redesignate the federal courthouse as the george h.w. bush and george w. bush federal courthouse and mahone federal building. i want to thank the bill's 25 co-sponsors who represent various districts throughout the state of texas. the former presidents, george h.w. bush and george w. bush served this nation for many decade. president george h.w. bush served starting when he was 18, he became the youngest pilot in

the navy when he earned his wings an flew 58 combat missions, and won the distinguished cross for bravery after he was shot down. he served in the house of representatives for two terms he served as ambassador to the united nations, chief of the u.s. liaison office to china and director of the c.i.a. he was later elected vice president in 1980 and stood by president ronald reagan's side for eight years, contributing to policies that brought the cold war to an end and in 1988 was elected the 41st president of the united states. during his time in office, he skillfully navigated diplomacy with the new nations created after the fall of the soviet union an helped to bring to justice the corrupt manuel moryayga regime in panama.

a few months ago, he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by president obama. this is the highest civilian honor given for an especially herer tos you contribution to the security of the united states, world peace, or other cultural or private or public endeavors. in 2000, hi son, george w. bush, followed in his footsteps by being elected president of the united states after serving as governor of texas for six years he led us in response to the worst terrorist attack on our soil he helped yibet the nation and led the reforms of our inteblings and securities capabilities to better counter this unconventional threat. during his two term he effectuated the overthrow of a dictator in iraq and removed the taliban from power, upsetting a key ground for al qaeda and bringing democracy to an oppressed country.

yesterday this led to our country bringing justice to osama bin laden when during a raid by one of our special units teams, he was killed in after dwan stan. i want to recognize the work of our special units teams which were critical in locating osama bin laden and executing this mission. with the help of intelligence gathered from detainees from guantanamo bay, our intelligence community was able to gather key information needed to locate osama bin laden. with these events comes a seens of closure. however, we must remain vigilant in protecting our nation from the threat of terrorism. president george w. bush helped realign our intemmings an military capabilities to set the framework for our nation to better respond to this new threat. i think that it is appropriate for us to honor their service tour nation by naming this crowd after them as both former presidents have lived in texas for some time and george w. bush called midland his hometown. i support passage of this legislation an urge my

colleagues to do the same. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 362, a bill that honored the 41st and 43rd presidents of the united states, president george h.w. bush and president george w. bush by naming a courthouse located in midland, texas, after them, both of them. this honor is highly fitting, given their devotion to public service and their unique status as the only father and son pair to serve in our nation's highest office. former president george herbert walker bush was the 41st president of the united states. he served our country in many capacities, first as the youngest naval aviator at the time in the united states navy and later as a member of congress representing the seventh congressional district of texas. after leaving the congress,

president bush served in many prominent public service positions, including ambassador to the united nations, chief of the u.s. liaison office of the people's republic of china and director of the c.i.a. in 1980, president bush was elected vice president of the united states under president ronald reagan. he was re-elected vice president in 1984. president bush was then elected president of the united states in 1988. former president george walker bush was the 43rd president of the united states. president george w. bush was a graduate of yale university. after his service in the texas air national guard, he graduated from harvard business school and began a career in the oil industry. president bush became the principal owner of the texas rangers. the -- a major league baseball team.

in 1994, he was elected governor of texas, a position to which he was re-elected in 1998. he was elected president of the united states in 2000. and again in 2004. upon passage of this legislation, which is now known as the george mmbing ann federal building, it will be renamed the george h.w. bush and george w. bush united states courthouse and george may hon federal building. i urge my colleagues to support the passage of h.r. 362 an areserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. >> i wish to yield as much time as he may consume to mr. conaway of texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. conaway: i wish to speak in support of this bill to rename this courthouse. we could not be prouder of our two most famous residents. we are grateful of their stewardship of the powers entrusted home to and their legacy of advancing freedom, human dignity across the world. these two men, bound by blood but also by an unshakeable bond of liberty. from the dissolution of the soviet union to the liberation of kuwait and from the first use of -- chutes of democracy in afghanistan, both father an son have helped lift the crushing burdens of tyranny. in each effort, the nations

liberated have embarked on the effort of making laws. these are not easy steps but in the end, with the continued support of the united states, these efforts will prove to be an enduring and lasting legacy for both of these men and our nation. mr. speaker, my wife and i had the privilege to work alongside the bush family in texas and in washington. today i'm humbled and grateful for the opportunity to work here in congress and represent the people of west texas. on behalf of the people of district 11, i'd like to ex-ten my humblest gratitude to president george herbert walker bush and president george w. bush for their service to our stace and nation. we are better for their service. i would like to also recognize the role judge robert chanel played in getting this courthouse renamed. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is

recognize. ms. nomse: i -- ms. norton: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the blabs of his time all time being expired, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 36 2. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the ea firmtive, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 0, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. lankford to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1423, on which the

the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. members please remove your conversation to the outer chambers. the house will come to order. members please remove your

conversation out of the chamber. the house will come to order. members please remove your consideration off the floor. -- your conversation off the floor. the chair is now prepared to entertain one-minute requests. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection. the house will be in order. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: mr. speaker, the long arm of american justice has found the pawn of satan, the father of al qaeda, the leader of terrorists has met his maker, and maye 1, 2011, was judgment tai. osama bin laden was the emblem of all evil and hatred that exists in this world. the men and women in our military and intelligence community are to be commended for their relentless dedication to finding and removing this monster from the earth. this news brings comfort to those -- to the families of those who died on september 11 and who have died in the war on terror. bin laden's death is a victory for america. while this brings us a sense of satisfaction, we must remember there are more evildoers in the

world. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be ined or. -- will be in order. the gentleman from texas may continue. mr. poe: while this momentous event brings us a sense of satisfaction, we must remember there are more evildoers in the world who want to continue a crusade of hate an murder. those people have heard our message loud and clear today. if you attack america, justice will be done because justice is what we do in the u.s.a. that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from michigan. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. for one minute. mr. garamendi: i rise today to congratulate the united states military for carrying out an

extraordinarily difficult and extraordinarily important task. osama bin laden is no more. we thank them for their duration of this long and very necessary task. and put president obama -- and for president obama, he said he would get it done and he did. president bush worked at this long and hard and for all that have been involved in this very important task of ridding this world of the world's most notorious and dangerous terrorist, i congratulate them and i think all america does also. we need to continue to focus like a laser on al qaeda wherever they may be across this world. that is our task and we will not relent until we have finally succeeded in putting al qaeda aside and moving on to a more peaceful world. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania.

mr. thompson: apoll went to the lunar service. also on board were seeds from several varieties of trees, part of a joint mission known as moon trees to see if the space flight affected the feasibility to sprout. the trees were planted throughout the united states. one of the surviving trees is in the fifth district pennsylvania. it's among dozens reported missing by nasa until a low cat resident became aware of nasa's attempt to track down the treasures. today it is alive an well. they have agreed to a dedication

ceremony to bring attention to our moon tree. i want to thank my constituents for working to ensure the moon trees continue to serve as a monument to our nation's first visits to the moon. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from rhode island. for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. langevin: i rise today as we as a nation commemorate this historic day that osama bin laden was brought to justice, or more appropriately, justice was brought to him. i want to take this occasion to con garage late president obama and his team, c.i.a. director leon panetta and the members of the c.i.a. and our intelligence community as well as our nation's military who worked

dill jebtly and tirelessly over the last nearly 10 years to hunt down and eliminate osama bin laden. i know the countless man hours and millions of dollars and incredible effort was put together to make sure that osama bin laden and al qaeda were held accountable for the horrific attacks on the united states of america on 9/11. let me say that my heart and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families of that horrific day on 9/11. we hope that this in some weibrings closure to them and as we hope also that it now closes a painful chapter in u.s. history with the elimination of osama bin laden. i thank, again, all those who had a hand in this, particularly members of our military and intelligence community who worked so hard and carried out this mission flawlessly.

thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> mr. chairman, i'd like to be recognized for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> like all americans, i was relieved to hear the news that the world's most notorious terrorist no longer will be able to pose a threat to those who seek peace and freedom. we owe a great deal of gratitude to our brave men and women serving in uniform as well as our intelligence officers for successfully bringing down osama bin laden and scoring a major victory in the fight against terrorism. these individuals truly deserve our nation's deepest appreciation for the selfless work they do in order to keep us safe. unfortunately this occasion is

bittersweet. as we reflect on those that laid down their lives in defending our freedom. these individuals made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we enjoy the precious blessings of liberty. while there is nothing that can replace their lives, the lives that have been lost, i hope that their loved ones can take some solace in the fact that the man responsible for september 11 has been brought to justice. yesterday should seand clear message to those that engage in terrorist activities that we will find you and you will pay for your crimes. we are america, a nation built by and defended by heroes and we will prevail in the war on terror. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from california. for what purpose does the lady rise? ms. woolsey: i ask to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, my first thought when watching the nuss last night was -- news last night was about the people who have a hole in their hearts and in their homes because of the senseless, brutal violence perpetrated by osama bin laden. there was 9/11, of course, but also the 1993 world trade center bombing, the embassy bombings in east africa and the attack on the u.s.s. cole. osama bin laden is responsible for so much evil. and i hope that the families of his victims can now find some measure of peace and closure. bin laden is dead, but the terrorism threat he represents remains alive and well. the network he created continues to thrive and i believe, mr. speaker, that al qaeda will remain strong as long as we continue our policy of aggressive military -- militarism in the middle east. i would like to see what happens

on sunday, be the beginning of bringing our troops home and removing the very need for military action in the middle east. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from tennessee. for what purpose does the lady rise? mrs. black: i ask to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. black: last week i had three town halls back in my community, throughout my district, and the number one topic was the staggering national debt. people in my district are angry at washington, that they have allowed the debt to balloon so far out of control. many understand that the big changes have to be made to reduce spending and to address our debt. and while the problem includes billions that have been spent to grow agencies and bloat programs over the years, the big problem is the auto pilot program. medicare spending is growing in an unsustainable rate of 7.2%

every year. and unless we start now, medicare goes bankrupt in nine years, according to the c.b.o., and in seven to 19 years according to the medicare trustees report. left unchecked, the explosive growth of these programs, especially medicare, threatens not only our ability of the government to keep its promises to the beneficiaries, but also the solvency of the federal government and the health of the u.s. economy. our republican plan addresses this unsustainable growth, while ensuring that our current seniors, those 55 and older, are still taken care of. our republican plan attacks the growth and when we hear the political fodder, i ask, where is your plan to address medicare and reduce our debt? the time for leadership on this issue is now. not in five to 10 years when medicare is almost bankrupt.

let us cease this moment and do -- seize this moment and do what is necessary to save this vital program and save america from our looming debt crisis. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> ask consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you. let me begin by commending our commander in chief, president barack obama, and his team of experts who debated and discussed the exercise that eliminated osama bin laden. in an issue like this, there are many different points of view and it takes a person who has the ability to evaluate, to take charge. and he made a decision.

mr. payne: we'd like to commend the navy seals who did another extraordinary job. just as they did in somalia when i was there. i was in somalia the day after the navy seals eliminated the pirates who had hijacked a ship and i was at a press conference in mogadishu where i said that, when you tread on americans, this is the result. in mogadishu, as i left, my plain was -- plane was fired on by persons who were related to al qaeda. but let me once again commend that new jersey, who lost so many people in 9/11, we hope that they will have some peace. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. for what purpose does the gentleman rise?

>> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. paulsen: mook, i want to take a moment to recognize the -- mr. speaker, i want to take a moment to recognize the month of may as national fiscal fitness and sports -- physical fitness and sports month. many have focused on may to promote awareness of the value of physical activity and the pursuit of happier, healthier and productive lives. chronic diseases including preventable illnesses like heart disease and stroke cause 70% of u.s. deaths and are responsible for 3/4 of health care spending. the great majority of these conditions are linked to risky health behaviors such as obesity and lack of exercise. congress should be drawing attention to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the good work being done by many employers to encourage healthy behaviors through workplace wellness programless. mr. speaker, that's why i'm partnering with my colleague, ronald kind from wisconsin, to create a congressional wellness caucus and i encourage my colleagues to join. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from texas. for what purpose does the lady rise? ms. jackson lee: address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, for those of us who are here on 9/11, in this place, in this humble place, and saw the billowing smoke, we know what today and the last 24 hours have meant. thank you to the navy saels for thaveb their brivery, for their strategic genius, for providing a safety net to bring them all out, to make sure that the women and children were protected. thank you to presidents clinton, president bush, president obama for continuing chain of those who experienced terrorism who worked together. thank you, president obama. and again to the families of the victims, no one knows the story, those who were victims, whose family members died at the u.s.s. cole or in africa or 9/11 or 1993, and so i ask us not to move forward in this country as

democrats or republicans but as americans. not as conservative talk show, radio talk show listeners who seemingly cannot find a glistening of hope, but come together as americans. osama bin laden is dead. and we have the opportunity to thank the navy seals and the united states military and we have the ability to move forward as americans. to move forward for peace and democracy and to be able to thank those who have laid down their lives, who sacrificed so that our flag can fly and justice can prevail in our nation and around the world. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise for recognition? under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentleman from indiana, mr. burton, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the

majority leader. mr. burton: thank you, mr. speaker. this is a momentous occasion. the headlines all across the country say the same thing. osama bin laden has been killed and justice has been done. i think everybody ought to celebrate the tenacity of the american military and this administration as well as the bush administration for being dedicated to bringing this man to justice for the things that he has done, not only to the united states but to the entire world. i'd like to start off this special order by giving a little bit of history of osama bin laden and what he's done. in 1990 he started criticizing the saudi regime for allowing

the americans to establish a base of operations there indiana 1991 he was expelled from -- and in 1991 he was expelled from saudi arabia and disenfranchised or disowned by his family. and he immediately went out and started working to establish al qaeda, to establish a terrorist network that would kill people who didn't agree with his views and to terrorize the world until they started serving his wishes. these are widely attributed to al qaeda or al qaeda-inspired groups, which was headed by osama bin laden. in december of 1992 there was a bomb attack that killed two people at a hotel in yemen. 100 u.s. military personnel were stationed in the hotel awaiting deployment into somalia for operation restore hope. in february of 1993 a 500 kilogram bomb was detonated between the world trade center,

we all remember that, in new york city, six were killed and 1,000 were injured. in march of 1993, 250 people were killed and 700 injured in a series of 13 bomb explosions that took place in bombay, india. in october of 1993, 18 u.s. service men are killed in the "black hawk down" incident in somalia. al qaeda claimed responsibility for arming the somali factions who battled and killed those u.s. forces. in november of 1995 five americans were killed in bombing of the u.s. military advisory facility in riyadh, saudi arabia. in june of 1996, 19 u.s. airmen were killed in the bombing of towers in saudi arabia. in november of 1997, 62 people were killed by gunmen in the massacre at luckser in egypt. in august of 1998, 223 people are killed when the u.s. embassies in kenya and tanzania are attacked. in october of 2000, 17 u.s.

sailors aboard the u.s.s. cole were killed in a ship-born suicide bombing while the ship was docked in yemen. in september 11, 2001, 2,974 americans and others were killed when eye jacked planes are flown into the -- hijacked planes are flown into the world trade centers and the pentagon. in december of 2001 attempted bombing of an american airlines flight from paris to boston by al qaeda operative richard reid, a.k.a. the shoe bomber. in october of 2002 200 people killed and 240 injured in a series of bombings in the tourist district of bali, indonesia. in november of 2003, 57 people kill and 700 injured by four truck bombs in istanbul, turkey. in february, 2004, 116 people killed in the bombing and subsequent sinking of the super

fairy 14 in the philippines. in march, 2004, 191 people were killed and 2,000 wounded in a bombing of the madrid commuter train system. in may of 2004, 22 people killed and 25 injured in attacks on two oil industry installations, the arab petroleum investments building and the petroleum center in saudi arabia. in july, 2005, 56 killed and 700 injured in an attack on the london transportation sector, three bombs were detonated on the london underground and one on a double decker bus. 56 killed and 700 wounded. in july, 2005, 88 killed and 2 hub00 injured in a series of bomb blasts in the egyptian resort city, located in the southern tip of sinai peninsula. in 2005, november, 60 were killed and hundreds wounded in a suicide bomber attack on three hotels in ahman, jordan.

in july, 2006, 207 killed in an attack in mumbai, india. in october of 2007, 27 people were killed in a bombing in algeria. june of 2008, several people killed in a car bomb attack against a danish embassy in pakistan. al qaeda issued a statement saying it was a response to the 2000 publication of the mohammed cartoons. december, 2009, an attempted bombing of northwest airlines flight 253 be to detroit by omar farouk. in maye, 2010, an attempted car bomb in times square, new york. a 30-year-old pakistani born resident of bridge port, connecticut, admitted to the

attempted bombing, saying he trained in a terror camp in 2010. a car bomb were found on separate cargo planes. al qaeda in the arabian peninsula took responsibility for that plot. april of 2011, 16 killed in a bomb attack on a market in her kesh, morocco. april 29, 2011, an attempted attack in germany. police arrested three alleged members of al qaeda who had been planning attacks in the country. this is the legacy that osama bin laden leaves behind. blood, murder, maiming, all across the world, because he had radical views that he did not believe the rest of the world should not encompass and enjoy. this is a terrible tragedy. a terrible thing that occurred

in this world by one human being. he's been brought to justice now and we should compliment president bush and president obama for being tenacious in going after this man. one of the things, and i'll talk about this later after i yield to my colleague, one of the things that i think should be said around the world is this message. no matter where you guy, no matter where you hide, if you're a terrorist who attacks the free world, we will come and get you. the allied countries who fight terrorism including the united states will not rest until you're brought to justice. it took us 10 years to get osama bin laden. but we got him. and i want to thank once again president bush for taking the initiative initially and president obama for signing the attack message a couple of days ago to make sure we brought him to justice. with that, i'd like to yield to

my colleague from indiana, indiana's third district, for whatever time he may consume. >> thank you, mr. speaker. thank you to my colleague congressman purrton for his comment. what a momentous day, as he said, that we can all take courage and to look to the future. but as well as celebrate the ending of a chapter that's caused so much pain and so much fear in the many lives of americans. mr. stutzman: three weeks after my wife and i had our first born child, our american homeland was attacked by terrorists on september 11, 2001. as i held my baby boy i knew that i had to do something in ensuring the future security of my two sons -- and ensuring the future security of my two seasons is the reason i ran for congress. the terrorist attacks on 9/11 tested our security. i tested our defense, and our fortitude in protecting our country.

we have not stood idly by. for nearly 10 years now, our american soldiers have given their lives every day in operation new dawn, operation enduring freedom and now operation odyssey dawn to protect our nation and to secure justice. their service demands respect and admiration. last night, justice was served. bin laden has been the leader and the symbol of al qaeda for more than 20 years, continually plotting attacks against the united states and his allies. the world ka -- qaeda means foundation or pace. osama bin laden was the head of this foundation, the face of terrorism around the world a funation upon which its members expected to erect a vigorous, widespread network, spreading terror around the world. we have beheaded their foundation. we have beheaded al qaeda. should they can't, we will be

glad to bring justice and help them join their leader once again if they so choose. we must continue to fight. our third president thomas jefferson said this. that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. we must use our strength and cultivate our relationships with the people around the world to ensure we take a stand against cruel dictatorships, tyranny and radical islam. as i work with congress and military commanders, i will fight to honor those who have died, to secure our freedom because they deserve our utmost respect an we should only be so grateful. i congratulate the men an women of our military and intelligence communities who have devoted their lives to this mission. for this, our soldiers have america's boundless gratitude. i also want to commend and congratulate president obama and

president bush for their determination and willingness to continue the fight, to pursue osama bin laden, who has been the eluding terrorist, the face of terrorism around this world, and today, freedom has been victorious. i'm honored to represent the people of indiana's third district and i'm proud of indiana's 14,700 members of the indiana army and air national guard. s the dedication of these men and women and their families who have brought the leader of al qaeda to justice and will continue to bring justice to those who seek to destroy freedom and the stroy america. as winston churchill once said, we sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. so mr. speaker, today is one of those days that i didn't know i

would ever see. but i stand here knowing that we have been victorious but also know that the fight in front of us is not over with. that we will continue to be vigilant, that we will support our troops, our men and women, our commander in chief, in this fight on terrorism. i yield back my time. mr. burton: i thank any good friend, congressman stutzman, for his remarks. i really appreciate you taking the time to come down here tonight. mr. stutzman: thank you. mr. burton: you know, congressman stutzman talked a little bit about the military. and i really appreciate that because you know, we have thousands, hundreds of thousands, of men and women in the military defending our freedoms all around the world, in afghanistan and in iraq and we have them in germany and we have them in korea, we have them

in bases all around the world, making sure that the freedoms we enjoy today and tonight will be there tomorrow for us and our kids and our grandkids. but tonight i'd like to read a little bit of an article that was written just yesterday by a fellow named mark ma'ambeppeder -- mark ambender, i think he's with the "national journal," it's really well done and it points out all the hard work that went into going after osama bin laden. the team that killed osama bin laden were members of the counterterrorism unit for the navy known as the navy seal team six. it's a highly elusive group developed in the 1980's to rescue american hostages in iran. they exist outside the military protocol and engage in operations that are at the highest level of classification.

the fact that team six is front page news today is a measure of how important the publicity about bin laden's killing is to the u.s. because normally you don't hear about these guys. the president gave the order on friday morning, the strike began early sunday morning after the ghazi air base in pakistan, the mh-60 helicopters made their way to osama bin laden's tightly guarded compound 70 miles from the center of islamabad. the helicopter carrying the seals malfunctioned. can you imagine that? they're over their target. as it hovered outside the high walls, the pilot landed inside the walls of the three-story condo. yet the assault team raided the massive compound, prepared to take bin laden dead or alive, even though they knew there was a chance they wouldn't have a ride back. their lives were at risk, yet they went ahead and carried out

their mission. bin laden was discovered using women as human shields as american forces fired at him. one of the women was his wife. bin laden was shot in the face by the seals during a fire fight after resisting capture. three other males were kill aid long with him. one of them was his adult son. with the team still in the compound, the commander on the ground told a remote commander that they had found bin laden. the special forces blew up the malfunctioned chopper, helicopter, then escaped in a reinforcement. close to 4:15 p.m., just 40 minutes after they landed. the west wing staff worked most of the day on the operation. president obama joined senior national security officials in the situation room that afternoon as the fire fight was monitored. leon panetta, one of our old colleagues here, was in his conference room at the c.i.a. headquarters which he had turn intd a conference center to give him canstant contact with the tactical leaders of the strike

team. i want to compliment leon as well, i hope he's paying attention to this. less than 12 hours after the raid, bin laden's body was taken to the aircraft carrier u.s.s. carl vincent. he was buried at sea overnight. a d.n.a. match confirmed bin laden was dead at age 54. president obama made the announcement of his death at 11:35 p.m. and he said what all of us really agree with. justice has been done. but we still have a lot of those guys out there we have to watch out for and the message needs to be sent again and again, today and in the days to come that anybody who takes up the mantle of leadership like osama bin laden, we're going to go after him. and we have the elite military people, the special forces, the people in the air force, the marines, and the navy seals, that will get the job done. they know how to do it and

they're willing to risk their lives to get it done. does my colleague wish to be recognized? let me recognize my colleague for such time as he may consume. >> thank you, mr. burton. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> i send two rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the titles. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 236, resolution providing for consideration of the bill h r. 213, to repeal mandatory funding provided to states in the patient protection and affordable care act to establish american health benefit exchanges and providing for consideration of the bill h.r. 1214 to repeal mandatory funding for school-based health center construction. report to accompany house resolution 237, resolution providing for consideration of

the bill h.r. 3, to prohibit taxpayer funded abortions and to provide for conscience protections and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr. burton. mr. burton: thank you, mr. speaker. i would now like to go through a minute by minute description of what happened and once again it's an article written on national security by the secret team that killed bin laden, it was an article written for the national journal -- byfish the "national journal" by mark m. ambender, it was very well done, it tells almost everything that took place in this operation. the two sides of the joint special operations command challenge coin, which was given out by the j.s.o.c. commander vice admiral william mcraven from gazi air base in pakistan,

the maryland fied mr--- mh-60 choppers made their way to babbot -- abbottabad along with intelligence collectors and navigateors using classified hyperimagers. after bursts of fire, 22 people were killed or captured. one of the dead was osama bin laden, done in by a double tap, boom, boom, to the left side of his face. his body was aboard the choppers to made the trip back. one had experienced mechanical failure and was destroyed by security forces. were it not for this high value target, it might have been a routine mission for the specially trained seal team six,

officially called the naval special warfare development group but known to locals at their home base in virginia as just devgroup. this group was special and the raids required practice so they replicated the one-acre compound, trial run were held again and again in early trill april. they practiced this over and over again. they belong to an extraordinary and unusual collection of classified standing task forces and special missions units and they report to the president and operate worldwide based on the legal or extra legal premises of classified presidential directives. though the general public knows about the special seals and their brothers in delta force, most missions never are leaked, they don't get much credit because it's not in the paper. we only hear about jsoc when something goes wrong.

a british aide worker is excellently killed o when something really big happens -- -- killed, or when something really big happens. and even then the military remains sensitive about their existence. several dozen jsoc operatives have died in pakistan over the past several years. these are heroic people that go in and risk their lives on a daily basis on special operations to kill and destroy the enemy before they get to us. their names are released by the defense department in the usual manner, but with a cover story. generally they were killed in training accidents in eastern afghanistan. so they don't get the glory that is due them because they know that they've gone into a secret mission that cannot be exposed and they risk their lives defending this country and many of them will never be known. but they fought and died to save us all. that's the code. how did the helicopters allude

the pakistani network? did they spooftrn responder codes? if, so, and we may never know, two other josc units, the technical application programs office and the aviation technology evaluation group, were responsible. these truly are the silent squirrels, never getting public credit and not caring one wit. since 9/11 the josc units and their task forces have become the u.s. government's more effective and legal weapon against terrorists and their networks, drawing plenty of unwanted and occasionally unflattering attention to themselves in the process. when things don't go exactly right, they get criticized, even though they're going in and risking their lives without being glorified or being well known and yet when something goes wrong, they're criticized, but they rarely get the credit that's due them.

jsoc cost the country more than $1 billion annually. the command has its critics, but it has escaped significant congressional scrutiny and it's operated largely with unpunity since 9/11. some of its interrogators and operators were involved in torture and rendition and i don't believe that's the case. i would take issue with this part of the article, because i never did think water boarding was torture. i think it was a system that was used to get information that would save us from terrorists. and that water boarding may very well have led to the information that got osama bin laden a couple of days ago. the line between intelligence gathering activities in the c.i.o. has been blurred. but sunday's operation provides strong evidence that the c.i.a. and that jsoc work well together. sometimes intelligence needs to be developed rapidly to get inside the enemy's operational loop.

and sometimes it needs to be cultivated, grown as if it were a delicate bacteria in a petri dish. an interview at c.i.a. headquarters two weeks ago, a senior intelligence official said that two proud groups of america's secret warriors had been deconflicted and basically integrated. finally 10 years after 9/11. indeed according to accounts given to journalists by five senior administration officials sunday night, the c.i.a. gathered the intelligence that led to bin laden's location. a memo from c.i.a. director panetta sent sunday night provides some hints of how the information was collected and analyzed. in it he thanked the national security agency and the national geospecial intelligence agency for their help. n.s.a. figured out there thank there was no telephone or internet service in the compound where obama was. or where osama bin laden was. how it did this without

pakistan's knowledge is a secret. the ncia makes the military's maps that develops their pattern recognition software no doubt used to establish by february of this year that the c.i.a. could say with high probability that bin laden and his family were living there. recently jsoc built a new targeting and analysis center in ross lynn, virginia, where the national counterterrorism center tends to focus on threats to the homeland. taac, whose existent was -- existence was first disclosed by the associated press, focuses outward on i can netic or legal counterterrorism missions abroad. that the center could be stood up under of nose of some of the nation's most senior intelligence officials without their full knowledge testifies to the power and reach of jsoc whose size has tripled since 9/11. the command now includes more than 4,000 soldiers and civilians. it has its own intelligence distinguish which may or may not have sbnrove -- division which may or may not have been

involved in last night's effort and has gobbled up entities that allowed it to rapidly acquire, test and field new technologies. under a variety of standing orders, jsoc is involved in more than 50 current operations spanning a dozen countries and it's unit is supported by so-called white or acknowledged special operation entities like rangers, special forces battalions, seal teams and special op units from the largest special operations command that are responsible for most of the he can netic actions in afghanistan. pentagon officials are conscious of the enormous stress that 10 years of work have placed on the command. jsoc resources are heavily taxed by the operational tempo in afghanistan and pakistan. officials have said. the current commander and major general have been pushing to add people and intelligence

surveillance and reconnaissance technology to areas outside the war theet where are al qaeda and its affiliates continue to thrive. earlier this year it seems that the elite units would face the same budget pressures that the entire military was experiencing. not anymore. the military found a way, largely by reducing contracting staff, and borrowing others from special operations command, to add 50 positions to the jsoc and they want to add several squadrons to the tier one units delta and the seals and he'll have my vote for that. when general stanley mcchrystal became jsoc's commanding general in 2004, he and his intelligence chief, major general michael flynn, said about transforming -- set about transforming the way the units analyze and act on intelligence. suths in iraq were exploiting the slow decision loop that coalition commanders used and enhanced interrogation techniques were frowned upon after the abu ghraib scandal.

but the hunger for action for intelligence on insurgents was pap panel. i want to add one more time, this is not in the article, but i really believe when we're talking about dealing with terrorists and getting information that will stop terrorists from attacking us in the united states or elsewhere in the world, we ought to use whatever techniques that we possibly can to get that information. and i'm not talking about with torture. some of the newspaper people and news people that we see on television have actually experienced water boarding on television to show how it works. and it was not torture and it is not torture and we ought to use those techniques to make sure we protect our homeland and our people here and abroad. the way jsoc solved this problem remains a carefully guarded secret but people familiar with the unit suggest that mcchrystal and flynn interviewed hardened commandos to basic criminal forensic techniques and then used highly advanced and still

classified technology to transform this information into actual intelligence. one way they did this was to create forward deployed fusion cells where jsoc units were paired with intelligence analysts from the n.s.a. and the n.g.a. such analysis helped the c.i.o. to establish with a high degree of probability that osama bin laden and his family were hiding in that compound where he was captured or he was hit. these technicians could exploit and analyze data obtained from the battlefield instantly using their access to the government's various biometric facial recognition and voiceprint databases. these cells also use highly advanced surveillance technology and computer-based pattern analysis to lay out predictive models of suth behavior into realtime -- insurgent behavior into realtime observations. the military has begun to incorporate these techniques and flynn will be promoted to a job

within the office of the director of national intelligence where he'll be tasked with transforming the way intelligence is gathered, analyzed and utilized. that article tells just about everything about how this all came about and how it was carried out. but the one thing that isn't really hit hard enough in my opinion is the men and women in the military who do the job for us every single day. sometimes we fight about spending in this body, we fight about who gets the money, but the one thing we should never fight about is the money that goes to our armed forces, our men and women who do risk their lives every single day, and my hat goes off to those who are in the command that got osama bin laden and the navy seals that got the job done, even though their helicopter failed to work, they went in, 40 of them, risked their lives knowing that they might not come out, they got osama bin laden, they got 22

others, they got his body out of there and they got back to freedom without any casualties. so my hat goes off to you, navy seals, to all of those in the military who risked their lives every single day protecting and preserving our freedoms and for those special ops guys and all the branches of the service, well done. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes -- mr. burton: i move the house do now adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is now on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it and the motion

is adopted. according to the house, the stands adjourned until 10:00 >> we begin our coverage of the

reaction to the killing of osama bin laden with white house press secretary jay carney. he was joined by john brennan. mr. brennan told reporters that the killing of osama bin laden -- osama bin laden was a defining moment in the war against al qaeda and the war on terrorism. he described how he and the president informed other members of the national security team. from the one house briefing room, it -- this is about an hour. >> i have with me today john brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. he will take questions from you about the events of last night and yesterday afternoon. and what preceded those events. then if you have any questions on other subjects, i will do about 10 minutes after mr. brennan is finished to take

those questions. i just want to make a point before john comes up that as many of you know, the president's coming even before he was president, had a very clear idea about the approach he would take as president toward osama bin laden. in august of 2007, he said if we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and president musharraf , we will. in july 2008, he said we must make it clear that if pakistan cannot or will not act, we will take out high-level targets like bin laden if we have them in our sides. i just want to be clear that this is an approach that he always felt that he would take when he was president, and as

john will elaborate, once he took office, he made sure that we would revitalize our focus on osama bin laden and the hunt for him. with that i would like to invite john up to take your questions, and i will be standing here if you have questions on other topics. thank you. >> how do you want to do this? >> i wanted to ask about the specific form of the raid. was that -- was their consideration to take bin laden ally, or was it to kill him on sight? >> actually it was to prepare for all contingencies. if we had the opportunity to

take him out alive, the individuals involved were able and prepared to do that. we had discussed that in a number of meetings in the white house and with the president. the concern was that bin laden would oppose any type of capture operation and indeed he did. there was a firefight and he was killed in the firefight at this when the remains were removed. we certainly were planning for the possibility which we thought was going to be remote, given that he would likely resist arrest, but that we would be a will to capture him. >> the most likely outcome was that he would be killed on site? >> we were trying to make sure that we were able to accomplish the mission safely and securely for the people who were involved. we were not going to put our people at risk. the president put a premium on making sure that our personnel were protected and we were not going to give bin laden or any of his cohorts the opportunity

to carry out legal fire on our forces. he was engaged and he was killed in the process. if we had the opportunity to take him alive, we would have done that. >> you have -- have you been able to determine how he was able to hide in such a prominent location and do you believe the pakistanis did not have any idea that he was there? >> it is something that is considered as a possibility. pakistan is a large country. we are looking right now at how he was able to be there so long and whether there was any type of support system in pakistan that allowed him to stay there. we know that the people at the compound there were working on his behalf and that is how we ultimately found our way to the compound. less than 24 hours after this operation, we are talking with the pakistanis on a regular basis and are going to pursue all leads to find out what kind of support system and

benefactors he might have had. we are pursuing all leads in this issue. >> is it really credible that pakistani authorities had no idea that this compound is being billed -- was being built? >> i think it is inconceivable that he did not have a support system in the country that allowed him to remain there for extended time. i am not going to speculate about what type of support he might have had on an official basis inside pakistan. we are closely talking to the pakistanis right now and leaving open opportunities to continue to pursue whatever leads might be out there. >> one of the things that a lot of people think about when they hear this news is what this means for the war in afghanistan. >> i think the accomplishment that very brave personnel from

the united states government were able to realize just today is a defining moment in the war against al qaeda, the war on terrorism, by it decapitating the head of the snake known as al qaeda. it is going to have important reverberations throughout the area. this is something we have been after for 15 years. it goes back before 9/11. what we are doing now is trying to take advantage of the opportunity we have to demonstrate to the pakistani people that cockeyed is something in the past, and we are hoping to bury the rest of al qaeda along with bin laden. >> in the situation we are in today, can you describe how you are monitoring of the goings on at that have been described as very tense? were you watching the operation?

realist thing to it, or however you getting your information? >> the principles convened yesterday around midday. there were others who were here early yesterday morning. when the operation got under way, the president rejoined the group and we were able to monitor on a real-time basis the progress of the operation from its commencement to its time on target to the extraction of the remains and then the egress off of the target. it was probably one of the most anxiety field periods of time in the lives of the people who were assembled here yesterday. the minutes passed like days and the president was very concerned about the security of our personnel. that is what was on his mind throughout, and we wanted to make sure we were able to get through this and accomplish the mission. a lot of people were holding their breath.

there was a fair degree of silence as we would get the updates. when we finally were informed that those individuals who were able to go in that compound and found an individual that they found that they believed was bin laden, there's a tremendous sigh of relief that what we believe in who we believed was in that compound actually was in the compound and was found. the president was relieved once we had our people and those remains of target. >> was there a visual or was it just radio or phone reports? >> we were able to monitor the situation in real time and were able to have regular updates to ensure that we had real time visibility into the progress of the operation. i will not go into details about what type of visuals we had, but it gave us the ability to track

it on an ongoing basis. >> i understand there was a moment of real tension with the helicopter and also when the navy seals were leaving and the pakistani government started scrambling their jets, and there was a concern that they were coming to where the u.s. troops were. was there an actual concern that the pakistanis that were not apparently informed about this military operation, was there a concern that they might take military action against the navy seals? >> we did not contact the pakistanis until all of our people and aircraft were out of pakistani airspace. at the time, they were reacting to an incident that they knew was taking place in abbottabad. clearly we are concerned that if the pakistanis decided to scramble jets or whatever else, they did not know who were on those jets.

we were watching in making sure that our people and our aircraft were able to get out of pakistani airspace, and thankfully there was no engagement with pakistani forces. this operation was designed to minimize the chances of engagement with pakistani forces. it was done very well, and thankfully, no pakistani forces were engaged and there were no other individuals who were killed aside from those on the compound. >> can you talk to us about what documentation you may have found their? >> the people in the compound to the advantage of their time there to make sure we were able to acquire whatever material we thought was appropriate and what was needed, and we are in the process right now of looking at whatever line have been picked up. i will not go into details about

what might of been acquired. we feel that this is an important time to process this effort against al qaeda and continue to work to break the back of al qaeda. >> was a lot of information? >> we are trying to determine the worth of what information we were able to pick up. >> now that you have bin laden, can you tell us how close the u.s. has got into him in the past? in the other close calls that we have not been informed about? >> torborg was the last time we had actionable and we thought credible informational out where he was located. a number of leads have been pursued over the years. this operation demonstrates there are various -- there are some very good people who have been following this for years. as a result of that diligence and analytic capabilities, they were able to track this and

build a body of evidence that suggested circumstantially that bin laden was at that compound. that is what they did. it was much greater confidence that we have in this body of information than we have had tora bora.h borro the president had to evaluate the strength of the information's and made what i believe was one of the most gutsy calls of any president in recent memory. >> can you talk to us about how the anxiety of not being able to track or even did the name initially of the gentleman who led you to the compound? >> doing what is called target analysis is exceptionally

tedious and painstaking as far as taking a little bit of data and piecing it together with something else. as a result of the informational had about these couriers and individuals, over time we were able to piece together additional information and get the name he was known by, associate that with his real name and other things, that the real name was associated with, and track it until he got to the compound in abbottabad. over the past six months, trying to ensure that we had the best visibility in terms of understanding what was happening at that compound, that body of evidence kept accumulating to the point that when the president said i want to have operations against this compound, i want to have options and make sure that we take into account the safety and security of the american people who would be conducting this operation, that we look at it from the standpoint of limiting collateral damage and making

sure we were able to maximize the mission's success. it has been reported that he reached for a weapon. >> he was engaged in a firefight with those who entered the area of the house he was then. whether or not he got off any rounds, quite frankly i do not know. >> here is bin laden who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar campaign on -- compound, hiding behind women who were put in front of him as a shield. i think it speaks to health of his narrative has been over the years. looking at what bin laden was doing, hiding there while he is putting other people out there to carry out attacks, again,

just speaks to the nature of the individual he was. >> what was the most anxiety filled moment, when the helicopter appeared to be inoperable, or when you heard shots fired? could you actually hear the shots fired when you monitor did in real time? >> you already know in your mind what the first and second step are going along. if there is any deviation from that, it causes anxiety. the individuals who carried out the assault plan for all the various contingencies. when the helicopter could not move, all of a sudden you had to go in to plan b. they did it flawlessly. seeing that helicopter in a place and in the condition that it was not supposed to be, i think for me, that was the think for me, that was the concern we