u.s. u.s. hands. again again we're waiting to hear from t from the president in just a few few moments now. let's g let's go to the white house. back back at the white house and our our chief white house corres correspondent chip reid. what a what are you hearing, it has been a been a few minutes since we have have spoken. fast fast breaking developments here. here. are yo are you hearing anything new? new? >> >> we of, of course, still wait, f wait, for the president to speak a speak and we are hoping will give u give us some details. he is he is supposed to come to us from t from the east room live it was was supposed to be exactly a half a half an hour ago. we we are told that in 15 minute minutes we're going to get a backgr background conference call from wh from white house officials to to give us details on this. so so we certainly expect that the the president will speak before before then. i i think the odds are he won't won't give us all the grueso gruesome details but i certain certainly think we hope we will will get a lot of details in this this conference call shortly after t after the president speaks. >> mitc >> mitchell: okay, chip reid at at the white house. we'll we'll be back to you in just a mom a moment. right right now we want to go back to to the pentagon and our chief chief national security corres correspondent david martin who ha who has been working the phone phones all night. david david, anything new on your end? end? >> we >> well, just to repeat what we kn we know.

we have two sources, congre congressional sources saying that o that osama bin laden is dead. dead. one of one of those sources says the the u.s. has the body in afghan afghanistan and that he was shot shot in the head. now now that tells you that obviou obviously this was not a predato predator drone strike but this m this must have been an on the the ground operation. that that had a good enough locati location on him so that they co could risk putting u.s. troop troops or special operations forces forces or more likely cia op rattiv rattives on the ground to go after after bin laden. and and if this accous corre correct, that means they probabl probably went into pakistan and and took him out of pakistan back back to afghanistan. we'll we'll wait to see what the pakista pakistanies think of this. but i but i think the u.s. positi position would be to act first first and apologise later for for having violated pakist pakistani sovereignty. >> mit >> mitchell: david, i posed this q this question to chip reid at the at the white house a few moment moments ago.

you ar you are at the pentagon. how wo how would you describe the mood th mood there tonight, the buzz there there? >> >> well, the place here is absolu absolutely baking. nobody nobody is answering their phones phones. these these either their office phone phones or cell phones. and and when you finally get someon someone on the line, they say it say it will all become clear. clear. you kn you know, they've been sittin sitting on this for some time be time because it probably took a took a number of hours, if not not days to go through the proces process of confirming that yes, yes, indeed, this was osama bin bin laden. becaus because this was something you do you don't want to make a mista mistake about. so you so you would want to have a dna dna confirmation that the body body you had was that of osama osama bin laden. >> mitc >> mitchell: david, you touche touched on this a moment ago but but let's go over it again, if if we can. what d what do we know about where the b the body is right now and where where it many be taken? >> well >> well, all i can tell su that t that the one congressional source source says that the body is

in in afghanistan. and and this same source says that that the body is going to be disposed disposed of as opposed to being being given a burial that would would then create a grave site site that would be a tomb that, that, of a martyr that true believ believers and radical islam could could visit. but but that, again, that kind of of detail only comes from one sou one source. so we may be getting ahead of of ourselves here. >> mit >> mitchell: david martin at the e pentagon. we'll we'll be back to you in just a momen a moment. again again to remind folks t is 11:03 11:03 sunday night, cbs news confir confirmed that the osama bin laden h laden has been killed. his body his body is in u.s. hands. we we are waiting for a statem statement from the president of the of the united states that was sup was supposed to company could could at 10:30. 33 33 minutes ago. we we have yet to be given the 2 2 minute warning that the white white house occasionally gives gives us in moments like this. this. we we do not have it the questi question. we don we don't know exactly when the pre the president will speak but

it sho it should be very shortly. let's let's go back to our washin washington bureau and lara logan logan. our our chief terrorism corres correspondent bob orr. let me let me ask you as someone who has who has been to that part of the wo the world many times, how would would you describe the terrai terrain that osama bin laden worke worked in and lived in. >> rus >> russ, you know when you look look out at that border region region it is literally mountai mountains as far as you can see. see. i i mean there is nothing e there there. and y and you know what is so strang strange about it is that even t even though it's remote, there there are so few structures. they'v they've no instrau instra instrauk-- infrastructure f f something mov, you know it. it. you you know there is nothing that c that can move in that area withou without the people who live there there being aware of it. they a they are the eyes and ears of the of the pakistani intellig intelligence services out there. there. i mean i mean it's literally like, you kn you know, there isn't the smalle smallest thing that happens out out there that the people don't don't see. becaus because just imagine these stagge staggering mountains up to 10, 10, 12,000 feet and tiny little little mud houses that are built built into the side of it.

and and having to travel days to get to get to the nearest market. but y but you know, there are areas areas there, there are towns there there which are very, very highly highly populated and congest congested. so yo so you have a big contrast betwee between very congested areas where where it would be, you know, relati relatively easy for someone to to hide, but not to hide withou without being known about. and t and the same thing out in the the remote areas. there there are caves in those mounta mountains that are imposs impossible to track. there there are trails that smuggl smugglers have used to go across across that border from pakist pakistan into afghanistan and th and the other way for centuri centuries. i mean i mean there are more trails than than anyone, even with drones drones would ever be able to stay stay atop. but at but at the same time, if you are are connected to those local people people, there is nothing that that moves out there that you you can't find out about. and we and we've never had that connec connection before. and and that's always been the bigges biggest problem, is the human human intelligence. what what this seems to indicate, and at and at this point the detai details we don't have as david david was pointing out, we don't don't have all the details right right now. but ju but just the fact that the

u.s. u.s. is said to have osama bin bin laden's body indicates that that they've been able to penetr penetrate to that degree where where they were able to cover cover his-- recover his remain remains. and y and you know, that is done throug through human intelligence, by by traditional means. that's that's not done-- i mean, you you know, if we weren't on the the ground there it would be very very hard to get that body away away from osama bin laden innerc innercircle. and and his security around this. this. so so penetrating his innerc innercircle is more than just just being able to say that osama b osama bin laden is big. it it goes to every al qaeda leader leader out there, that the u.s. u.s. can reach out and touch you. you. and and that is significant in and o and of itself. and i and i was just speaking to someon someone who was at the highest highest levels of the u.s. govern government, part of this search search for osama bin laden for for many, many years. and and he was making the point that th that they have never stopped lookin looking for him. that t that the u.s. has never been a a time since 9/11 where the u.s. u.s. said oirx, okay, we don't don't care about aline laden. laden.

we are we are not going to look for him an him any more f he pops up that that is great. that is that is the no the case. this this has been an effort that has has involved hundreds and hundre hundreds and hundreds of peopl people for years and years. who who never stopped looking for hi for him. instea instead we pounded and pounde pounded and pounded and never never gave up. and y and you know, he said that the the people who were in power now now obviously this is going to to be a credit for them. he he said but this is an effort effort that has gone on for a very a very long time and most of the peo the people who have been involv involved in it will never, ever ever be known publicly. >> mit >> mitchell: it is 11:07 on the eas the east coast, thank you very m very much, lara. to to remind folks you are watchi watching cbs news special live live coverage. specia special live coverage, cbs news news has confirmed that the united united states, osama bin laden h laden has been killed. his his body is in u.s. hands. we're we're waiting to hear from the wh the white house tonight. presid president obama expected to make a make a statement any moment now. now. want want to go back to the pentag pentagon and david martin. david david you talked about how nobody nobody there is answering their their phones and it has been a a very busy time there tonig tonight. we've we've gone on the air, been

on the on the air for about 20 minute minutes. what d what do we know, anything new new at this point? >> we >> well, cbs producer howard rosenbe rosenberg has talked to former former cia officer hank crimpt crimpton and crumpton was one of one of the man in charge of the the cia war in afghanistan and and pakistan. so he so he was once intimately involve involved in the hunt for osama osama bin laden. and h and he said that he had been hearin hearing for the past three or or four weeks that the u.s. was was getting close, getting some s some sort of location on bin laden. laden. probab probably searching first with with a drone and trying to correl correlate what the drone was seein seeing with reports they were were picking up from agents on on the ground. and th and then obviously, at some point, point, that all came togethe together. and t and there was enough certai certainty so that you could risk risk american lives in the attemp attempt and send cia op

rattiv rattives in after bin laden. >> mit >> mitchell: lara just touche touched on this, david, you can te can tell us how tight was osama osama bin laden's incert incertificate-- innercircle? this i this is someone that the united united states, has been lookin looking for for more than a decade decade he was able to avoid us us at all costs. how how tight was that innerc innercircle? >> >> if you are's asking me, russ russ, i think itas a very limite limited innercircle. becaus because he communicated throug through, according to those wikilea wikileaks documents, he commun communicated through one trust trusted courier can. and and he must have known that if if he had a retinew of suvs as his as his security guards, he would would create a signature that that would give himself away to to any drone flying overhe overhead. so so his innercircle was both tight tight and very, very restr restricted. so so that at one time there

simply simply were very, very few peopl people who could give up bin laden laden's real location. and th and the story behind how this this happened is going to be a very a very interesting one. maybe maybe bin laden got carel careless. he had he had been reading stories about about how the relationship betwee between the cia and pakist pakistan's intelligence agency agency had almost broken comple completely apart. maybe h maybe he got careless for a day day or two, whatever it was, just just that little something allowed allowed people to start gettin getting a track on him. >> mit >> mitchell: david martin at the p the pentagon, thanks. we'll we'll talk to you again shortl shortly. those those of you expecting to see see your local late news, you ar you are watching cbs news live co live coverage, a special repor report. cbs cbs news has confirmed that osama osama bin laden has been killed. killed. his bo his body is in u. is hands. we're w we're waiting for president o o bam -- obama to make a statem statement to the people in just just a few minutes. now now to chip reid. a a lot of folks joining us now now, had not heard the news. reset f reset for us what you are

hearin hearing there. >> wel >> well, russ, just to recap, that w that we is heard from multip multiple sources that osama bin bin laden has been killed. appare apparently he was shot in the the head. certainl certainlied predator drones that h that have been flying over, that po that portion of western pakist pakistan and eastern afghan afghanistan for some time, certai certainly likely had a role in in locating him. but but we certainly don't know the the details a at this point. we have we have been told that the presid president was going to speak to to us 40 minutes ago at 10:30 10:30 p.m. eastern time. apparen apparently they are still gather gathering information and the pre the president is not prepar prepared to speak yet. we're we're supposed to get a backgr background briefing from white white house officials in five five minutes. that w that will probably be delaye delayed also. but but again certainly this is someth something that has people here a here at the white house, certain certainly pleased. it it is something that both the the bush white house and the obama obama white house worked for for for many years. it's it's been a decade since 9/11 9/11, of course. and and certainly there could

never never be anything approa approaching the end of al qaeda w qaeda without doing away with o with osama bin laden. you m you may recall that a week or s or so ago some wiki leaks documen documents came out, relating exact exactly what happened with a bib bib laden and his top deputy eye man eye man al zoo what heri after after 9/11. that that they drove around by car i car in afghanistan after watchi watching 9/11 on tv, eventua eventually making their way into t into the tora bora mountains where where osama bin laden became very c very close to being captur captured. he th he then escaped into pakist pakistan and has been there ever s ever since. but but now we have these repor reports that he has been kill k kill kd. and and that his body is in the hands hands of the united states. which which certainly poses an intere interesting situation. so so we're waiting to hear from t from the president on the detail details. and th and then get some more detail details after that. but th but the bottom line is that sourc sources, multiple sources say say that osama bin laden, the the perpetrator, the leader behind behind the 9/11 attracts is-- a is-- attacks is dead. >> mit >> mitchell: you said the

white white hoe is pleased tonigh tonight. i woul i would have to think that is is an understatement. >> i c >> i can krol only tell you by by the mood that people are in, in, as i went into the lower press press office here and found some some people there. they they were running around to. say th say they are joyous maybe is not qu not quite the right mood. but but certainly they feel that they they have accomplished somethi something extraordinarily importa important. they w they would not talk about it. it. you you could grab them by the lapels lapels and try to stop them and g and get them to say exactly what what is going on and they will n will not say. they they rush back and forth here. here. behind behind us every once in a while while, back over to the reside residents, to the east room where where the president is going to to give his statement, as they they are setting things up. they w they will not say exactly when i when it is happening. but but you can see the sense of excite excitement, really, that someth something that they have been been working on for two and a half a half years and that the bush-- bush-- mrtion worked on for seven seven years has finally been accompli accomplished. >> mit >> mitchell: and just from your your perspective here, this statem statement was supposed to be made made about 43 minutes ago how how unusual is it to be

pushe pushed back. >> it' >> it's not unusual at all. even even on a situation that has alread already developed, the postpon postponement, a delay is not unlike unlikely. and and in a situation like this where where they are obviously still still trying to gather the facts facts and know as much as they they possibly can, confirm as as much as they possibly can from a from a remote region of pakist pakistan, it is not surpri surprising at all that this would would be delayed. >> mit >> mitchell: chip reid, we'll we'll talk to you again in just just a moment. right right now back to our terror terrorism consultant, expert, juan juan zarata in washington tonigh tonight. we we spoke a few moments ago. let me let me ask you that question again. again. we we probably have a new audien audience now. how how big of a deal is this? >> >> this is a huge deal. not not only should the white house house be extremely happy and ecstat ecstatic but i think all america americans should. this this closes a key chapter on the war the war on terror. osama osama bin laden has been the symbol symbolic, strategic, moral leade leader, for not just al qaeda qaeda but the broader global sunni sunni extremist movement. and yo and you cannot imagine 9 end of al al qaeda without his death.

death. and so and so his death tonight, the the reports of it, are just a grea a great moment in the war on terro terror. for for those of us who are involv involved, i was with the prior prior administration trying to to hunt bin laden. solara solara's earlier point, the hunt never ended. but the but there was often periods of ti of time when you wouldn't get a get a whiff of where he was. fortuna fortunately, our in2e8 agains against officials, our military military were on his trail and cer and certainly got him tonig tonight. and i and i think it's a remarka remarkable moment in the war on on terror and i think we should should all celebrate it. >> mit >> mitchell: as someone involv involved in that hunt for years, years, how would you describ describe the frustration that y that you went through when you we you were in that position? >> >> usually frustrating. i i said publicly my greatest disappo disappointment was leaving my pos my position at the white house, house, not having seen bin laden laden killed or captured. so so for me this is a wonde wonderful night. i i congratulate those who were were involved and very thankfu thankful that they got him. because because i think it's not just a just a symbolic move. as as lara was saying earlier, this this demonstrates that there is is persistence to american

po power that nobody is beyond our re our reach. and th and that somebody who commit commits acts of terror agains against americans since the mid mid 1990s will be gotten. and i and i think it's a great message message to be sent, not only to bin to bin laden and the inner corps corps of al qaeda but to other other terrorists and others who ma who may seek to do us harm. i thi i think this is a graement moment moment for america. >> russ >> russ, one thing i wanted to say to say, the delay and the stateme statement may be also becau because the white house wants wants to calibrate this not just f just for an american audien audience but also for the audien audience abroad. and al and also for our enemies. and i and i think that maybe why you you are getting calibrations from t from the white house and some some delays. >> mit >> mitchell: juan zarate in washingt washington. we will we will be back to you in a bit. bit. now now back to bob orr at the washin washington bureau. you you have new information for us, us, bob? >> >> russ, we talked a lot about about obviously the death of bin lad bin laden and that is import important. but we but we also have to focus a little little bit on what comes next. next. so so around the world every govern government has taken note of this, this, and they have to move perhap perhaps another strategic positi position in terms of defens

defense. we're we're hearing from a reporte reporter in pakistan, a key strate strategic places in pakistan they h they have beefed up security there. there. in a in a preventive way to try to a to anticipate what might come i come in the way of retali retaliation from al qaeda if anythin anything. but one but one thing that's very intere interesting that i observed a coup a couple of hours ago as we were were chasing down the rumors that that perhaps bin laden was kille killed, we checked all the normal normal islamic blogs and some o some of the radical web sites. sites. we we didn't see any kind of buzz buzz about this. which which is really intesting. i thi i think we have to find out how how this operation went down. down. presuma presumably special forces moved moved in very, very quickly. apparen apparently were able to get his his body, if the reporting is corr is correct. but wo but word of that did not get out. out. i i mean normally when somethi something happens, when there there is a pred ster-- ster-- predator strike or somethi something happens in that part of part of the world, the islami islamic blogs are on fire as al al qaeda and their sympath sympathizers get out the word and word and they use it as a propag propaganda tool. we we have heard nothing on those those sites and the arab media media has been laid back in quotin quoting u.s. sources and router routers sources. so i so i think we have to see what what happens next. here i here in the u.s. i talked to

a a homeland security official a a short time ago. and th and there has been no move so so far to put anything in place place in terms of security or or prevention. but th but this is something that will b will be talked about. becau because we have to anticip anticipate some kind of respon response. althou although this is a signif significant gut blow to core al al qaeda. >> mitch >> mitchell: to lara, you talk talk about that same thing. lara lara, you talked about it earlie earlier. bob bob just said there will be a lot a lot of americans who hear this t this tonight and say okay, the the war on terror and for the l the large part, is over. what d what dow say to the people who who believe that? >> oh >> oh, no, clearly the war on on terror is not over. bob bob made a very important point point that al qaeda in the arabia arabian peninsula, in the islamic islamic-- yemen and other places places, i mean they are as connec connected to osama bin laden and t and the core of al qaeda as anyone anyone. there h there has been a lot of debate debate over trying to separa separate these entities and deal wi deal with them differently. they they all have the same ultima ultimate philosophy which is to to destroy the united states in in the western world and retur return, you know, to an islam islamic califate.

they they are spiritually and ideaol ideaologically connected, one i one in that sense. so it so it is not the ends of the war on war on terror, by no means. i don' i don't think-- there is no one w one who is going to come out and and suggest that. but at but at the same time, the import importance of this is absolu absolutely immense. and and not just because osama bin bin laden is dead, but becaus because you know, i just spoke spoke to hank crumpton who ran t ran the cia's campaign agains against the taliban and search search for al qaeda and was tracki tracking abin laden before 9/11. 9/11. and he and he is another person that that said to me the signif significance of this is also about about penetrating al qaeda. that y that you know, that central intell intelligence was used, electro electronic intelligence, eavesd eavesdropping, that sort of thing thing and overhead recona reconaissance, surveillance from t from the drones. but th but there is no question in people people who are familiar with how how this thing is done, that human human intelligence played an absolu absolutely vital role. and th and that is absolutely huge, russ russ, because that's the one

thing thing that everybody said we're we're not very good at. that i that is the one thing that people people say oh, the cia doesn't doesn't have any good sourc sources, even the defense depart department, military intell intelligence, they don't have a have any good sources on the groun ground. this this seems to indicate that that that is not the case here. that that we just had had-- the u.s. u.s. must have had very good source sources on the ground in order order for this to happen. and and it's about penetrating al al qaeda. this this is as to al qaeda no matter matter where you are, all over t over the world, that if osama osama bin laden, if the heart heart of al qaeda can be penetr penetrated, a man who has eluded eluded capture for the past ten ten years, then all of you can b can be reeved-- reached. and th and that is exactly the messag message that the u.s. wants to to send in this respect. and th and this is probably the most most significant moment in the wa the war on terror. the the u.s. has been battling, bob bob pointed out this comes at at a low point in this war. i mean i mean the u.s. has been ready ready politically to say you know w know what, we can't win in afghan afghanistan so let's just go

home. home. and no and no one is really paying attent attention to the strategic consequ consequences of a decision like t like that. this this is not vietnam this is not not the russians. this this is a different world and a and a different fight this is a is a fight that will follow the u. the u.s. home from every corner corner of the globe. and th and there is no significant step t step that we can afford to say th say that the u.s. can afford to sa to say that doesn't matter. we we just won't worry about osama osama bin laden. you ca you can't afford to say that if you if you want to win this fight. fight. you ha you have to get osama bin laden laden to win. but but getting him doesn't mean you've you've won. that i that is the simplest way to put put it. >> mitc >> mitchell: bob, let me go back t back to you for a second. you you covered washington for a long long time. chip chip talked about how the white white house is obviously please pleased at these latest develo developments. give u give us an idea of what this means means to washington, what it means means for the obama admini administration in terms of its clo its clout around town and what y what you will hear probably tomorr tomorrow from your sources? >> wel >> well this is huge for the obama obama administration this is a b a big win for the president. george george bush sadly wanted to get osa get osama bin laden, and from from what we can tell, didn't didn't really come that close close after tora bora.

so thi so this has been a relent relentless effort. but i but i think the president will will probably take pains to thank thank the bush admini administration for putting the the framework in place that allowe allowed some of the intell intelligence operations to go for go forward. they they built on the predator drone drone strike that the bush adminis administration launched. the the obama administration has been v been very active there. so thi so this is a big dividend. it it will pay some dividends politica politically i'm sure. but but it depends in part on what what comes next. it it will certainly give the cia a cia a stronger footing in that that part of the world t will will give a resurgence in our our efforts in the pakistan and and afghanistan region as we mentio mentioned earlier and perha perhaps it will give us the impet impetus to be a little strong stronger in yemen. right no right now with the death of bin bin laden that leaves zawahi zawahiri the number two core al qa al qaeda as a top target. but the but there is also a big target target in yemen, anwar al-awla al-awlaki, and the bomb builde builders there, all alziri there there are other big al qaeda target targets we need to take down before before we can have a victory dance dance here. but th but this is important.

i don' i don't think there is any way way to overstate the impor importance of taking out the spirit spiritual head of the 3406me 3406ment. this this is the guy who with a cadre cadre of others formed al qaeda c qaeda called the bates and launch launched this international jihad jihad againsted u.s. and wester western interests. and and to take the head off the snake snake as people have said in the pa the past s a big, big momen moment. and i and i think for a while at least least the obama adminis administration will ride high on high on this. >> mitc >> mitchell: bob and lara lara logan in our washington bureau bureau. we wil we will be back in a moment. you you are watching cbs news special special report, we are expect expecting to hear from presid president obama in a few moment moments. cbs cbs news confirmed osama bin laden h laden has been killed. his his body is in u.s. hands. mr. ob mr. obama was scheduled to speak speak to the american people abou about 50 minutes ago, 10:30 easte eastern time. it it has obviously been slid back. back. we're we're waiting to hear from the pr the president. hope to do that at any moment moment. we wan we want to go back to the white h white house now and our chief chief white house corres correspondent chip reid. i i understand you have new informa information. >> we >> we do have some new informa information. we are we are told by an aid to majori majority leader eric cantor,

the the house republican leader that v that vice president biden calle called cantor just over an hour hour ago to inform him that osama b osama bin laden what been killed killed. he he said that osama bin laden had had been killed in pakistan as we as we had previously report reported. he also told cantor that there there were meeting in the white white house on this as early as th as this morning. so thi so this is not something that that happened in the last few few minutes or the last few hours hours. meeti meeting in the situation room h room here this morning. so it so it is something that has been been discussed here at the white white house for quite some time. time. and i and i should add that the presid president played nine holes of of golf today, not the usual 18. 18. maybe maybe surprising that he golfed golfed at all. but ma t maybe that's why he only played played nine holes. >> mitc >> mitchell: i see. chip r chip reid at the white house. house. thank thank you for that new inform information. we'll we'll get back to you in just just a bit. jerry jerry van dyke, cbs news consult consultant joins me now at vbs vbs news headquarters. you we you were held captive by the taliban taliban in afghanistan for 45 45 days. give m give me an idea of what this night night means to you. >> th >> this is an extraordinary night night. emly emly when i think of the fact fact that osama bin laden is

now now dead. the the taliban have captured me, my my jailers said to me that you you will never find osama bin bin laden along the border. he is he is being kept by an instit institution far away from the the border. where where i was captured was exactl exactly along the border, a bit bit north where i think where o where osama bin laden was, where where he was killed. i was i was in-- agency. when when you think of that area, think think of california, nevada, a a lit like new mexico. the the cia has said even the bush bush administration that it is one is one of the toughest areas in th in the world in which to hide. hide. it is it is a wilderness area, practic practically. that's that's not really true. it's it's desert like. there' there's only one paved road through throughout the entire area. you ha you have villages in small areas areas. i did i did not see any caves to speak speak of where one could hide. hide. there there are is some tree cover, not to not too much. there there was a drone overhead for for about 30 of the 45 days that i that i was there. and i and i was told later that the the camera on that drone can see in see in a space the size of

the de the desk where you and i are sittin sitting now. so so these drones are very, very very sophisticated. to to this day i don't know to what what degree that drone was lookin looking for me or the taliba taliban that had captured me. me. >> mit >> mitchell: i see. >> and >> and they were all across that ar that area. so we so we had heard this is how they they captured bin laden. >> mit >> mitchell: jerry, did you think think that osama bin laden would would ever be captured? >> >> no, i did not. becaus because when you think of waz waz irstan it is about the size o size of new jersey. and w and we have been raining drone drone attacks on that place now now for two years under presid president obama, and before that that under president bush. every every single taliban that i talk talk to, people who had me as as well as every single tribal tribal leader, every single common common person along the border border, and the pashtuns said t said that osama bin laden is too b too big to hide, not just in statu stature but our tribal code condem condemns us from ever giving up a g up a guest. but but someone like bin laden is too is too big to hide. he is he is far away from the border. border. don't

don't forget, not one single al al qaeda leader has ever, was ev was ever killed or capture add lo add long the afghan pakist pakistani border. they they were always in major cities cities. far far away from the border region region which was always told bin bin laden was hiding in a cave. cave. i i never believed that for a minute minute. >> mit >> mitchell: jerry dan vehicl vehicle, day with me. we wil we will get to you in a few ment moments. now bac now back to the pentagon and our our national security corres correspondent david martin. it has it has been about an hour since, since, about 45 minutes sinc since we have been on the air, air, coming up on an hour since since the president was origin originally scheduled to speak. speak. what ar what are you hearing from the the pentagon? >> we >> well, actually we're hearin hearing more right now from the the hill. senato senator susan colin -- collin collins has put out a statem statement saying that she was was informed tonight by the head o head of the national counte counterterrorism center that bin bin laden was killed in a u.s. u.s. operation. didn't didn't say joint u.s. pakist pakistani operation. she she said a u.s. operation. which which makes it sound like this this was something that the u.s. u.s. did without permission or or maybe even the knowledge

of of pakistan. and and if that's the case, it will will cause corrable up society society in the relati relationship-- considerable up set up set in the relationship. one one person i had been checki checking wit see if they had hea had heard anything about bin laden laden was retired general stanle stanley mcchrystal who was once once the u.s. command never afghan afghanistan but before that was was the head of something called called the joint special operat operations command. which which is the command that was was in charge of trying to hunt hunt down bin laden. and and he sent me back an e-mail e-mail which said great news. news. and wi and with a former comrade from from the hunt, the hunt for osama osama bin laden, really good to to have this part over. and th and that of course is an import important point. this this part. the the symbol of al qaeda has been been taken out of action. but th but this is going to have consequ

consequences that we cannot forese foresee. it it may, it may generate retali retaliation from his follow followers. it it may demoralize his follow followers. we we don't know. and and so going forward, this, as as mcchrystal said this is only only a part of the war o terror terror. >> mitc >> mitchell: thank you very much much, david martin at the pentag pentagon. comin coming up on 11:30 eastern time. time. you ar you are watching cbs news live c live coverage. we are we are having a special report report right now. cbs cbs news has confirmed that osama osama bin laden has been killed killed and his body is in u.s. u.s. hands. i'm go i'm going to go back to our washin washington bureau and consul consult our terrorism consul consultant expert juan zarata zarata. i i posed this question to bob orr orr earlier as someone who has be has been in washington for a while while and part of the hunt for for bin laden. what do what do you think, how big of a of a deal will this be in the the nation's capitol to the folks folks at the state depart department. to the to the folks on capitol hill wa, d wa, do you think? >> i >> i think it is a huge deal. deal. and i

and i think the obama admini administration should get credit credit for it, will take credit credit for it but i think what what it demonstrates is the continu continuity and counte counterterrorism pressure on al al qaeda since 9/11. i i think there has been no respi respite in terms of going after ifter bin laden. i think credit goes to the intel intel community and to our speci special forces who have been after after bin laden and who clear clearly got a hold of key intell intelligence, human intelli intelligence and otherwise that w that was able then to launch the the operation that got him this this weekend. so i so i think this is a remark remarkably important day here here in washington. i i think people will see this as as a closing of a kaptur in the w the war on terror but as others others have mentioned, this will n will not be the e of the threat threat from terrorist places like like yemen, north africa even even elements of the al qaeda qaeda core who remain in pakist pakistan. we'll we'll have to see where al zawah zawahiri, the number two is, elia elia c sarx zmiri, who is respons responsible for the western plots w

plots we have been dealing with. with. there there are still dedicated al qaeda m qaeda members out there who will will no doubt continue the fight fight and seek inspiration with t with the death of bin laden. but th but this is a clear message that t that the united states will contin continue its pursuit relent relentlessly. i thi i think it's good news because because it starts to crumble al qae al qaeda from thop. and i and i think it's a great day for a for all of humanity, not just just americans. >> mitc >> mitchell: it is 11:30. an an hour ago now the presid president was originally sched scheduled to come out. juan, juan, let me ask you, earlie earlier you gave us your theory theory as to why the presid president may be delaying a statem statement. go ahe go ahead and give us that theory theory again? >> >> well, i think the presid ent has to keep in mind, mind, and the white house clear clearly has this in mind that th that they are trying to reach reach multiple audiences with a with a statement of this magnit magnitude. not not only is the president going t going to be speaking to the americ american public which is critic critical in terms of how he frames frames this event in the contex context of our commitment in afghan afghanistan, our concerns with w with what happens in pakista pakistan, commitments of troops troops around the world. but but also he has to worry about h about how his message is heard heard around the world with

friend friends and allies as well as as our enemies. and i and i think one of the things things he will try to do in this this message is the notion that that this is the beginning of of the end of al qaeda in a very very serious way. and and the fact that this demonst demonstrates america's power power. and and frankly the end of an era era where this kind of inhuma inhumanity that was driven by by bin laden and his humanit humanity should end. i i think he was trying to craft craft a message that hits multip multiple audiences and has an i an impact on the war on terror terror itself not just a politic political impact at home. >> mit >> mitchell: juan zarata, we will will get back to you in a moment moment. throwi throwing the ball around here, here, waiting for the presid president of the united states states to come out and make a state a statement. cbs cbs news confirmed that osama b osama bin laden has been kille killed. the unit the united states does have his his body. the the president was expected to to speak about an hour ago now, w now, waiting for him to come out out hopefu hopefully coming out very shortl shortly. now now back to the white house and and chief white house corres correspondent chip reid. when y when you got that call tonigh tonight, late sunday night, come b come back to the white house t will

t will be a big deal. we we we were all not told exactly what w what we were going to hear tonight tonight. what d what did you think right off the bad? the bad? >> wel >> well, we already knew that that the rumor was that osama osama bin laden had been killed killed. we di we didn't know that for sure. sure. we we were still harboring suspic suspicions that it might have so have something to do with moamma moammar qaddafi and perhaps someth something that happened in libya libya. but but when i got here the level level of activity suggested that that it was a good deal more than than a qaddafi situation. and i and i immediately started to suspec suspect that it did have somethi something to do with osama bin bin laden. it it wasn't long after that that w that we did confirm that osama osama bin laden had been kille killed. by the by the way, our producer jeff jeff goldman recently went out out in front of the white house house and said there are hundred hundreds of people, several hundr hundred people out in front of the of the white house chanting u.s.a., u.s.a., u.s.a. and that reflec reflects the mood that there is in is in the white house back here. here. people people won't talk much about it. it. they do they don't want to upstage the the president but clearly there i there is a deep sense of satisf satisfaction here that they have have accomplished one of the first first goals the president expres expressed when he was southe southern into-- sworno

office office. >> mit >> mitchell: we have gotten the 2 the 2 minute warning from the wh the white house. the pr the president should be out in abo in about 90 seconds or so, clip, clip, let me ask you one more q more question. we we heard david martin say we could could expect retaliation somewh somewhere around the world becaus because of what happened tonigh tonight. what a what are you hearing from the wh the white house t end? and ar and are they preparing for anythi anything like that? >> i >> i can't say we've heard anythi anything tonight about that but ce but certainly that has always always been one of the fears fears. but but their response to that is you is you don't back off in the war war on terror because you are are afraid of what might happen happen as a result of succes success. you you pursue it. you you pursue success to the maximu maximum degree possib you you defeat the enemy. you you don't back off out of fear t fear that they might retali retaliate. >> mit >> mitchell: chip reid at the wh the white house. it it is now 11:34. we we are watching cbs news live c live coverage. osama osama bin laden is now, his body body is now in u.s. hands. he has he has been kill kd. let's let's go back to lara logan. i i understand you have inform information as well? >> >> yes, you know, russ, this comes comes at a time that the operat operation to get osama bin