News / International
Reactions: Obama kills Osama
02 May 2011 at 08:31hrs | Views
Barack Obama - US president
Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.
Tonight, we give thanks to the counter intelligence officials who have tirelessly worked, we give thanks to them men who carried out this operation.
Finally, let me say to the families, we have not forgotten your loss, today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country.
Tonight we are once again reminded that American can do whatever we set our mind to ... we can do these things not because of wealth and power but because of who we are.
Pakistan Foreign Office
The death of bin Laden is a "major setback to terrorist organisations around the world".
"This operation was conducted by the US Forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the U.S. Forces, wherever found in the world."
Yousuf Raza Gilani - Pakistani prime minister
We will not allow our soil to be used against any other country for terrorism and therefore I think it's a great victory, it's a success and I congratulate the success of this operation.
Hamid Karzai - Afghan president
The killing of bin Laden is very "important news".
The Taliban must learn a lesson from this. The Taliban should refrain from fighting.
The war against terrorism is in its sources, in its financial sources, its sanctuaries, in its training bases, not in Afghanistan
George W. Bush - former US president
This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.
The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.
Michael Bloomberg - New York City mayor
The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically important victory for our nation - and a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation.
New Yorkers have waited nearly 10 years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001
Raymond Kelly - New York police commissioner
Killing of Osama bin Laden a "welcome milestone" for the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
David Cameron - British prime minister
Osama bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen -- for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British. It is a great success that he has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of global terror.
The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.
Benjamin Netanyahu - Israeli prime minister
This is a resounding triumph for justice, freedom and the values shared by all democratic nations fighting shoulder to shoulder in determination against terrorism.
The state of Israel joins together in the joy of the American people after the liquidation of bin Laden.
Ghassan Khatib - Palestine Authority spokesperson
Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods - the violent methods - that were created and encouraged by bin Laden and others in the world.
P. Chidambaram - Indian home minister
We take note with grave concern that part of the statement in which (US) President Obama said that the firefight in which Osama bin Laden was killed took place in Abbottabad 'deep inside Pakistan'.
This fact underlines our concern that terrorists belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in Pakistan.
Alain Juppe - France's foreign minster
Bin Laden's death is a "victory for all democracies fighting the abominable scourge of terrorism".
Angela Merkel - German Chancellor
Last night the forces of peace achieved a victory. But this does not mean that international terrorism has
been defeated yet. We must all remain vigilant.
Silvio Berlusconi - Italian prime minister
This is a great outcome in the fight against evil, in the fight against terrorism, a great outcome for the United States and for all democracies.
Benigno Aquino - Philippine president
The death of Osama bin Laden marks a signal defeat for the forces of extremism and terrorism.
It represents the death of the efforts of one man to stoke the fires of sectarian hatred and to promote terrorism on a scale unprecedented in the history of mass murder.
Franco Frattini - Italian foreign minister
Bin Laden's death at the hands of US forces "is a victory of good over evil, of justice over cruelty".
Robert Fisk - journalist
Osama bin Laden was the founder of Al Qaeda, but to suggest that he was in command, sitting in some computer cave, is completely rubbish.
He spent most of his time hiding, most of his time running from the US authorities.
I never thought he would hang around long in Afghanistan but in Pakistan he had a soft spot. He felt safer in Pakistan than he did in Afghanistan, and I think that is correct.
You have to realise that Bin Laden is a very popular mind, even with the royalty.
He was saying things about the West, which their dictators wouldn't say, his condemnation of the West, and he had to say it from a cave.
He is a figure who would be reflected upon.
Steve Clemmons – The New America Foundation
It's game changing news.
We got used to the fact that Osama bin Laden was beyond our reach. He has slipped off the radar screen, he was a pop culture figure with a fanatic bent.
The Muslim world are going to continue to have to deal with those who are inspired by him but of course knocking off a symbol globally is significant.
Imtiaz Gul – political analyst
It has come as a big surprise to most of the Pakistanis, particularly the location. Many believed that he had been long dead.
It is very close to the Pakistani military academy.
I'd presume that the Pakistani intelligence was involved to the extent, previous had been captured with their assistance.
In most cases, the Americans wouldn't tell the Pakistani security institutions where they were headed so in this case they (Pakistani intelligence) were probably on board but probably didn't know where they (the US) were going to.
Mark Kimmit - Military Analyst/US Army Brigadier
This is not the end of the movement, this is not the end of the terrorism but this is the end of the chapter
Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value.
It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since Bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an Al Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.
This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden.
Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.
Tonight, we give thanks to the counter intelligence officials who have tirelessly worked, we give thanks to them men who carried out this operation.
Finally, let me say to the families, we have not forgotten your loss, today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country.
Tonight we are once again reminded that American can do whatever we set our mind to ... we can do these things not because of wealth and power but because of who we are.
Pakistan Foreign Office
The death of bin Laden is a "major setback to terrorist organisations around the world".
"This operation was conducted by the US Forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the U.S. Forces, wherever found in the world."
Yousuf Raza Gilani - Pakistani prime minister
We will not allow our soil to be used against any other country for terrorism and therefore I think it's a great victory, it's a success and I congratulate the success of this operation.
Hamid Karzai - Afghan president
The killing of bin Laden is very "important news".
The Taliban must learn a lesson from this. The Taliban should refrain from fighting.
The war against terrorism is in its sources, in its financial sources, its sanctuaries, in its training bases, not in Afghanistan
George W. Bush - former US president
This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.
The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.
Michael Bloomberg - New York City mayor
The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically important victory for our nation - and a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation.
New Yorkers have waited nearly 10 years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001
Raymond Kelly - New York police commissioner
Killing of Osama bin Laden a "welcome milestone" for the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
David Cameron - British prime minister
Osama bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen -- for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British. It is a great success that he has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of global terror.
The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.
Benjamin Netanyahu - Israeli prime minister
This is a resounding triumph for justice, freedom and the values shared by all democratic nations fighting shoulder to shoulder in determination against terrorism.
The state of Israel joins together in the joy of the American people after the liquidation of bin Laden.
Ghassan Khatib - Palestine Authority spokesperson
Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods - the violent methods - that were created and encouraged by bin Laden and others in the world.
P. Chidambaram - Indian home minister
We take note with grave concern that part of the statement in which (US) President Obama said that the firefight in which Osama bin Laden was killed took place in Abbottabad 'deep inside Pakistan'.
Alain Juppe - France's foreign minster
Bin Laden's death is a "victory for all democracies fighting the abominable scourge of terrorism".
Angela Merkel - German Chancellor
Last night the forces of peace achieved a victory. But this does not mean that international terrorism has
been defeated yet. We must all remain vigilant.
Silvio Berlusconi - Italian prime minister
This is a great outcome in the fight against evil, in the fight against terrorism, a great outcome for the United States and for all democracies.
Benigno Aquino - Philippine president
The death of Osama bin Laden marks a signal defeat for the forces of extremism and terrorism.
It represents the death of the efforts of one man to stoke the fires of sectarian hatred and to promote terrorism on a scale unprecedented in the history of mass murder.
Franco Frattini - Italian foreign minister
Bin Laden's death at the hands of US forces "is a victory of good over evil, of justice over cruelty".
Robert Fisk - journalist
Osama bin Laden was the founder of Al Qaeda, but to suggest that he was in command, sitting in some computer cave, is completely rubbish.
He spent most of his time hiding, most of his time running from the US authorities.
I never thought he would hang around long in Afghanistan but in Pakistan he had a soft spot. He felt safer in Pakistan than he did in Afghanistan, and I think that is correct.
You have to realise that Bin Laden is a very popular mind, even with the royalty.
He was saying things about the West, which their dictators wouldn't say, his condemnation of the West, and he had to say it from a cave.
He is a figure who would be reflected upon.
Steve Clemmons – The New America Foundation
It's game changing news.
We got used to the fact that Osama bin Laden was beyond our reach. He has slipped off the radar screen, he was a pop culture figure with a fanatic bent.
The Muslim world are going to continue to have to deal with those who are inspired by him but of course knocking off a symbol globally is significant.
Imtiaz Gul – political analyst
It has come as a big surprise to most of the Pakistanis, particularly the location. Many believed that he had been long dead.
It is very close to the Pakistani military academy.
I'd presume that the Pakistani intelligence was involved to the extent, previous had been captured with their assistance.
In most cases, the Americans wouldn't tell the Pakistani security institutions where they were headed so in this case they (Pakistani intelligence) were probably on board but probably didn't know where they (the US) were going to.
Mark Kimmit - Military Analyst/US Army Brigadier
This is not the end of the movement, this is not the end of the terrorism but this is the end of the chapter
Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value.
It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since Bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an Al Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.
This organisation (Al Qaeda) is more than Bin Laden, it may be symbolised by Bin Laden, but it definitely is more than Bin Laden.
Source - Aljazeera
