In a dramatic late-night statement, President Obama declared that U.S. soldiers raided bin Laden’s secret compound in Pakistan, and recovered his body after a firefight. “Justice has been done,” he said.
The president took time to describe the killing as a victory against bin laden’s Al Qaeda organization, and to remind Americans, like President George W. Bush before him, that America is not at war with Islam. “The U.S. has not and never will be at war with Islam…Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass-murderer of Muslims.”
The president also took time to remind listeners around the world that the U.S. attack was not an aggressive move. “The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores… after 10 years of service, struggle and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war.”