On May 2, 2011, United States President Barack Obama confirmed that al-Qaeda terrorist Osama bin Laden had been killed in his compound in Abbottabad, northeastern Pakistan. Bin Laden's death was welcomed by many as a positive and significant turning point in the fight against al-Qaeda and related groups. Those who welcomed it included the United States, the United Nations, European Union, NATO, and some nations in Asia, Africa, Oceania, South America, and the Middle East, including Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India, Israel, Indonesia, Somalia, the Philippines, Turkey, Iraq, Australia, Argentina, and the rebel Libyan Republic.
His killing was condemned by terrorist organizations such as Hamas administration of the Gaza Strip, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Taliban. Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood opined that bin Laden's death removed "the last excuse" for Western forces to remain in the Middle East, and urged their withdrawal. The monitoring of jihadist websites after bin Laden's death, by intelligence agency SITE, revealed encouragement of attacks in retaliation for his killing.
United States
Even before the official announcement, crowds gathered spontaneously to celebrate outside the White House, where thousands assembled. Hundreds of New Yorkers also gathered in Times Square and at Ground Zero, the site of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit with a large Muslim and Arab population, a small crowd gathered outside the City Hall in celebration, many of them of Middle Eastern descent. From the beginning to the end of Obama's speech, 4,000 tweets were sent per second on Twitter.
Fans attending a nationally televised Sunday Night Baseball Major League Baseball game between two National League East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia initiated U-S-A! cheers in response to the news, confusing players and officials alike because no official announcement was made until later. Likewise, at WWE Extreme Rules 2011, a pay-per-view broadcast emanating from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, newly crowned WWE Champion John Cena announced the news to the audience following the event's conclusion, resulting in a massive "U-S-A!" chant from the crowd. Students at Ohio State University celebrated by jumping into Mirror Lake, a tradition done before playing rivals Michigan in football. Hundreds of students at the University of Notre Dame, located in Notre Dame, Indiana, spontaneously gathered and celebrated by setting off fireworks, yelling loud chants, and running through busy student centers and libraries, many screaming the entire way through and carrying American flags. Students at the University of Southern California celebrated on USC's Greek Row, playing the national anthem and blasting fireworks. Students from many other universities, including midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy, also celebrated when they got the news. Indian Americans hailed the U.S. Special Forces, and accused Pakistan of sheltering bin Laden and other terrorists.
All four major broadcast television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) interrupted their regularly scheduled programming to cover the news.Hibberd, James (May 2, 2011). "Primetime Interrupted: Osama Bin Laden Dead". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 2, 2011. Nine television networks in total carried Obama's announcement, watched by 56.5 million Americans, his largest audience since election night.
In addition to the jubilant celebrations, many visitors quietly reflected at the Pentagon Memorial.
Current and former officials Former U.S. President George W. Bush said that "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". Former U.S. President Bill Clinton described it as "a profoundly important moment for people all over the world who want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our children". U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "The fight [against terrorism] continues, and we will never waver. I know there are some who doubted this day would ever come, who questioned our resolve and our reach. But let us remind ourselves, this is America. We rise to the challenge, we persevere, and we get the job done."
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he hoped the death of bin Laden "would comfort those who lost loved ones" in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice characterized the news as "absolutely thrilling", adding that she was "overwhelmed with gratitude and continue[s] to be amazed at what our military has achieved". The event was also applauded by past Republican presidential contenders, including former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, and Senator John McCain. Several U.S. senators questioned whether Pakistani authorities knew about bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, and had protected him.
On May 12, 2011, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, speaking at a Northwestern University symposium, told the audience that based on his knowledge of the facts, "It was not merely to do justice and avenge Sept. 11, [but] to remove an enemy who had been trying every day to attack the United States.... I haven't the slightest doubt it was entirely appropriate for American forces to act" as they did.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said "I worked for a lot of these guys [referring to the eight U.S. commanders-in-chief he has worked for during his career]. And this is one of the most courageous calls, decisions that I think I've ever seen a president make. For all of the concerns that I've just been talking about. The uncertainty of the intelligence. The consequences of it going bad. The risk to the lives of the Americans involved. It was a very gutsy call."
On May 3, The New York Times published a Ben Ferencz letter that argued that "illegal and unwarranted execution—even of suspected mass murderers—undermines democracy".Ferencz Weighs in on Bin Laden Killing May 3, 2011Letter to NY Times re: Bin Laden's Killing May 3, 2011
Pakistan Government Following the death of bin Laden, President Asif Ali Zardari convened emergency talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and security chiefs in Islamabad. Gilani said: "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." Later Gilani blamed the world for their failure to capture bin Laden. President Zardari privately told President Obama that "whatever the fallout, it's very good news."
The day after the raid, the Pakistani government lashed out at the U.S., saying that the United States had taken "an unauthorized unilateral action" that would not be tolerated in the future. The foreign ministry further said, "Such an event shall not serve as a future precedent for any state, including the United States."
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said, "Any other country that would ever act on assumption that it has the right to unilateralism of any sort will find as far as Pak is concerned that it has made a basic mistake". He further stated that Pakistani military had scrambled F-16s after they became aware of the attack but that they reached the compound after American helicopters had left. Bashir also warned the U.S. and India against any such covert operations in the future, saying this would lead to a "terrible catastrophe"."Pakistan Warns India, Us Against Invading Its Territory And Further Raids" . May 5, 2011.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf criticized the operation, saying, "America coming to our territory and taking action is a violation of our sovereignty, handling and execution of the operation [by U.S. forces] is not correct. The Pakistani government should have been kept in the loop."
Speaking at the Lahore Press Club, former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi criticised the government and openly demanded an explanation from top officials regarding the incident. He also called for President Zardari and Prime Minister Gillani to resign. Terming the American raid as "unprovoked aggression", Qureshi added that instead of addressing the nation during the crisis, Zardari instead chose to write an opinion piece in a foreign newspaper.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said Pakistan had "lost its dignity and self-esteem" in the wake of the Osama operation and lashed out at the government and the intelligence. "The big questions that everyone began asking, and for which no answers have been forthcoming, were: who allowed the Americans to come to Pakistan and carry out this attack? And whatever happened to the Pakistani Army and its intelligence?".
In an interview in 2019, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan claimed that Pakistani intelligence led the CIA to Osama bin Laden
"We in Pakistan always felt that we were an ally of the US and if we had been given the information about Osama bin Laden, we should have taken him out." said Khan.
Military Pakistan's military officials declined to comment, referring questions to the foreign ministry. After the operation, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence admitted that there had been an intelligence failure. An official stated that the same compound had been raided in 2003, but since then had not been monitored. However, this account was disputed by American officials who said that satellite photos show that even as late as 2004, the site was an empty field. Pakistan's Military chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called the operation a "misadventure" and stated that no further raids would be tolerated. In addition he announced that the number of private American military personnel in Pakistan will be reduced "to the minimum essential".
According to a statement by Pakistan Air Force Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, there had been an air-surveillance failure. Qamar covered the inquiry by saying that the air space was unable to detect the American helicopters because the radar installed on the western borders were inactive on the day of the incident. The U.S. helicopters also reportedly used radar-evading measures, such as stealth technology, to avoid detection.
Public A poll conducted among educated respondents from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad showed that 75% of them disapproved of the U.S. operation and 66% disbelieved that Osama Bin Laden had been killed at the compound in Abbottabad. There was also frustration and fierce criticism among the public and in Pakistani media against the military for its inability and failure in not detecting the American raid and allowing it to occur. A local resident, in reference to the security forces, commented: "This is what they are paid for, to defend the borders, not to run bakeries and banks and real-estate empires."
Numerous mobile text messages were observed doing the rounds in the country, apparently ridiculing the defence agencies for the security lapse. There was mounting public outrage against President Zardari, who offered no official remarks even five days after the incident. Zardari also left for state visits to Kuwait and Russia immediately after the operation, while Prime Minister Gillani left for a three-day state visit to France.
China Government