Washington — President Obama said he ordered the commando raid that ended with the death of al-Qaida terrorist leader and mass murderer Osama bin Laden knowing that deadly force might be necessary for the man who had eluded justice for a decade after the September 11, 2001, attack on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people from almost 90 nations.
In a May 8 interview on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Obama said he knew the risks of sending in a U.S. Navy special operations team on evidence that “was not absolutely conclusive,” but it was the best way to be certain of finding bin Laden.
“I felt that the risks were outweighed by the potential benefit of us finally getting our man,” Obama told CBS.
“The fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received,” the president said. “Bin Laden had been not only a symbol of terrorism, but a mass murderer who had eluded justice for so long.”
While the risks associated with a raid of this kind would be enormous under most conditions, Obama said he had confidence in the abilities of the special operations team.
The Navy commando team, commonly known as SEALs for “Sea, Air and Land,” was flown by helicopter to the walled compound in Abbottabad, a small town near Islamabad, Pakistan. In the fight to take the house and its occupants, bin Laden was shot and killed by the commandos.
White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters at a May 3 press briefing that bin Laden and his family were found on the second and third floors of the building. “There was concern that bin Laden would oppose the … operation … and, indeed, he did resist,” Carney said. “The resistance was throughout.”
The commando team had the authority from the president to kill bin Laden unless he surrendered, Carney said, and they were required to accept his surrender if they could do so safely.
Obama said in the 60 Minutes interview that he and members of his Cabinet, national security staff and senior U.S. military officers monitored the entire 40-minute commando raid from the White House Situation Room, hearing much of what was said during the operation. The commando team used photographs of bin Laden and facial analysis to confirm that it was the terrorist, but scientific DNA testing afterward absolutely confirmed that it was bin Laden, the president said.
“There’s no doubt that bin Laden is dead,” Obama said. “Certainly, there’s no doubt among al-Qaida members that he is dead.” The terrorist group confirmed May 6 on its websites that their leader was killed by the United States in the May 1 raid.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said May 2 that “even as we mark this milestone, we should not forget that the battle to stop al-Qaida and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden.”
Clinton said the United States will continue to boost its counterterrorism efforts and cooperation with other nations, including Pakistan. The United States is committed to supporting the people and government of Pakistan, and defending its people and democracy from violent extremism, she added.