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Among some pundits, thinkers, and posters here, there’s been a certain level of criticism for the way many Americans, myself included, have reacted to the news of Osama’s death. I should say, I can in a sense understand where they’re coming from. It should always make us a little uncomfortable to find that we’re celebrating death and killing, no matter how vile the person being killed. I have seen more death and suffering than anyone should and I know well its stench. And I have been on the other end of the sight, looking death in the face and squeezing the trigger in response – there is nothing joyful about it. There’s no doubt that a world in which no killing was ever needed would be a better one, and the idea of celebrating someone’s death as though it represented some kind of satisfaction seems to miss the point of justice. And then there are the reports that folks are singing “We Are the Champions” at Ground Zero, which seems more appropriate for the aftermath of a Superbowl victory than to mark someone’s assassination – besides, we’re not the champions, the fight is far from over. Ideally, I would have spent the day with my fallen friends in Arlington. I offered some toasts in rememberance and spent some time at the local war memorial instead. And yet, I don’t believe that people are wrong to react with a sense of elation and happiness at this news. Here are my preliminary thoughts on why. First, Bin Laden’s killing today was not the same as an execution, not by any stretch of the imagination. This is a different scenario than the one which played out today. Osama Bin Laden was continuing to wage an active war on several fronts: against the United States, against many of his own countrymen, and against peaceful, mainstream Islam everywhere. Every day he was on the loose, he was likely planning to cause future bloodshed in America, working to disrupt peace processes in the middle east, and psychologically torturing young men and women into sending themselves to their own deaths. Unlike the hollow, symbolic act of an execution, the killing of a man actively plotting against you is no different striking down a foe in the midst of a battle. True, you can and should decry the fact that the battle took place at all. But I don’t believe for a minute that you can fault someone for feeling relief and even joy upon discovering that someone who posed a threat to their lives has been killed. I admit, after both serving in the military and now civilian public safety, I can feel the discomfort of knowing there are active terrorists out there plotting to kill random civilians much more personally, and I don’t like it. I deserve to be able to visit national landmarks and hang out in crowded spaces without having a little paranoid voice in the back of my head telling me that this is just the kind of time and place where a terrorist might strike. And even though it’s a small voice, and mostly an irrational one, it’s still true that I am safer today with Bin Laden dead than I was 24 hours ago. I do not apologize for wanting to celebrate that fact. Next: the other statement that will be made by those who feel uncomfortable celebrating what happened today will be that justice cannot be served by what amounts to a battlefield killing, and that Bin Laden should have been captured, tried, and then dealt with by a court of law. To a certain extent, I agree with this, as I think many people would. As standard rules of engagement, I certainly presume that the orders of the men on the ground were to capture him if possible. But I have to say, while I’m almost always on the side of strictly upholding the rule of law, the killing of Bin Laden today was not the same as uncomfortable way in which terror suspects, many professing their innocence, have been denied due process in places like Guantanamo. Perhaps, in some technical sense, there is a similarity. But broadly and pragmatically, this is not the place to pick that fight. Osama Bin Laden had confessed in front of the whole world to both his past crimes and to his intent to commit more of them in the future. If there ever was a time when someone’s guilt was clear without need for a trial, this was one. Indeed, an attempt at a trial would likely have resorted in an enormous fiasco: Where would it be held? Whose jurisdiction and laws would apply? How could we really ensure the safety of those charged with guarding Bin Laden, or those in the jury, or really anyone in any way connected to the trial? Could we really justify putting their lives at risk in the name of giving due process in this most open-and shut of all cases? The “war on terror” often looks very much unlike a war, and even when it does, it is often fought on the wrong battle fields, or in places where it is hard to tell whether the enemy is truly present, or who/what the “enemy” even is. But if there is one place where the “war” concept seems to me to apply, it is to Osama Bin Laden himself. As both a figurehead and an organizing officer, he was a general marshaling forces against you and me. He was not simply some former murderer on the run, being pursued so that he could be “brought to justice.” He was a man actively working to do harm to innocent people. Do I wish for a more ideal world where he could have been captured, tried without incident, and hung like Saddam? Sure. Do I dream of an even more ideal one where none of this even had to be debated? Of course. But do I regret in any way the feeling of security, relief, and redemption for my fallen brothers and sisters that I get from knowing that he is dead? Hell no. Not at all. Finally, I don’t think it’s true that these celebrations are really a celebration of one man’s death. They are, to me, primarily the celebration of a stepping stone in a larger, more extensive mission: the eradication of terrorism in the world. And as long as you agree that this is a goal worth pursuing through military means, then I don’t think you can fault us for treating this as a symbolic victory along the way. We should ask ourselves how many times have we seen footage of a revolution someplace, in which a regime is toppled, a leader is killed, and the population responds with wild celebrations. Do we react to these scenes with the same kind of skepticism? Of course not. We recognize that these people are not celebrating deaths, but the completion of a goal, and the taking of a step towards a better world. That deaths were a part of that process is lamentable, but not cause to condemn the celebration. In those cases, we all understand their elation: you are free from your oppressors, your overlords, from the ones who seek to keep you in poverty and in servitude and perhaps even seek to eliminate your gender, your race, or your nationality. But how substantially different is what many Americans are feeling today? A sense that we toppled an evil figure whose shadow hung frighteningly and ominously over us, and that we helped send a message to future generations, that the evil tactics of terror and intimidation of innocents cannot stand? I guess what I’m saying is this: if you want to split hairs about Americans’ motivations in reveling in this news, you can. It’s always uncomfortable to see people cheering at the news that someone was killed, even if it was under the guise of being “brought to justice.” I do not encourage killing as a way to make ourselves feel better about a past tragedy, not ever. It cannot and does not work. But when an active threat is neutralized, and a man working every day to ruin the lives of not just Americans, but Afghans, Pakistanis, and countless other people is killed, are we not allowed a moment of satisfaction? Not because it changes anything about the past, or in any way lessens the sting of the old wounds. But because it means we can be safer, happier, and better able to pursue an agenda of peace in the future. This kind of celebration and happiness does not, to me, carry with it the darkness of a revenge killing. It is the opposite: not a hollow obsession with the life that was lost, but a meaningful recognition of the lives that have in all probability been saved. It is not perfect. I can say from the depths of my soul that I wish lives never had to be lost in the pursuit of safety and harmony - no one detests war and death more than the soldier. But we live in an imperfect world where inevitably, they do. I make no apologies for the fact that tonight, I am thrilled that the life which was lost along that way belonged to a self-confessed murdered bent on killing again. There are so many lamentable deaths every day - it is welcome news that for once, one of them may help to save more lives than it cost.

Logical FAIL! He was not of my species, or that of any of my friends or family, or even pets. Huffington can whine about it to all her democrat friends, who organised the "spontaneous" eruption of Astroturf outside the White House last night. When was the last time anyone saw that many white people on the streets of DC after dark? Puhleeze! It doesn't happen.

appology in advance to Kate, Mav, and Happy ... I just can't control my fingers some days. Hell I would buy them snatch ! Dust started this ... my bad ?

He was a terrorist not a world leader, he deserved to die a horrible death but he got a quick one, a shot in the left eye. He didnt suffer like he made others suffer. He was pure evil and not of the human species. If I had the chance I would have pulled the trigger. If I have offended anyone I do not care as it is the bleeding hearts in this world that think they can fix everything with alittle luv. (not intended to anyone in particular)there are creatures out there that do not deserve to breath and he was one. I come from a family of Canadian and Americans that have gone to war to make sure that I am allowed to have an opinion, a job, do not have to cover my face because some man might look at me, if I am raped I get justice and not a stoning death, I could go on forever but I'm guessing you get the gist. When people forget the above thats when your country is in real trouble.

Oddly enough I can't get the termination scene from INGLORIOUS BASTARDS out of my head ? PRICELESS.

I agree.

To You All, Including All Our Brave Service Men And Women That Have Perished Since That Dreadful Day And To All You Brave Souls Still Fighting The Good Fight. We Got The Bastard!! Rest In Peace Brothers And Sisters

Sorry.. No, not right.. VE Day is Victory in Europe; May 8th, 1945. Members of my bloodline were killed in the war in Europe. That's their day, nearly 418K troops died in WWII, they deserve to keep that title. What is happening now, is just one step closer to the peace and freedom to feel safe on our home soil, once again. While that may be a long way off. We may never have our innocence back; I think that a big slice of justice has been served to those who died on 9/11, and for those have to suffer everyday, because of what happened on that date in history. Perhaps Victory Toward Everlasting Freedom

Bloody good movie that! Clearly people have been dying in forefights since the advent small arms and before that he would have gone down to a knife, a sword, an arrow a lance or my favourite the warhammer. Irrespective of whether the consipracy theorists among us belive that this was a snatch and grab gone wrong or a calculated assassination. I can already see it now "they shot him in the face then dumped him at sea so you cant identify him Truth is, this guy was never going to come out alive anyway, do you really think Osama bin wankin would allow himself to be captured alive, tossed into gitmo and gone up against a military court? He was always gonna die anyway, and quite frankly i'd like to buy the guys who put that bullet in his head a beer.

Of course, the best of all time was this one: EDIT: Found more, lol.

I disagree, there should be a shrine/memorial for Bin Laden.. it should be a public toilet at concert.

Deuteronomy: 19:21 "And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." This Huffington does't appear to be a God fearing Christian ... pitty .

Who the hell is this huffington post mob?? Sancitity of life! Where was bin Laden honoring the sactity of life! I guess them same asses from huffington would argue clemency for anyone hung after the Nuremburg Trials as well? Disgusted.....

Good afternoon, Last night, President Obama announced that the United States has killed Osama bin Laden, leader of al Qaeda and a terrorist responsible for the murders of thousands of innocent people. He made clear that even though Osama bin Laden has been brought to justice, Americans should remember the spirit of unity in the days after 9/11 as we continue to secure our nation and work for a safe and prosperous future. If you haven’t yet seen President Obama’s remarks, you can watch them here and read the full transcript below: Full Transcript of the President’s Remarks on Osama bin Laden Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction. And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts. On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family. We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies. Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot. Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world. And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network. Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda. Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad. As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity. Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people. Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates. The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded. So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done. Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice. We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day. Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores. And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people. The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place. Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Holy shit..it's not just the Huffington Post. Obama truly does believe that he killed Bin Laden all by himself ..Friggin' asswipe. I'll bet my left nut...my favorite one for some reason, that this is what happened. For generations friggin' Pakistan supports the Taliban causes, causing the death of thousands of the worlds young men...they get a big flood, come to the US, as well as others of course..the US says, "You know, we've known for a long time that you have shithead in Pakistan, you tell us where, and allow us to come and get him and you'll not only get your money, but we'll claim that it was partially your idea and the world will forget that you're evil pricks! Pakistan said, "Well...alright then!!" I'll bet you that Obama knew nothing of the particulars until after it was over, yet he's happy to take all of the credit. I hate that. Babies train their guts out, risk their lives, and old men that have never dropped a bead of military sweat take the credit. Liars, and cheaters and bullshit artists all taking the credit for what was almost certainly accomplished by a bunch of children fighting the wars of their fathers... Thanks for the American respect Squint, though I'll tell you what... I was shocked by the number of Canadian Fallen Comrade ceremonies I went to when in Afghanistan..AK was always there too, going to many, many more before and after me....Who knew the 'Welcome to my nayboo' ood!" Canadians were also friggin' bad ass warriors?? I had no idea there were even Canadian soldiers IN Afghanistan, much less the crucial role that they play. Love to our Armed Forces no matter where in the world..and especially today to the Special Forces. It's a crazy world... Dwayne

Maybe try this... Cure for CPR pain This should be diagnostic for CPR pain. Let me know if that gets you right again and we'll go from there... Dwayne