"Justice Has Been Done"

Osama bin Laden is dead.  The man who brought down the twin towers and forever altered the American way of life was killed yesterday in a bold assault conducted by a small group of American Navy Seals.  The operation brought to an end the ten year search for the most wanted man in the world.

We now know that this operation had been in the works for months.  Remarkably the details were successfully kept under wraps until the mission was completed.  Even though bin Laden was found just north of Islamabad, the Pakistani government was kept in the dark for fear of leaks.  The President authorized the mission on Friday morning.  Bad weather delayed the assault until Sunday.  On Sunday evening the President was able to announce to the world that bin Laden was dead.   

The news traveled fast.  Spontaneous celebrations erupted on Times Square and in front of the White House.  Chants of “USA, USA, USA” reverberated through the streets.

When we heard the news we were flooded by a wave of different emotions.  There was shock and disbelief that it might not be true.  Then the rush of wanting to know how it all came down.  And finally goose bumps and pride in the skill and courage displayed by our intelligence and military personnel.

 The details are not important.  Over the next days, weeks and months they will be discussed and analyzed over and over again. What is important is that justice has been delivered to a mass murderer who forever changed our way of life. 

This is only one event.  The war on terror will continue.  But for one brief moment the country can exhale.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost loved ones on that fateful day.  Hopefully they can realize some sense of closure.

Our thoughts are also with the men and women of the intelligence committee whose vigilance over the past ten years uncovered the information leading to bin Laden’s whereabouts.

Finally words cannot express our admiration for the Navy Seals who successfully accomplished this incredible mission.

American has been divided.  Partisan politics, a horrible economy and natural disasters have torn at the very fabric of our union.  But we were able to put that all aside yesterday.  The country came together and said with one voice; “we may be tested, we may be bowed but we will persevere.”

Thank you CIA!  Thank you Navy Seals!  And thank you Mr. President!  Job well done!