Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 in Review: U.S. troops kill Osama bin Laden

Editor's note: The Dec. 30 edition of the Frisco Enterprise contains the top 10 stories of 2011. These stories represent the most notorious moments in the city, state and the nation.

A sense of relief and jubilation rings throughout the area; coupled with a sense of caution.

The death of Osama bin Laden, killed by United States Navy SEALs in his Pakistani mansion hideout, has Americans celebrating in virtually every city in North Texas and throughout the country.

The reminders of the death and destruction of 9/11 came rushing forth Sunday night when President Barack Obama told the world that a military operation weeks in the making ended when bin Laden was shot in the head by U.S. forces.

Residents and visitors of New York City celebrated throughout the night at the site of the World Trade Center, destroyed when bin Laden's attack on the United States took place almost 10 years ago. The dancing, laughing and crying for joy soon spread throughout the country.

Reaction ranged from jubilation for many, to tones of caution as Americans were warned that a retaliatory strike could be in the planning stages. That warning did little to quell the excitement felt as Americans finally believed that justice had been served to the mass murderer whose plan resulted in the death of thousands.

Obama announced on television the death of bin Laden, bringing an end to a manhunt that began in earnest Sept. 11, 2001.

"Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we've made great strides [to find bin Laden]. We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al-Qaida safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al-Qaida terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot."

A member of the local Muslim community expressed happiness that the terror leader had been killed.

"Bin Laden was never a Muslim leader," said Dr. Jari Khan, secretary of public affairs and media of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Dallas Chapter. "He was a mass murderer, a man who killed in the name of Islam. We are happy that he has met his end and now together we can work for a peaceful society. Our prayers continue to go out to the families of the 9/11 tragedy. Terrorism in all areas must be ended."

Rep. Sam Johnson aimed his praise at the military.

"Way to go troops," he said. "Thank you for your tireless courage and deep resolve. We are proud of you. God bless you and I salute you.

"Whether it's shooting Somali pirates from a heaving ship at sea to rescue innocent Americans or finding and killing Osama bin Laden, the nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Navy SEALs --and all men and women who wear the uniform. This is a victory for freedom and justice."

The preceding story contains excerpts of the column written by Rick Mann on May 2, the day Osama bin Laden was killed.

The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com

You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.

Registered users sign in here:


Source: http://www.planostar.com/articles/2011/12/30/frisco_enterprise/news/792.txt

pawn stars restrepo nba news nba news florida gators erin brockovich the duchess

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.