A chorus of international leaders on Monday praised the
killing of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden by
US forces in a
dramatic raid and ensuing firefight the previous day.
NATO said on Monday the death of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in a firefight with US forces was a "significant success" for the security of NATO allies.
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defied BushThe Western military alliance's secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said in a statement NATO should continue its mission in Afghanistan to ensure it "never again becomes a safe haven for extremism."
"This is a significant success for the security of NATO Allies and all the nations which have joined us in our efforts to combat the scourge of global terrorism to make the world a safer place for all of us," Rasmussen said.
Merkel: The US has made a decisive strike on al QaidaGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel told US President Barack Obama on Monday that
she was relieved about the assassination, according to a statement released by her spokesman .
"The United States had succeeded in making a decisive strike against al
Qaida," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said. But the
chancellor warned that international terrorism has not yet been
defeated.
"Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her relief about this news to US President Barack Obama," Seibert said.
"Osama bin Laden was responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent
people...The forces of peace were successful last night. International
terror has not been defeated. We'll all have to remain vigilant."
Cameron: Death of al Qaida leader is a 'great relief'
The death of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden
will bring "great relief" across the world, British Prime Minister David
Cameron said on Monday.
"Osama bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the
world has seen - for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost
thousands of lives, many of them British. It is a great success that he
has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of
global terror," Cameron said in a statement.
"The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people
across the world," he said.
Bush: Hit is a 'momentous achievement'
Former
President George W. Bush, who was
in office at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks and famously said he
wanted Osama bin Laden dead or alive, on Sunday called the death of the
al Qaida leader a "momentous achievement."
President Barack Obama called Bush in Dallas at 9:04 p.m. central time
to inform him that bin Laden was dead and they spoke for four minutes, a
Bush spokesman said.
The Sept. 11 attacks were a defining moment of Bush's presidency. He
launched the war in Afghanistan and the hunt for bin Laden spanned the
rest of his presidency.
"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," Bush said in a statement.
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an
unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be
done," he said.
Bloomberg: Bin Laden killing 'doesn't lessen the suffering experienced at his hands'
In New York, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he hoped
the dramatic killing would comfort those who lost loved ones that
day.
"The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New
Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically
important victory for our nation - and a tribute to the millions of men
and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for
our nation," he said in a statement.
Russia's Kremlin released
their own statement, which said, "Revenge is inescapable for all
terrorists. Only a joint struggle against global terrorism can bring a
result," it added. "Russia is ready to increase its cooperation."
PA: Killing 'good for the cause of peace'
The Palestinian Authority also issused a statement on Monday, saying the killing was "good for the cause of
peace".
"Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the
cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse
and the methods - the violent methods - that were created and
encouraged by Bin Laden and others in the world," PA spokesman Ghassan
Khatib said.