Bin Laden was a sworn enemy of the United States and a danger to all humanity. He was responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents on 9/11 and through attacks on men, women and children of many nationalities and faiths - including many Muslims. He was committed to killing many more in the United States, Pakistan and around the world.
As President Obama said, "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. 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."
President Obama also recently described the American reaction to these tragic events by saying, "We were 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."
This is by no means the end of our effort against al Qaeda. But it does signal that the United States will be relentless in pursuing al Qaeda's leaders, preventing terrorist attacks, and ensuring that justice is done. The United States - and the world - will be safer in the long run because of Osama bin Laden's death.
The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. We are at war with al Qaeda, a terrorist organization that is committed to killing as many innocents as it can.
NEWS
Bin Laden's defeat is a victory for the United States and for all human beings who seek to live in peace, security, and dignity. He dedicated his life to destroying innocent lives and human progress. His demise will ultimately make the American people safer, and empower those around the world who seek to build - not destroy.
The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao continues to maintain a heightened security posture the details of which are not public information for security reasons.
On Wednesday, May 4, Consul General Belon said, "We are grateful for the many expressions of support for our efforts to defeat terrorism. We greatly appreciate the sense of solidarity that we feel from the people of the Dutch Caribbean. While we focus on building partnerships to address common challenges and to build positive initiatives together, we also reaffirm that terrorism is our common enemy."