Elijah Stevens, center, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y, visits Ground Zero with his daughter Caitlin, left, and wife, Stephanie, to show their support for the U.S. military and celebrate Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's death on Monday.
By John Minchillo, APElijah Stevens, center, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y, visits Ground Zero with his daughter Caitlin, left, and wife, Stephanie, to show their support for the U.S. military and celebrate Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's death on Monday.
Obama told a bipartisan gathering of lawmakers at the White House that the pride inspired by bin Laden's demise is "far deeper than party, far deeper than politics." He said he hopes to "harness some of that unity and some of that pride to confront the many challenges that we still face." Obama will go Thursday to Ground Zero in New York City.As the nation awoke to the news that had eluded Republican and Democratic administrations for nearly 10 years, issues emerged about the future of bin Laden's terrorist network, the war in Afghanistan and the U.S. relationship with Pakistan, where he was hiding ? possibly for years.
And as details emerged about the operation carried out Sunday night by an elite team of Navy SEALs halfway around the world, questions were raised about some of the tactical decisions ? most notably burying bin Laden at sea. Counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said that was done as a matter of practicality and to comply with Islamic law, which says burial should occur within 24 hours of death.
None of the questions diminished the combined sense of joy and relief that followed the announcement of bin Laden's death. "The American psyche has been given a huge boost," said Lee Hamilton, former co-chair of the 9/11 Commission that led to changes in the nation's intelligence and homeland security operations.
Amid celebrations, law enforcement agencies boosted security in key cities and transportation hubs. No specific threat emerged, and travel flowed without incident, but homeland security officials put local authorities on notice that the killing could spark reprisals.
"Though bin Laden is dead, al-Qaeda is not," CIA Director Leon Panetta said in a message to the spy agency's employees. "The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him."
Details of the 40-minute raid emerged from White House and Pentagon briefings: Bin Laden was shot in the face. Four others were killed, including a woman at first thought to be his wife. As Pakistani military aircraft mobilized, a U.S. helicopter had to be destroyed before the SEALs made their getaway.
All the while, Obama and top administration officials monitored events in the Situation Room. Brennan called it "one of the most gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory."
As allies across the globe applauded bin Laden's death, officials were faced with possible repercussions:
•Has al-Qaeda been incapacitated? Not yet, said White House officials and lawmakers from both parties. But bin Laden's death was seen as a symbolic and strategic blow likely to create chaos within the group and its affiliates.
•Is Pakistan friend or foe? Bin Laden's ability to hide in a leafy Islamabad suburb cast doubt on whether the nuclear power had protected him.
Contributing: Alan Levin, Mimi Hall and Jim Michaels
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