Leaders unite by welcoming bin Laden death
PRIME Minister David Cameron led the vast majority of nations welcoming the news of Osama bin Laden’s death yesterday, saying the killing would “bring great relief to people across the world”.
US President Barack Obama said as he announced Osama’s demise yesterday that “justice has been done”.
US secretary of state Hilary Clinton echoed the sentiment, adding that “the battle to stop Al-Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will not stop with the death of bin Laden”.
Prominent US Republicans celebrated the news, with senator John McCain “overjoyed that we finally got the world’s top terrorist” and former President George W Bush hailing the “momentous achievement”.
While countries from France to Saudi Arabia welcomed the news, a handful of groups including Hamas condemned the killing as an example of American oppression of Islam.
In Pakistan itself, the government was cautiously optimistic, calling his death “a major setback to terrorist organisations around the world” but sidestepping its own struggle to locate the terrorist leader.
A Taliban spokesperson threatened retaliation, saying both Pakistan and America are now top targets.