My youngest son is almost 12 years old. We live outside New York City, in a town that has a picture-postcard view of the city skyline. He has no memory of what that skyline looked like before 9-11 - when the Twin Towers were still standing.
His whole life he has known that Osama bin Laden was out there, responsible for killing thousands, including neighbors on our block. As he said to me this morning, bin Laden was a "very, very terrible person." I agree completely. And now he is gone. While I take no joy in death, I take great comfort in knowing that all three of my children, and all of us Americans can put that one man out of our minds, in a way.
The 9-11 attacks, and bin Laden's death mark book ends to a remarkable decade. The attacks exposed our nation and made us feel vulnerable. Our inability to capture this elusive figure through caves, across mountain passes, and among various nations gave us a sense of futility. But we rallied and came together as a country. And today, as President Obama said, justice has been done. And as Secretary Clinton reminded us, our nation will remain resolute in its pursuit of al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda won't go away, but this symbolizes a giant leap forward, as the ringleader is gone forever.
This one man who orchestrated so many attacks on our great nation and others, aimed relentlessly to make us appear weak. But he failed to understand that through it all that when challenged, we would not collapse. We endured the attacks. We exchanged heated words over the proper policy. We stumbled, but did not fall. The greatness that is America will not fall to terroristic cowards. We went from one President to another, peacefully. And through it all, we persevered.
When I was Policy Director on the Obama presidential campaign, then-Senator Obama constantly made clear the paramount importance of this mission, and despite doubters and critics, he made it his priority from Day One on the job as President, without fanfare. To his great credit, he has remained focused on that mission.
Barack Obama and George W. Bush are as opposite as can be. But as President, each knew that we had to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. Our men and women in uniform have stayed vigilant, making countless sacrifices. And today we commemorate and honor their work and the result.
I took special pride when I put the flag up outside my house this morning. Our President made sure that we maintained our priorities and brought bin Laden to justice. My son can know a measure of peace today that he hasn't known before.
His whole life he has known that Osama bin Laden was out there, responsible for killing thousands, including neighbors on our block. As he said to me this morning, bin Laden was a "very, very terrible person." I agree completely. And now he is gone. While I take no joy in death, I take great comfort in knowing that all three of my children, and all of us Americans can put that one man out of our minds, in a way.
The 9-11 attacks, and bin Laden's death mark book ends to a remarkable decade. The attacks exposed our nation and made us feel vulnerable. Our inability to capture this elusive figure through caves, across mountain passes, and among various nations gave us a sense of futility. But we rallied and came together as a country. And today, as President Obama said, justice has been done. And as Secretary Clinton reminded us, our nation will remain resolute in its pursuit of al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda won't go away, but this symbolizes a giant leap forward, as the ringleader is gone forever.
This one man who orchestrated so many attacks on our great nation and others, aimed relentlessly to make us appear weak. But he failed to understand that through it all that when challenged, we would not collapse. We endured the attacks. We exchanged heated words over the proper policy. We stumbled, but did not fall. The greatness that is America will not fall to terroristic cowards. We went from one President to another, peacefully. And through it all, we persevered.
When I was Policy Director on the Obama presidential campaign, then-Senator Obama constantly made clear the paramount importance of this mission, and despite doubters and critics, he made it his priority from Day One on the job as President, without fanfare. To his great credit, he has remained focused on that mission.
Barack Obama and George W. Bush are as opposite as can be. But as President, each knew that we had to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. Our men and women in uniform have stayed vigilant, making countless sacrifices. And today we commemorate and honor their work and the result.
I took special pride when I put the flag up outside my house this morning. Our President made sure that we maintained our priorities and brought bin Laden to justice. My son can know a measure of peace today that he hasn't known before.