总统：晚上好。今晚，我可以向美国人民和世界报告，美国执行了一次军事行动，击毙“基地”组织的头目、杀害成千上万无辜男女和儿童的恐怖主义分子乌萨马‧本拉登（Osama bin Laden）。
近10年前，九月的一个晴朗的日子由于美国人民遭受历史上最惨痛的袭击而变得黑暗。“9.11”的画面深深地烙在我们民族的记忆中──被劫持的飞机划破九月的晴空；双塔倒塌在地；黑色浓烟从五角大楼滚滚冒出；宾州尚克斯维尔散落着93号航班的残骸，英雄的公民以自己的行动避免了更多人的心碎和毁灭。
然而，我们知道，最悲惨的画面并不为世界所见。饭桌前的空位子。那些在成长过程中被剥夺了母亲或父亲的孩子们。那些永远无法再体验到被孩子拥抱的感觉的父母。近3000名公民从我们身边被夺走，在我们心中留下一个巨大的空洞。
2001年9月11日，在悲伤之时，美国人民团结在一起。我们向邻居伸出援手，为伤者献出鲜血。我们重申我们之间的亲情以及我们对社区和祖国的热爱。在那一天，不管我们来自哪里、信奉何方神明、出身于什么种族或族裔，全体人民团结成一个美国大家庭。
我们也团结一心，决心保护我们的国家，把那些犯下这桩滔天罪行的凶手绳之以法。我们很快了解到，“9.11”袭击事件是由“基地”组织所为──这个以乌萨马‧本拉登为头目的组织已经公开向美国宣战，并发誓在我国和世界各地残杀无辜。因此，我们向本拉登开战，以保护我们的公民、我们的朋友和我们的盟友。
在过去10年中，由于我们的军人和反恐人员不懈而英勇的努力，我们已经取得了长足的进展。我们挫败了恐怖份子的袭击，加强了我们的国土防御。在阿富汗，我们铲除了向本拉登和“基地”组织提供庇护和支持的塔利班政权。在世界各地，我们与我们的朋友和盟国共同努力，抓获和击毙了众多“基地”组织恐怖分子，其中包括参与策划“9.11”阴谋的数名人员。
然而，本拉登逃脱了追捕，跨越阿富汗边界逃入巴基斯坦。与此同时，“基地”组织沿该边界继续活动，并通过在全世界的分支机构继续活动。
因此，我上任后不久即指示中央情报局局长莱昂‧帕内塔（Leon Panetta），在我们继续全面摧毁、瓦解和击败本拉登网络的同时，把击毙或捕获本拉登作为我们与“基地”组织作战的首要任务。
后来，去年8月，经过情报机构多年的艰苦工作，我得到汇报说查到了本拉登的可能线索。当时远远不能肯定，经过许多个月才把线索落实。随着我们就本拉登在巴基斯坦内地藏身的可能性得到更多情报，我多次与我的国家安全团队开会。最后，在上周，我决定我们有足够的情报采取行动，并下令采取行动抓获本拉登以伸张正义。
今天，在我的指示下，美国对巴基斯坦阿伯塔巴德（Abbottabad)的那个院落采取了有针对性的行动。一个美国小分队以非凡的勇气和能力执行了这一行动。美国人无一伤亡。他们谨慎行事，避免平民伤亡。经过交火后，他们击毙了乌萨马‧本拉登并缴获了他的尸体。
在超过二十年的时间里，本拉登一直是“基地”组织的首脑和象征，并继续策划对我国以及我们的朋友和盟国的袭击。本拉登之死标志着我国迄今为止在击败“基地”组织的努力中所取得的最重要的成就。
然而，我们的努力并没有随着他的死亡而终止。毫无疑问，“基地”组织还将继续伺机攻击我们。我们必须也必定在国内外保持警惕。
当我们这样做的时候，我们必须重申，美国没有也绝对不会对伊斯兰教发动战争。我早就明确宣布──布什总统在“9.11”事件发生后不久也曾宣布──我们的战争并非针对伊斯兰教。本拉登并非穆斯林领袖，相反，他是大规模屠杀穆斯林的凶手。事实上，“基地”组织在美国和许多其它国家屠杀了众多穆斯林。所有爱好和平并相信人类尊严的人们都应当为他的寿终正寝而感到欣慰。
在过去几年中，我一再重申，如果我们确认本拉登在巴基斯坦境内栖身，我们将采取行动。我们这次就是这么做的。在此，我必须指出，我们与巴基斯坦在反恐事业上的合作帮助我们找到并确认了本拉登及其藏身之所。事实上，本拉登早就对巴基斯坦宣战，并下令袭击巴基斯坦人民。
今晚我已经同扎尔达里（Zardari）总统通了电话，我的团队也与巴基斯坦同行交换了意见。他们一致认为今天对美巴两国人民来说都是一个值得纪念的历史性日子。未来，巴基斯坦继续与美国一起与“基地”组织及其分支机构进行斗争至关重要。
美国人民并不想打这场战争，它源于对我们国土的侵犯和对美国公民的无端残杀。经过将近10年的奉献、斗争和牺牲，我们深知战争的代价。作为美国三军统帅，每次在给阵亡士兵家人的信上签名时，每次看着身受重伤的军人的眼睛时，我都感到沉重的压力。
美国人民明白，战争会有代价。但是，作为一个国家，我们绝对不能容忍有人威胁我们的安全，也不能坐视我们的人民被杀害。我们将坚持不懈地保护我们的公民、朋友和盟友；我们将永远忠实于我们的核心价值观。在今天晚上这样的时刻，我们能够对那些在“基地”组织恐怖袭击中失去亲人的家庭说：正义得到了伸张。
今晚，我们要感谢为取得这一成果而不懈努力的无数情报和反恐人员。美国民众看不到他们的工作，不知道他们的姓名。但在今晚，他们体会到这些努力的实效和追求正义的成果。
我们要感谢执行这次行动的人员，他们代表了所有为国效力者所具有的敬业精神、爱国情怀和无与伦比的勇气。他们属于自9月的那个日子以来承担起最艰钜责任的一代人。
最后，我要告诉在“9.11”事件中失去亲人的所有家庭，我们从未忘记你们的损失，我们的决心也从未动摇，我们将采取一切必要措施防止另一次袭击在我们这里得逞。
今晚，让我们回顾“9.11”时那种万众一心的感觉。我知道，这种感觉时而受到过干扰。但是今天的成果表明了我们国家的伟大和美国人民的决心。
保障我们国家安全的使命没有终结。但是今晚，我们再次看到，美国人民能够实现我们所致力于达到的目标。这是我们历史的写照──无论是追求人民生活繁荣，争取全体公民的平等权利，勇于在海外维护我们的价值观，还是为增进世界安全作出牺牲。
让我们牢记，为我们带来这些成就的不是财富或力量，而是我们的立国之本：一个受主庇佑的国家，不可分割，全民享有自由与公正。
谢谢。愿主保佑你们。愿主保佑美利坚合众国。
（讲话完）
（来源：美国国务院国际信息局 //iipdigital.usembassy.gov/iipdigital-mgck/index.html）
英文全文：
Obama on Death of Terrorist Osama bin Laden
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
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 — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.
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.
On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.
We were also 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.
Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.
Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.
And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.
Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.
Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.
Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad.
As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.
Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.
Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.
The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.
So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.
Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.
We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.
Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.
And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.
The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.
Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
END
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: //iipdigital.usembassy.gov/iipdigital-en/index.html)
