'' Also available : '' Audio only ; At 11:35 p.m. , Obama appeared on major television networks : 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 was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men , women , and children ... President Obama recalled the victims of the September 11 attacks . He praised the nearly ten-year-old war against al-Qaeda , which he said had disrupted terrorist plots , strengthened homeland defenses , removed the Taliban government , and captured or killed scores of al-Qaeda operatives . Obama said that when he took office he made finding bin Laden the top priority of the war . Bin Laden 's death was the most significant blow to al-Qaeda so far but the war would continue . He reaffirmed that the U.S. was not at war against Islam and defended his decision to conduct an operation within Pakistan . He said Americans understood the cost of war but would not stand by while their security was threatened . " To those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaeda 's terror , " he said , " justice has been done . " This remark book-ended President Bush 's statement to a joint session of Congress following the September 11 attacks that " justice will be done . " Before the official announcement , large crowds spontaneously gathered outside the White House , Ground Zero , The Pentagon and in New York 's Times Square to celebrate . In Dearborn , Michigan , where there is a large Muslim and Arab population , a small crowd gathered outside the City Hall in celebration , many of them being of Middle Eastern descent . From the beginning to the end of Obama 's speech , 5,000 tweets per second were posted on Twitter . As news of bin Laden 's death filtered through the crowd at a nationally televised Major League Baseball game in Philadelphia between rivals Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets , " U-S-A ! " cheers began . In Tampa , Florida , at the conclusion of a professional wrestling event which was occurring at the time , WWE Champion John Cena announced to the audience that bin Laden had been " caught and compromised to a permanent end " , prompting chants while he exited the arena to the march " The Stars and Stripes Forever "
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Death of Osama bin Laden