![]() ![]() Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.Īnd 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. Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. 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. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. 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. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies. 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. We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. ![]()
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