Area Officials React to Osama bin Laden's Death

The news of Osama bin Laden's death on Sunday evening instantly took its grip on the American public, in some cases leading to public celebration and—for many—bringing back memories of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

St. Louis Park Patch is sharing the thoughts of various elected officials that represent this community in an effort to stimulate thoughtful and insightful discussion on what Bin Laden's death means to all of us. We will update this post as new thoughts are shared, and you are welcome to join the conversation by posting a comment below.

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"I hope this brings some measure of closure to the families of the victims of 9-11 but I hope too that it gets us closer to bringing our troops home.  I hope too that our leaders in Washington take this opportunity to convince the Arab world that we are not at war with their culture or their religion or their way of life.  We were in search of one guy and his cohorts who perpetrated a terrible tragedy nine-and-a-half years ago.  Now that we have accomplished that, it is time to come home and focus on our issues here." - St. Louis Park Mayor Jeff Jacobs

"The death of Osama Bin Laden marks the most significant accomplishment yet in the war against Al-Qaeda. I commend the work of the U.S. Armed Forces and intelligence community for finding the world’s most wanted terrorist. I also wish to recognize President Obama for his decisive leadership as Commander in Chief.

Today my thoughts are with the families of those Bin Laden murdered in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Even before 9/11, Bin Laden killed Americans and others at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and on the USS Cole.

Americans of all faiths recognized the end of a truly evil man last night. Osama Bin Laden was a murderer. I hope his death marks the beginning of the end of the Al-Qaedaism ideology." - U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison

“The death of Osama Bin Laden is great news.  I congratulate President Obama and the American soldiers, who successfully carried out this crucial mission. 
 
As a member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, I traveled to Afghanistan in January 2002, just three weeks after American forces had routed the Taliban.  There I saw a large warehouse, where all of the American intelligence services had initiated a coordinated effort to locate and eliminate this mastermind of the terrible attacks of 9/11.  Finally, over nine years later, they have succeeded.
 
Since then, over 22,000 heroic Members of the Minnesota National Guard have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world to defeat terrorism and defend freedom.  They deserve to share in the pride for this successful mission.
 
I have instructed Minnesota’s Commissioner of Public Safety Ramona Dohman to redouble our vigilance in the next weeks to assure Minnesotans are fully protected from any repercussions from this incident.” - Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton

"This is a great day. I think every American feels very emotional about what happened in Pakistan today. Our hearts are full of pride and gratitude for all those responsible for bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, with sadness as we remember that horrific day ten years ago, and with hope as we go forward in our fight against radical jihadism. I think the president was wise to remind us of how unified we felt as a nation after 9/11 and how we can achieve anything we put our mind to if we work together. " - U.S. Senator Al Franken

"The killing of Osama Bin Laden brings a measure of justice for the families of all those lost to his senseless terrorism, including Tom Burnett's family in our own state. Burnett, a passenger on Flight 93, courageously fought back against the Bin Laden led hijackers.

Since 9/11 Bin Laden taunted our country for over a decade and our prayers and gratitude are with our courageous counterterrorism agents and troops that tracked him down and brought him to justice.

Today we remember those who were killed, their families who continue to grieve, and the brave first responders who rushed to ground zero to save lives on that terrible day.  I hope that this will offer some comfort to the families who lost loved ones on that September day.
 
Today is also a reminder that we must remain vigilant to protect ourselves from threats around the world and of the incredible courage and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and intelligence agencies who work day in and day out to make sure America remains safe." - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar

"We should all be grateful to the president and to the brave men and women of our military for bringing to justice one of the world's most notorious terrorists.  I'm hopeful that we can reclaim that national unity that bound us together after 9/11." - Minnesota State Representative Steve Simon

"I was excited. I think the president said it right: 'Justice has been done.' It's a long time coming. It's a good day for America. This sends a message around the world that the United States can track down terrorists wherever they may hide." - Minnesota State Senator Ron Latz

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