Multiple news agencies reporting that President Obama will momentarily announce that Osama bin Laden is dead. Presumably, based on earlier reports, in a CIA raid.
Late Update: Two US government officials confirm to TPM that Osama bin Laden is dead.
11:08 PM: CNN is reporting that bin Laden was killed in a mansion outside Islamabad.
11:18 PM: Latest reports suggest a human rather than a drone operation behind bin Laden’s death. Continue to treat these reports as tentative, unconfirmed. We’re working our sources and presumably the president will cover these details.
Click here to see video of President Obama speaking live on death of bin Laden. Expected to see within two minutes.
Running details from president’s speech …
President said he was first briefed on possible lead about bin Laden’s location in August of 2010.
President says he authorized operation last week. Operation took place today.
US forces engaged in firefight, killed bin Laden, took possession of his body.
No US personnel killed in raid.
A short time ago former President George W. Bush released a statement congratulated the president and the United States armed forces and intelligence community. Here’s our report.
Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.
We’ve got a reporter down at the White House where a boisterous and jubilant crowd has come together celebrating the demise of Osama bin Laden. As Brian Williams just noted on MSNBC, there must be similar spontaneous celebrations around the country. What are you seeing where you live? What are you seeing in local media? Send us emails to our comments line at the upper right of the site.
If you missed the president’s speech a short time ago or want to see it again, here’s the video.
Huge crowds at Ground Zero in New York as well as Times Square.
TPM Reader PN reports in from Upstate …
I live in Cold Spring, NY, across the Hudson from West Point. At one point about an hour ago, the cheering coming from the military academy was clearly audible–a roar in the distance, a mile or more away downwind.
Someone’s gotta get a camera on those cadets.
12:41 AM: TPM’s Jill Rayfield is down at Ground Zero, reports crowd now breaking out in ‘We Are the Champions”
TPM’s Susan Crabtree was on the White House conference call that ended a short time ago. And she’ll be filing a report shortly. But we’re getting some basic details on how today’s operation in Abbottabad, about 35 miles north of Islamabad.
Here are a few key details that have emerged.
The entire operation took roughly 40 minutes. There was no advance notification to any Pakistani authorities. US forces used two helicopters in the operation. And one of the two apparently went down due to mechanical difficulties during the operation, though without casualties. The special operations forces destroyed the helicopter.
The key thing is that bin Laden was living in a very big, fortified compound. The compound had no phone connection and no Internet connection. And that apparently was one of the many facts that initially led US intelligence to think bin Laden really might be there.
More details here.
Our reporter describes the scene on the ground outside the White house this evening, interviews with celebrants.