US President Barack Obama personally congratulated the commodos who carried out the assault on Osama bin Laden’s compound resulting in his death last Monday, describing it as a “job well done” and vindication of Obama's strategy in Afghanistan.

AFP

Obama talks Libya with Kuwait emir AFP WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama thanked Kuwait's emir for the oil-rich country's "generous pledge" of $180 million to the Libyan opposition Transitional National Council. Obama spoke by telephone to Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and also ... Zardari to visit Kuwait May 7-8Central Asia Online Obama thanks Amir of Kuwait for Support in LibyaDaijiworld.com RAK Ruler offers condolences to Kuwaiti Crown Prince, Bahraini PMWAM - Emirates News Agency all 8 news articles »

Earlier this week, Aqua Hotels & Resorts announced it would offer a special discount to guests who produce their birth certificates upon check-in at one of the chain’s hotels on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Molokai. Bathing suit? Check. SPF 30+ sunscreen? Check. Birth certificate? Uh, check? Such is the age we live in. When President Barack Obama released his long-form Hawaii birth certificate 10 days ago — in an effort to end the ‘silliness’ around the issue that just won’t die — he seemed to trigger the complete opposite, which was plenty of...

Obama meets special forces who killed OBL

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama embraced the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them Friday on behalf of America and people all over the world. "Job well done," he declared.

Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama on Friday met and honored the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country. "Job well done," the president declared.

Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama on Friday met and honored the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country. "Job well done," the president declared.

AFP/Washington Prominent Native Americans are furious over the use of Apache leader Geronimos name in a message confirming the death of Osama bin Laden, and some have demanded an apology from President Barack Obama.

USA Today

Osama bin Laden dead: President Obama makes his first visit to Ground Zero Telegraph.co.uk Bin Laden's death brings a close to the 9/11 decade, but Barack Obama still has work to do, says Toby Harnden. Barack Obama pauses after laying a wreath at the National Sept. 11 Memorial at Ground Zero Photo: AFP By Toby Harnden 7:00AM BST 07 May 2011 ... Probing Link to Bin Laden, US Tells Pakistan to Name AgentsNew York Times Obama Congratulates Bin Laden Commando Assault Team for a 'Job Well Done'Bloomberg Obama meets assault team that killed Bin LadenLos Angeles Times Washington Post -Fox News -Wall Street Journal all 88,601 news articles »

Five Republican men who want to replace President Barack Obama talked foreign policy and the nation's economic health at the first presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle. What do they think of Obama's stewardship of the economy? Do we really have to ask?

America is hooked on imported oil and needs jobs. President Barack Obama sees a solution for both issues in Indianapolis.

USA Today

Pres. Obama honors forces involved in bin Laden operation NECN (NECN: Alysha Palumbo) - "The terrorist leader who struck our nation on 9/11 will never threaten America again," said President Barack Obama. A public pep rally of sorts after a private meeting with the Navy SEALS and special ops "Night Stalkers" who ... Treating with terroristsTrinidad & Tobago Express President Obama Visits Ground Zero, Bed-Stuy Residents Show SupportPatch.com Friday File: GOP Presidential Candidates Bash ObamaCouncil on Foreign Relations (blog) WBEZ -PNW Local News -Forbes (blog) all 10,044 news articles »

Politico (blog)

Remainders: Salute Politico (blog) Military personnel salute during the Pledge of Allegiance prior to President Barack Obama's address to military personnel who have recently returned from Afghanistan, Friday, May 6, 2011, at Fort Campbell, Ky. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) Yoo says Obama ... and more »

ABC News

Letter: Obama's misplaced priorities Memphis Commercial Appeal President Barack Obama is again putting the interests of the American people aside as he alone determines what we may know and see about the death of Osama bin Laden. On Sunday, he told us it was a mission carried out by our brave military in ... President Tells Troops: 'Strategy Is Working'Wall Street Journal The law trumps feelingsAlbany Times Union Obama congratulates team that killed Bin LadenFox News The Guardian -Deseret News -Voice of America all 82,779 news articles »

After U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden last Sunday, President Barack Obama said , "Justice has been done." Former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist pastor Mike Huckabee responded to the news by saying, "Welcome to hell, bin Laden."

The Say Hey Kid is still as popular as ever. The San Francisco Giants honored Willie Mays on his 80th birthday Friday night with a ceremony befitting a baseball legend, complete with a celebratory letter from President Barack Obama and a video tribute that included everyone from Commissioner Bud Selig to singer Tony Bennett.

Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama on Friday met and honored the US commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country. "Job well done," the president declared.

US President Barack Obama and his key national security team in the White House situation room watched a soundless video feed of the raid on Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan, a media report has said.

US President Barack Obama has met the military team that killed Osama Bin Laden and praised their mission as “one of the greatest military operations in our nation’s history”. He also vowed the US would defeat the al-Qaeda terror network Bin Laden led. Earlier, al-Qaeda confirmed the death of Bin Laden, according to a statement [...]

President Barack Obama has met and honoured the US commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country.

In the aftermath of the successful Osama bin Laden operation, President Barack Obama has come out looking strong and determined on national security. Where the administration has often been accused of dithering, the narrative, at least for now, has shifted.

President Barack Obama meets and honours the US commandos who killed Osama bin Laden.

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has phoned US President Barack Obama to congratulate him on the recent killing of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.

WASHINGTON: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Friday congratulated US President Barack Obama for the US mission that killed Osama bin Laden, the White House said.

AFP

Obama talks Libya with Kuwait emir AFP WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama thanked Kuwait's emir for the oil-rich country's "generous pledge" of $180 million to the Libyan opposition Transitional National Council. Obama spoke by telephone to Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Friday and ... and more »

29 U.S. senators have asked President Barack Obama Friday to cut off aid to the Palestinian government if it joins with Hamas, in a previously unreported letter (PDF) obtained by The Cable.

"The decision of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to form a unity government with Hamas - a designated terrorist group - threatens to derail the Middle East peace effort for the foreseeable future and to undermine the Palestinian Authority's relationship with the United States," begins the letter, which was spearheaded by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Robert Casey (D-PA).

Menendez is the third ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Casey chairs SFRC's Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs subcommittee. The letter was also signed by Democratic heavyweights Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The details of the deal between the PA and Hamas aren't entirely clear. Many of the sticking points between the two Palestinian factions appear to remain unresolved and the contents of the reconciliation deal's classified annex remains unknown, but, as the senators' letter notes, Hamas foreign policy chief Mahmoud al-Zahar has said that "our plan does not involve negotiations with Israel or recognizing it."

Hamas also publicly condemned the May 1 killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces in Pakistan.

For all these reasons, the senators want Obama to make it clear that the PA will forfeit  U.S. foreign assistance if it goes through with the plan to join forces with Hamas. The United States gave the PA about $550 million in aid in fiscal 2011, a mixture of project funding and direct cash to the government.

"As you are aware, U.S. law prohibits aid from being provided to a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless the government and all its members have public committed to the Quartet principles," they wrote. "We urge you to conduct a review of the current situation and suspend aid should Hamas refuse to comply with Quartet conditions."

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) agrees. "No taxpayer funds should go, they must not go" to the new Palestinian unity government, she told the Washington Post May 4.

The Obama administration is currently examining the Palestinian reconciliation deal, but officials have repeatedly said in recent days that any unity government must reject Hamas's current policies.

"Any Palestinian government must renounce violence, it must abide by past agreements and it must recognize Israel's right to exist," White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, told the American Jewish Committee on April 28.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner repeated Daley's message at Thursday's press briefing, and implied that a government that includes Hamas would not be able to work with the United States.

"We've said very clearly that we'll work with a Palestinian Authority government that unambiguously and explicitly commits to nonviolence, recognition of the state of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations between the parties. And that includes the road map," Toner said. "And our position on Hamas has not changed. We still believe it's a foreign terrorist organization."

"The Obama Administration knows the law prohibits U.S. aid going to a Palestinian government in which Hamas plays any role. That's why the administration has said several times in the past week that the United States will only deal with a Palestinian government that meets the Quartet conditions -- renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and accepts all previous agreements," said former AIPAC spokesman Josh Block, now a partner at the consulting firm Davis-Block LLC. "If Hamas wants to transform itself, surely that would be welcome, but it's not likely."

Happy Friday! Take a moment to laugh your a** off!. . President Barack Obama has found and killed Osama Bin Laden, and although national security...

Billy Hayes from Moneygall has decided to cash in on the visit of President Barack Obama to his ancestral home. The twenty-six-year-old has set up...

U.S. President Barack Obama said he told the raid team that they had honored America's promise to remember the September 11 attacks.

President Barack Obama has honoured the US commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world.

Herman Cain diverged from the pack of presidential hopefuls Thursday night when he questioned how President Barack Obama handled the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Calling Obama a "very weak and timid" president, Cain told Fox News host Sean Han …

President Barack Obama today thanked the Navy Seals involved in the operation that ended in the death of Al Qaeda terrorism CEO Osama bin Laden: ABC’s Jake Trapper reports that Obama not only met the Navy Seals who were involved in the operation privately — but he also met the Navy dog who was involved [...]

A few days ago, the New York Times made the following (somewhat bitter) comment, in the process of trying to pretend that we’re all racists over here on the Right:

[Obama's] administration took too long to find its footing on Egypt’s transition and in Libya, but it was not because, as the popular conservative blog RedState said, he is a “trainee president.”

(H/T: James Taranto)

A point of order, here: if you were to click on the link (post written by reader cmndr45*) then you will find that this was a diary, not a front page piece.  This is a common error made by Old Media types, particularly ones who have difficulty adapting to New Media paradigms; the concept that there can be controllable tiers of of information dissemination privileges can be surprisingly hard to understand by those with insufficient mental flexibility. I note all of this because Old Media entities already are notoriously bad at telling writers on group websites and blogs apart: it’s best that we not allow them to start failing to distinguish between various levels of permitted access.

Still, perish the thought that we should have to wait several decades for the Old Grey Lady to get around to a correction, so here goes: President Barack Obama is in point of fact a trainee President with virtually no practical life skills, woefully inadequate inexperience, precious little in the way of a proper aptitude for governance, and - most annoying - an inherent unwillingness to change any of the above, or in fact partake in any sort of internal program of either self-discovery, or self-improvement.  We have been saddled with him - at least until, God willing, January 2013 - largely because the news media (most assuredly including the New York Times) is largely composed of guilt-ridden liberals so desperate to conquer their own internal, racist demons that they jumped upon a cultist bandwagon that turned an inexperienced, frankly dull urban liberal academic into the understudy for the Messiah.  And now that President Obama has in fact landed his first real job since, I believe, his teenaged stint at Baskin-Robbins, we (meaning, ‘the rest of the country’) are now forced to somehow teach him enough to keep the United States of America - and, by extension, Western Civilization - from going belly-up before we can put in someone who is actually competent.

I hope that this clears up any confusion on the part of the New York Times.

Moe Lane
Contributor/Site Moderator
http://www.redstate.com

PS: The above statement represents my personal opinion and statements on the matter, and should not be taken as the official position of RedState.com.  Which you knew already, but the New York Times is confused enough as it is.

*Congratulations!

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama on Friday met and honored the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country. "Job well done," the president declared ...

Iconic picture captures the moment Montreal Gazette Official White House photographer Pete Souza took the already iconic photo of the White House Situation Room as President Barack Obama and his national security team monitored the raid on Osama ... and more »

CTV.ca

Obama congratulates team that killed Bin Laden Fox News Washington – President Barack Obama traveled Friday to a military base in Kentucky to congratulate the team of US Navy SEALs who took part in the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. The meeting took place behind closed doors to protect ... President Tells Troops: 'Strategy Is Working'Wall Street Journal Barack Obama flies to thank troops who killed Bin LadenThe Guardian Obama Salutes Troops From bin Laden OperationVoice of America Deseret News -Times of India -Washington Times all 77,398 news articles »

Fox News

Analysis: Reimagining Obama after gutsy raid USA Today But President Barack Obama delivered a message he hopes will also hit home with every American in this week of national catharsis: "You're always going to have a president and an administration who's got your back." By Charles Dharapak, AP President ... 10 Reasons Why the Death of Bin Laden Won't Help Obama In the Long RunFox News Obama Has Economic Drag, Bin Laden BounceABC News (blog) It's the BulliesHuffington Post (blog) The Guardian (blog) -Los Angeles Times all 459 news articles »

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, basking in U.S. public approval for the killing of Osama bin Laden, flew to a military base in Kentucky on Friday to thank special forces who carried out the deadly raid and led a rally filled with cheering troops.

msnbc.com

Obama sees China as partner in Mars mission msnbc.com WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama views China as a potential partner for an eventual human mission to Mars that would be difficult for any single nation to undertake, a senior White House official told lawmakers. ... and more »

Kansas City Star

Obama visit highlights Ind. as tough state to hold The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — President Barack Obama, the first Democrat to win Indiana in a presidential election in four decades, could find it tough to hold on to in 2012 even if Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels decides not to enter the presidential race. ... Obama hits the road with clean energy agendaCNN International Job numbers give Obama's good week a mixed endingReuters Obama Says US Economy Regaining Momentum With Added JobsBloomberg Voice of America -msnbc.com (blog) -Forbes all 302 news articles »

Daily Mail

As Obama Texas trip nears, critics unfazed by immigration reform push Houston Chronicle WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will use the Texas-Mexico border as a backdrop Tuesday to call again on Congress to fix the nation's broken immigration system and address the 11 million immigrants in this country illegally ... Hispanic Lawmakers To Obama: Do More On Immigration PolicyHuffington Post Obama set for Texas visit on TuesdayBusinessWeek Obama and the vexed issue of immigrationReuters Blogs (blog) The Associated Press -AFP -Atlanta Journal Constitution all 498 news articles »

The Hindu

Obama Thanks SEALs, Troops Back From Afghanistan ABC News President Barack Obama addresses military personnel who have recently returned from Afghanistan, Friday, May 6, 2011, at Fort Campbell, Ky. One US source told ABC News that bin Laden kept almost a playbook of al Qaeda activities. ... Barack Obama flies to thank troops who killed Bin LadenThe Guardian Obama congratulates team that killed Bin LadenFox News Obama Salutes Troops From bin Laden OperationVoice of America Wall Street Journal -Deseret News -Times of India all 77,174 news articles »

Soldiers arrive in a hangar Friday to hear an address from President Barack Obama at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama embraced the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them Friday on behalf of America and people all over the world. “Job well done,” he declared.

U.S. President Barack Obama traveled to Fort Campbell, Kentucky Friday to thank some of the participants of Sunday’s raid on Osama bin Laden’s Pakistani compound. Jon Decker reports. “Obama meets with unit in bin Laden raid” is categorized as “us”. This video was licensed from Grab Networks. The copyright notice of this video is “© [...]

3:23 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hey, it’s good to be back with you all. I’ll tell you what.  I want to thank General Colt for accompanying me up here.  I get the honor of introducing the General.

I was back here on February 11th, to welcome home members of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan -- 155 of you got off that plane in the middle of the night, and the only thing that was more exciting than seeing you getting off is watching your families watch you all get off.  So it’s an honor to be back here so soon.

I know many of you have just gotten home in the past few weeks -- so welcome home.  And I know from experience that your families want more than anything to spend time with you.  And so, every time I show up at a welcome home ceremony, I’m always worried about getting in the way.  Because I remember when my son came back home from Iraq after a year, there were all these ceremonies.  And I kept saying, hell, man, stop, I want to see my kid.  (Laughter.)

So, anyway, I get it.  So let me just say how much gratitude the President and I have, and all Americans do, for you all.  You guys have been in the fight from the beginning.  And the risk you’ve taken, the incredible sacrifices you’ve made, the comrades you’ve lost, the losses you’ve personally endured -- you’ve been in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world.

I’ve been there a number of times, back up those damn mountains.  I’d get a helicopter to go down 9,800 feet, and all I got on is a vest -- a bulletproof vest and a helmet and I’m out of breath climbing up about 40 clicks -- 40 feet.  And you guys are up there, 60 to 80-pound packs running around.  God, you’re amazing.  You just are amazing.  I’m in awe of the job you do, in awe of the job you do.  (Applause.)

As I said back in February, I want to also thank your families.  They made sacrifices as well, those intangible sacrifices -- those missed births and those missed birthdays, those missed graduations, those missed -- an occasional funeral. Perhaps more than anything else, just being missed, just not having you home.

The famous poet -- there was a famous poet I like to quote, John Milton, who said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Your families serve as well.  And the rest of America owes your families a debt of gratitude as well.  (Applause.)  And so, to all the families that are listening, I want to say their service is as real as yours and it’s as appreciated.

To the soldiers here, you are the most capable warriors.  Let me say this without any fear of contradiction, you’re the most capable warriors in the history of the world.  There has never, never, never, never been a fighting force as capable as you are.

It’s my job today and my honor to talk a little bit about the man that I get to work with every day.  We’ve just got to spend time with the assaulters who got bin Laden.  (Applause.)

By the way, I shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to tell you anyway -- the President is going to be mad I’m taking so long -- (laughter) -- but today was “Grandfather’s Day,” so I went by earlier this morning before I came out here to my granddaughter’s little spring play.  And after it’s all over she said, “Pop, come back to my classroom with me.”  I said, “I can’t, honey.”  She said, “Are you going someplace on Air Force Two?”  I said, “Yeah, I am, babe.”  She said, “Where are you going?”  I said, going to -- true story -- I said, “I’m going to Fort Campbell.”  I said, “We’re going to see the guys out there who got Osama bin Laden.” Absolutely true story.  She said, “Pop!” and then she grabbed a little friend of hers and she said,  “My Pop is going out to see the whales.”  (Laughter.)  Not the SEALs, the whales  (Laughter.) Because if they’re that good they got to be big, man.  They got to be big.  (Laughter.)  Well, you guys are the gorillas, I’ll tell you.

I want to tell you, look, I’ve watched -- I’ve been around a while with eight Presidents, so I’ve watched Presidents make some difficult decisions.  They’ve all had to make difficult decisions.  But sitting in every meeting getting ready and planning for this mission and assault, for the mission to get bin Laden, I saw something extraordinary.  I saw a President who was told the odds -- told the odds weren’t but much more than 50/50 that he’d be there and we could do this, but they were considerably less than 100 percent.

And I, along with the all the rest of his national security team and Secretary of Defense, stayed -- everyone else, we sat around there and he asked our advice and we gave him our advice, and we told him told him a little this and that.  And finally, he just looked at all of us and said, I got faith in the -- I got faith in these guys.

He walked off on his own without anybody giving him any guarantees at all and he decided -- because he believed in not only the SEALs, but believes in all of you.  He has absolute total faith in all of you.  And he made that determination, and it was an amazing thing to watch.  But it was because he had the absolute confidence that you were there.

And so he decided, when he got into office, because of the fight you all were in from the beginning, that the number one priority was to get Osama bin Laden.  And he knew the risks, he knew there were significant risks, and more importantly, special operations risks to the people who were risking their lives getting there.  But he didn’t hesitate, nor did your guys.

Bob Gates said something interesting.  I’ve known Bob for a long time.  He said, it was one of the gutsiest decisions I’ve ever seen made and one of the gutsiest raids.  This is going to go down in history, what happened.  This is going to go down in history.

And here to introduce your Commander-in-Chief, the guy that I’m proud to serve with, is one of the country’s leading warriors himself, Deputy Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, General Jeffrey Colt.  Ladies and gentlemen, General Colt.  (Applause.)

GENERAL COLT:  Thank you, sir.

I can only try to tell you today just how proud of you that this Division and this local community are.  But more importantly, today, you’re going to get to hear from the Commander-in-Chief just how appreciative he is of all of your service and your sacrifices.

Please join me in this great privilege of welcoming the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Fort Campbell!  (Applause.)  101st Airborne Division—Air Assault, hello!  (Applause.)

General Colt, thank you for that great introduction -- it was great because it was brief.  (Laughter.)  More importantly, thank you for the extraordinary leadership that you’ve shown here at one of the largest Army bases in America.  (Applause.)

And let me just say, I make a lot of decisions; one of the earliest and best decisions I made was choosing one of the finest Vice Presidents in our history -- Joe Biden, right here.  (Applause.)

Chaplain Miller, thank you for the beautiful invocation.

I want to thank General Colt for welcoming me here today, along with your great Command Sergeant Major, Wayne St. Louis.  (Applause.)  The Quartet and 101st Division Band.  (Applause.)  All these troopers behind me —- you look great.  (Applause.)  You noticed they kind of hesitated.  (Laughter.)  

We got a lot of folks in the house.  We’ve got military police and medical personnel.  We’ve got the Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group.  I think we’ve got a few Air Force here.  Ohh -- (laughter.)  Well, we thought we did.  There they go -- okay.  Come on.  (Applause.)  And, of course, the legendary Screaming Eagles.  (Applause.)  And although they’re not in the audience, I want to acknowledge the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment —- the Night Stalkers -— for their extraordinary service.  (Applause.)

Now, I’ve got to say, some of you are starting to look a little familiar -- because last December, when we were at Bagram, I was out there to thank you for your service, especially during the holidays.  And we had a great rally, a big crowd -- it seemed like everybody was there from the 101st.

And since then, I know we’ve had quite a few homecomings.  The Rakkasans.  (Applause.)  Destiny.  (Applause.)  Strike.  (Applause.)  Bastogne.  (Applause.)  And some of the Division Headquarters —- the Gladiators.  (Applause.)  On behalf of a grateful nation —- welcome home.  (Applause.)   

Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with General Campbell, Command Sergeant Major Schroeder, and all of the Screaming Eagles and troops that are still risking their lives in theater.  And I’m so pleased that Ann Campbell and Marla Schroeder, and some of the inspiring military spouses are here.  Where are they at?  Right over there.  (Applause.)  We are grateful to you.  God bless you.  There they are.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  This happens to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  (Applause.)  And we honor your service as well.

Now, I didn’t come here to make a really long speech.  I know you're hearing that.  (Laughter.)  It’s like, yeah, it’s hot!  (Laughter.)  What I really wanted to do was come down and shake some hands.  I came here for a simple reason —- to say thank you on behalf of America.  This has been an historic week in the life of our nation.  (Applause.)  Thanks to the incredible skill and courage of countless individuals -— intelligence, military —- over many years, the terrorist leader who struck our nation on 9/11 will never threaten America again.  (Applause.)

Yesterday, I traveled to New York City, and, along with some of our 9/11 families, laid a wreath at Ground Zero in memory of their loved ones.  I met with the first responders —- the firefighters, the police officers, the Port Authority officers —- who lost so many of their own when they rushed into those burning towers.  I promised that our nation will never forget those we lost that dark September day.   

And today, here at Fort Campbell, I had the privilege of meeting the extraordinary Special Ops folks who honored that promise.  It was a chance for me to say —- on behalf of all Americans and people around the world —- “Job well done.”  Job well done.  (Applause.)

They’re America’s “quiet professionals” -- because success demands secrecy.  But I will say this.  Like all of you, they could have chosen a life of ease.  But like you, they volunteered.  They chose to serve in a time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm’s way.  They trained for years.  They’re battle-hardened.  They practiced tirelessly for this mission.  And when I gave the order, they were ready.

Now, in recent days, the whole world has learned just how ready they were.  These Americans deserve credit for one of the greatest intelligence military operations in our nation’s history.  But so does every person who wears America’s uniform, the finest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  And that includes all of you men and women of 101st.  (Applause.)

You have been on the frontlines of this fight for nearly 10 years.  You were there in those early days, driving the Taliban from power, pushing al Qaeda out of its safe havens.  Over time, as the insurgency grew, you went back for, in some cases, a second time, a third time, a fourth time.

When the decision was made to go into Iraq, you were there, too, making the longest air assault in history, defeating a vicious insurgency, ultimately giving Iraqis the chance to secure their democracy.  And you’ve been at the forefront of our new strategy in Afghanistan.

Sending you -- more of you -- into harm’s way is the toughest decision that I’ve made as Commander-in-Chief.  I don’t make it lightly.  Every time I visit Walter Reed, every time I visit Bethesda, I’m reminded of the wages of war.  But I made that decision because I know that this mission was vital to the security of the nation that we all love.

And I know it hasn’t been easy for you and it hasn’t, certainly, been easy for your families.  Since 9/11, no base has deployed more often, and few bases have sacrificed more than you.  We see it in our heroic wounded warriors, fighting every day to recover, and who deserve the absolute best care in the world.  (Applause.)  We see it in the mental and emotional toll that’s been taken -- in some cases, some good people, good soldiers who’ve taken their own lives.  So we’re going to keep saying to anybody who is hurting out there, don’t give up.  You’re not alone.  Your country needs you.  We’re here for you to keep you strong.

And most of all, we see the price of this war in the 125 soldiers from Fort Campbell who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice during this deployment to Afghanistan.  And every memorial ceremony —- every “Eagle Remembrance” —- is a solemn reminder of the heavy burdens of war, but also the values of loyalty and duty and honor that have defined your lives.

So here’s what each of you must know.  Because of your service, because of your sacrifices, we’re making progress in Afghanistan.  In some of the toughest parts of the country, General Campbell and the 101st are taking insurgents and their leaders off the battlefield and helping Afghans reclaim their communities.

Across Afghanistan, we’ve broken the Taliban’s momentum.  In key regions, we’ve seized the momentum, pushing them out of their strongholds.  We’re building the capacity of Afghans, partnering with communities and police and security forces, which are growing stronger.

And most of all, we’re making progress in our major goal, our central goal in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that is disrupting and dismantling -- and we are going to ultimately defeat al Qaeda.  (Applause.)  We have cut off their head and we will ultimately defeat them.  (Applause.)

Even before this week’s operation, we’ve put al Qaeda’s leadership under more pressure than at any time since 9/11, on both sides of the border.  So the bottom line is this:  Our strategy is working, and there’s no greater evidence of that than justice finally being delivered to Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)

But I don’t want to fool you.  This continues to be a very tough fight.  You know that.  But because of this progress, we’re moving into a new phase.  In the coming months, we’ll start transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces. Starting this summer, we’ll begin reducing American forces.  As we transition, we’ll build a long-term partnership with the Afghan people, so that al Qaeda can never again threaten America from that country.

And, as your Commander-in-Chief, I’m confident that we’re going to succeed in this mission.  The reason I’m confident is because in you I see the strength of America’s military -- (applause) -- and because in recent days we’ve all seen the resilience of the American spirit.

Now, this week I received a letter from a girl in New Jersey named Payton Wall.  She wrote to me on Monday after the news that bin Laden had been killed, and she explained how she still remembers that September morning almost 10 years ago.  She was only four years old.  Her father, Glen, was trapped inside the World Trade Center.  And so, in those final, frantic moments, knowing he might not make it, he called home.  And Payton remembers watching her mom sobbing as she spoke to her husband and then passed the phone to Payton.  And in words that were hard to hear but which she’s never forgotten, he said to her, “I love you Payton, and I will always be watching over you.”     

So yesterday, Payton, her mom, and her sister, Avery, joined me at Ground Zero.  And now Payton is 14.  These past 10 years have been tough for her.  In her letter, she said, “Ever since my father died, I lost a part of me that can never be replaced.”  And she describes her childhood as a “little girl struggling to shine through all the darkness in her life.”

But every year, more and more, Payton is shining through.  She’s playing a lot of sports, including lacrosse and track, just like her dad.  She’s doing well in school.  She’s mentoring younger students.  She’s looking ahead to high school in the fall.  And so, yesterday she was with us —- a strong, confident young woman -— honoring her father’s memory, even as she set her sights on the future.

And for her and for all of us, this week has been a reminder of what we’re about as a people.  It’s easy to forget sometimes, especially in times of hardship, times of uncertainty.  We’re coming out of the worst recession since the Great Depression; haven’t fully recovered from that.  We’ve made enormous sacrifices in two wars.  But the essence of America -- the values that have defined us for more than 200 years -- they don’t just endure; they are stronger than ever.

We’re still the America that does the hard things, that does the great things.  We’re the nation that always dared to dream.  We’re the nation that’s willing to take risks -- revolutionaries breaking free from an empire; pioneers heading West to settle new frontiers; innovators building railways and laying the highways and putting a man on the surface of the moon.

We are the nation -- and you’re the Division -- that parachuted behind enemy lines on D-Day, freeing a continent, liberating concentration camps.  We’re the nation that, all those years ago, sent your Division to a high school in Arkansas so that nine black students could get an education.  That was you.  Because we believed that all men are created equal; that everyone deserves a chance to realize their God-given potential.

We’re the nation that has faced tough times before -- tougher times than these.  But when our Union frayed, when the Depression came, when our harbor was bombed, when our country was attacked on that September day, when disaster strikes like that tornado that just ripped through this region, we do not falter.  We don’t turn back.  We pick ourselves up and we get on with the hard task of keeping our country strong and safe.

See, there’s nothing we can’t do together, 101st, when we remember who we are, at that is the United States of America.  (Applause.)  When we remember that, no problem is too hard and no challenge is too great.

And that is why I am so confident that, with your brave service, America’s greatest days are still to come.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the 101st.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
3:47 P.M. CDT

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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama on Friday met and honored the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country. "Job well done," the president declared.