Politics & Government

Osama bin Laden is Dead; President Obama "Guaranteed" Re-election? Cascade Leaders, Community Respond

President Obama announced late Sunday that U.S. forces killed the powerful al Qaeda leader; Cascade Patch asks readers to tell us how this affects Obama's re-election chances in 2012 and if they expect more world peace, or more retaliation.

President Barack Obama announced late Sunday that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden—the architect of the September 11th tragedy—was killed by a U.S. Navy Seal operation launched today Abbottabad, Pakistan, against a compound where bin Laden was believed to be hiding, according to U.S. intelligence.

After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said. According to the Monday HuffingtonPost.com site, bin Laden was reportedly shot in the head. The site reports that he was bured at sea.

After hearing about the death late Sunday of —U.S. Congressman John Lewis, a southwest Atlanta resident, released this statement:

"I am not one to rejoice in the death of any person, but Osama bin Laden took the lives of thousands of innocent people in this country and around the world," Lewis said. "He committed heinous crimes that ended the hopes and dreams of many courageous public servants as well as a group of excited young children and dedicated teachers on a field trip to California. Many people left home for work that day never to return. Today thousands of families are missing their fathers and mothers, sons and daughters due to the violence this man fomented and supported."

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Steve Clemons, a high-profile HuffingtonPost.com blogger, offered this lead on his column this morning:

"The President of the United States has checked off the box in bringing Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda to justice -- and probably assured his reelection in 2012."

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What do you think of this news? What do you think this means for gas prices, Obama's 2012 election chances and world peace? Please tell us in comments.

HuffingtonPost.com services were used for this report.


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