Osama bin Laden killed in Pakistan

Osama bin Laden

Bin Laden's death at a compound in Pakistan ended the world's most widely-watched manhunt.

Jubilant crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington and at ground zero in New York as word spread.

"Justice has been done," the US president said.

A small team of Americans killed bin Laden in the town of Abbottabad, about 60 miles north of the capital Islamabad. The team took custody of his body and American officials said it was being handled in accordance with Islamic tradition.

Three men were also killed in the helicopter raid, including one of bin Laden's sons, whom officials did not name.

The death of the world's most wanted man came just months before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, orchestrated by bin Laden's al Qaida organisation, that killed more than 3,000 people.

George Bush, who was president at the time of the attacks, issued a statement hailing bin Laden's death as a momentous achievement.

He said: "The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."

Prime Minister David Cameron said bin Laden's death amounted to a "massive step forward" in the fight against terrorism.

He warned that in the days and weeks ahead it would be necessary to be "particularly vigilant" about the risk of retaliatory terror attacks.

Mr Cameron said bin Laden's death would be welcomed "right across our country".

And he added: "Of course, nothing will bring back those loved ones that families have lost to terror. But at least they know the man who was responsible for those appalling acts is no more."

Mr Obama said he ordered the operation after receiving undisclosed intelligence information.

Senior US administration officials said the terrorist mastermind was found inside a custom-built compound with two security gates.

They said it appeared to have been constructed to harbour one high-value target and officials became clear the hideout was bin Laden's.

Based on statements given by US detainees, intelligence officials have known for years that bin Laden trusted one al Qaida courier in particular and they believed he might be living with him in hiding.

Last November, intelligence officials found out he was living in a huge fortified compound. It was surrounded by walls as high as 18 feet, topped with barbed wire. There were two security gates and no phone or internet running into the house.

Intelligence officials believed the million-dollar home was custom-built to hide a major terrorist.

Officials also said they believe the death puts al Qaida on a path of decline that will be difficult for them to reverse, but there was no word on the whereabouts of bin Laden's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri.

Mr Obama said the death of bin Laden was "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaida".

But he added: "His death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that al Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant."

Stock markets in Asia rose after the news that bin Laden was dead and the dollar rebounded, while oil prices slid more than one per cent.

VIGILANCE CALL FOR UK

FOREIGN Secretary William Hague ordered UK embassies around the world to review their security today in the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden and American officials have warned that his death could lead to heightened threats.

US embassies across the globe were placed on high alert and Americans were warned about possible reprisals for the death of the man who masterminded the September 11 attacks.

President Barack Obama warned Americans to remain vigilant.

Mr Hague said the UK should be "even more vigilant" than usual for the threat of terror attacks in the coming days.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said: "I think the news that Osama bin Laden will no longer be able to plan murderous attacks on citizens of this country and other countries will be welcomed by people right across Britain. Today is of course a day for remembering those victims of 9/11 but it is also a day for vigilance.

"I would agree with the Prime Minister in congratulating the American special forces that conducted this operation with bravery, but also pay tribute to our own armed forces still working in theatres like Afghanistan and also our intelligence services who work day and night to keep the people of Britain safe."

Chairul Akbar, secretary general of the anti-terrorism agency in Indonesia, expressed jubilation at the news.

Attacks blamed on al Qaida-linked militants have killed more than 260 people in Indonesia, many of them foreign tourists.

"We welcome the death of one of the world's most dangerous men and highly appreciate the United States' help in crushing this global enemy," he said.

Rise and fall of bin Laden

OSAMA bin Laden was the most notorious terrorist of modern times.

The al Qaida mastermind remained at the top of the FBI's most wanted list for more than a decade with a $25 million bounty on his head.

Moving around the lawless tribal frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, he evaded all attempts to track and assassinate him - until now.

Born in Saudi Arabia - his exact birth date is not known but he gave the year 1957 - bin Laden honed his deadly skills in Afghanistan during the 1980s as he led Arab fighters joining the war against the Soviet Union.

At that time he was funded by the CIA but he turned his sights on the United States during the first Gulf crisis.

Already deeply hostile to the US over its support for Israel, he viewed their presence as a desecration of the land of Islam. His fortune was once estimated at $300m. He was stripped of his Saudi citizenship in 1994.

It was in one 2004 tape that bin Laden finally and unambiguously claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Security officials had already been hunting him over a number of atrocities, including the 1998 bombings of United States embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Bin Laden's al Qaida network has since been linked to the July 2005 London bombings and attacks in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh and Istanbul.

Retaliation fears

Al Qaida will "undoubtedly" recover and strike back in retaliation for Osama bin Laden's killing, experts said today.

While his death will come as a "major blow" for the terrorist organisation, the American "triumph" could lead to serious reprisals, they warned.

John Gearson, reader in terrorism studies and director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College London, said organisations across the globe were now likely to "ramp up" their security.

"I think the significance of what has happened cannot really be overstated," he said.

"I would expect embassies and military bases around the world to be on high alert for some time.

"There will be concerns that there could be some sort of retaliation, that al Qaida may well want to demonstrate that they are still strong and still in the game.

"The danger is that the Americans may well lose their focus, that they will relax and that will provide an opportunity for the remnants of al Qaida to reform and grow stronger.

"Al Qaida will remain a major security concern."

Former British Army colonel Richard Kemp, commander of British forces in Afghanistan in 2003, echoed his fears, suggesting the Taliban could now look to bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al Zawahiri, for leadership.

"I think this is not the end of al Qaida by any means," he told the BBC.