Hillary Rodham Clinton on Bin Laden's death: "You cannot wait us out" Transcript

SHARE Hillary Rodham Clinton on Bin Laden's death: "You cannot wait us out" Transcript

Updated with transcript…

WASHINGTON–Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had a strong message Monday to any doubters the U.S. would not be able to hunt down Osama Bin Laden: “Now I know there are some who doubted this day would ever come, who questioned our resolve and our reach. But let us remind ourselves, this is America. We rise to the challenge, we persevere and we get the job done.”

The U.S. had been trying for more than 10 years to track down Bin Laden, the 9-11 mastermind who was behind the 1993 New York World Trade Center bombing, embassy bombings in Africa and the 2000 bombing of the U.S. warship Cole in Yemen.

Other Clinton points:

To the Taliban: “Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today it may have even greater resonance: You cannot wait us out. You cannot defeat us. But you can make the choice to abandon al-Qaida and participate in a peaceful political process.”

Without mentioning specific countries, the peaceful uprisings of the Arab Spring are a rebuke to Al Qaeda

She hopes Bin Laden victims find comfort in his death.

Clinton underscores close cooperation with Pakistan in the hope the raid does not further erode the relationship. Pakistan leaders were not told of the raid.

Sens. Joe Lieberman (DI-CT.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) chairs of Homeland Security Committee will talk on “next steps” post Bin Laden death at noon est.

Click below for Clinton transcript…

Below, Clinton statement…..

SEC. CLINTON: Well, good morning.

As President Obama said last night, Osama bin Laden is dead and justice has been done. And today I want to say a few words about what this means for our efforts going forward.

First, I want to offer my thoughts and prayers to the thousands of families whose loved ones were killed in Osama bin Laden’s campaign of terror and violence, from the embassy bombings in Africa to the strike on the USS Cole, to the attacks of September 11th, 2001, and so many more. These were not just attacks against Americans, although we suffered grievous losses.

These were attacks against the whole world. In London and Madrid, Bali, Istanbul and many other places, innocent people — most of them Muslims — were targeted in markets and mosques, in subway stations and on airplanes; each attack motivated by a violent ideology that holds no value for human life or regard for human dignity.

I know that nothing can make up for the loss of the victims or fill the voids they left. But I hope their families can now find some comfort in the fact that justice has been served.

Second, I want to join the president in honoring the courage and commitment of the brave men and women who serve our country and have worked tirelessly and relentlessly for more than a decade to track down and bring Osama bin Laden, this terrorist, to justice. From our troops and our intelligence experts to our diplomats and our law enforcement officials, this has been a broad, deep, very impressive effort.

Here at the State Department, we have worked to forge a worldwide antiterror network. We have drawn together the effort and energy of friends, partners and allies on every continent. Our partnerships, including our close cooperation with Pakistan, have helped put unprecedented pressure on al-Qaida and its leadership. Continued cooperation will be just as important in the days ahead, because even as we mark this milestone, we should not forget that the battle to stop al-Qaida and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden.

Indeed, we must take this opportunity to renew our resolve and redouble our efforts.

In Afghanistan, we will continue taking the fight to al-Qaida and their Taliban allies, while working to support the Afghan people as they build a stronger government and begin to take responsibility for their own security. We are implementing the strategy for transition approved by NATO at the summit in Lisbon, and we are supporting an Afghan-led political process that seeks to isolate al-Qaida and end the insurgency.

Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today it may have even greater resonance: You cannot wait us out. You cannot defeat us. But you can make the choice to abandon al-Qaida and participate in a peaceful political process.

In Pakistan, we are committed to supporting the people and government as they defend their own democracy from violent extremism. Indeed, as the president said, bin Laden had also declared war on Pakistan. He had ordered the killings of many innocent Pakistani men, women and children.

In recent years, the cooperation between our governments, militaries and law enforcement agencies increased pressure on al-Qaida and the Taliban, and this progress must continue.

And we are committed to our partnership.

History will record that bin Laden’s death came at a time of great movements towards freedom and democracy, at a time when the people across the Middle East and North Africa are rejecting the extremist narrative, and charting a path of peaceful progress based on universal rights and aspirations. There is no better rebuke to al- Qaida and its heinous ideology.

All over the world we will press forward, bolstering our partnerships, strengthening our networks, investing in a positive vision of peace and progress, and relentlessly pursuing the murderers who target innocent people. The fight continues, and we will never waver.

Now I know there are some who doubted this day would ever come, who questioned our resolve and our reach. But let us remind ourselves, this is America. We rise to the challenge, we persevere and we get the job done.

I am reminded especially today of the heroism and humanity that marked the difficult days after 9/11. In New York, where I was a senator, our community was devastated. But we pulled through. Ten years later, that American spirit remains as powerful as ever, and it will continue to prevail.

So this is a day not only for Americans but also for people all over the world who look to a more peaceful and secure future — yes, with continued vigilance, but more so with growing hope and renewed faith in what is possible.

Thank you all very much.

The Latest
Passover, which starts before sundown Monday and ends after nightfall on April 30, commemorates the liberation of Jews from slavery in Egypt.
Jay Hernández, su protagonista y productor, destacó la importancia de contar las historias de la comunidad: “Debemos ser representados y escuchados”.
Los usuarios de Chicago ahora pueden encontrar una marca de verificación azul bajo su nombre, como parte del proceso de verificación de usuarios de Uber.
Los comisionados apoyaron mayoritariamente el envío de dinero en efectivo a la Municipalidad, pero expresaron su preocupación por asegurarse que utilicen el dinero para el uso que está destinado.
Columnist Gene Lyons was out for a few weeks after he was diagnosed with several illnesses. Now that he’s back in the saddle, he writes about what felt like a near-death experience and aging.