Locals react to bin Laden’s death

Late in the night on May 1, President Barack Obama announced that, after nearly 10 years of searching, the United States had located and killed Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

United States intelligence received a tip last August, the President said in a televised statement, and worked hard to verify it. Bin Laden was living in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, north of the capital of Islamabad. A small team of Navy Seals carried out the operation against the compound and, after a fire fight, killed bin Laden.

“This country, our country, sent a message representing the people for justice to somebody who was a murder, who had no regard or respect for human life,” said State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg. “He murdered almost 3,000 people in one incident and many others throughout the world. I think God punished him. We had justice, and he is no longer alive.”

The joyous wave that swept across the country was felt close to home, too.

“[It was] 10 years in the making,” said Island Park resident John Byrne.

“We are almost at the Ten Year mark — 9/11/11 — and I believe that our President…knew and felt that something would or could have happened on the 10-year anniversary and just needed to make sure everything was in place so that no more American Civilians would be hurt or bombed,” said Oceanside resident Cynthia Silberman-Rosen. “We needed to get him … especially [those who lost] loved ones on Sept. 11.”

Oceanside and Island Park lost 14 residents on Sept. 11.

“This is monumental news for so many Long Islanders who lost loved ones on Sept. 11 and responded so selflessly after that tragic day,” said Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy in a release. “Nothing will ever erase their pain and suffering, and the daily threat of terrorism is still very real both at home and abroad, but Osama bin Laden’s death is a development that we can only hope will have a positive effect on the safety of our troops and citizens. Today is a good day, but we must continue to be vigilant.”