Minnesotans react to bin Laden death

Minnesota’s congressional delegation, as well as its likely presidential candidates, responded to last night’s news that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed in an American surgical raid near Islamabad. Reactions ranged from thanks to the military and calls for continued vigilance against the terrorist threat to rare kudos for President Obama from former Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Sen. Al Franken:

This is a great day. I think every American feels very emotional about what happened in Pakistan today. Our hearts are full of pride and gratitude for all those responsible for bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, with sadness as we remember that horrific day ten years ago, and with hope as we go forward in our fight against radical jihadism. I think the president was wise to remind us of how unified we felt as a nation after 9/11 and how we can achieve anything we put our mind to if we work together.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar:

The killing of Osama Bin Laden brings a measure of justice for the families of all those lost to his senseless terrorism, including Tom Burnett’s family in our own state. Burnett, a passenger on Flight 93, courageously fought back against the Bin Laden led hijackers.

Since 9/11 Bin Laden taunted our country for over a decade and our prayers and gratitude are with our courageous counterterrorism agents and troops that tracked him down and brought him to justice.

Today we remember those who were killed, their families who continue to grieve, and the brave first responders who rushed to ground zero to save lives on that terrible day.  I hope that this will offer some comfort to the families who lost loved ones on that September day.

Today is also a reminder that we must remain vigilant to protect ourselves from threats around the world and of the incredible courage and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and intelligence agencies who work day in and day out to make sure America remains safe.

Rep. Betty McCollum:

The death of Osama Bin Laden is the most significant blow to al Qaeda in the nearly ten years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. This is a just end to a mass murderer who targeted innocents and destroyed so many lives.

President Obama, his national security team and our courageous military personnel are to be commended for their leadership in achieving this accomplishment.

I hope that today’s action provides some comfort to the families who lost loved ones in the attacks as well as families of our military personnel who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of terrorists who threaten our country.

There is much more work ahead to keep our nation safe.

I share the President’s belief that this historic moment is an opportunity for all Americans to once again come together to remember our common ties. Our greatness as a nation and our continued security depend on our determination as Americans to protect our shared values.”

Rep. John Kline:

Nearly 10 years ago America suffered one of the most horrific attacks on her people in our nation’s history. Thanks to the tireless and heroic efforts of our troops and intelligence officials, Osama bin Laden – the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks – is dead. While the world is now free from one truly evil man, we are still at war with Islamist extremists. We must remain increasingly vigilant, and continue to support our brave sons and daughters in uniform as they courageously battle a determined enemy.

Rep. Tim Walz:

Tonight, my thoughts are most with our brave men and women in uniform. Their perseverance, sacrifice and courage is nothing short of remarkable. We have them to thank for this moment of justice.

America still has enemies around the world, and so, we will stay vigilant. But tonight ends a dark chapter in our history. May we always honor the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11th and keep our thoughts and prayers with their families. And let us always remember moments like tonight when our country can come together as one.

Rep. Erik Paulsen:

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. military and intelligence community. Their persistence and dedicated service has yielded success in a mission that has gripped our nation since the terrible events of 9/11. Tonight’s news does not bring back the lives of the thousands of innocent people who were killed that day by Osama Bin Laden’s horrific plan, and it does not end the threat posed by terrorists, but it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end of Sharia-compliant terrorism.

Rep. Michele Bachmann:

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. military and intelligence community. Their persistence and dedicated service has yielded success in a mission that has gripped our nation since the terrible events of 9/11. Tonight’s news does not bring back the lives of the thousands of innocent people who were killed that day by Osama Bin Laden’s horrific plan, and it does not end the threat posed by terrorists, but it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end of Sharia-compliant terrorism.

Gov. Mark Dayton:

The death of Osama Bin Laden is great news.  I congratulate President Obama and the American soldiers, who successfully carried out this crucial mission.

As a member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, I traveled to Afghanistan in January 2002, just three weeks after American forces had routed the Taliban.  There I saw a large warehouse, where all of the American intelligence services had initiated a coordinated effort to locate and eliminate this mastermind of the terrible attacks of 9/11.  Finally, over nine years later, they have succeeded.

Since then, over 22,000 heroic Members of the Minnesota National Guard have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world to defeat terrorism and defend freedom.  They deserve to share in the pride for this successful mission.

I have instructed Minnesota’s Commissioner of Public Safety Ramona Dohman to redouble our vigilance in the next weeks to assure Minnesotans are fully protected from any repercussions from this incident.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty:

This is terrific news for freedom and justice. In the hours after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush promised that America would bring Osama bin Laden to justice — and we did. I want to congratulate America’s armed forces and President Obama for a job well done. Let history show that the perseverance of the US military and the American people never wavered. America will never shrink from the fight and ultimately those who seek to harm us face only defeat. Today, justice is done, but the fight against radical Islamic terrorism is not yet over.

Reps. Keith Ellison, Collin Peterson and Chip Cravaack have not yet made public statements, but we’ll update this post when they do.

Update: Rep. Collin Peterson:

After nearly 10 years, the perseverance of our military and intelligence communities has brought justice to Osama bin Laden. I’m grateful to all those men and women in uniform who have sacrificed so much to bring more security to our country in these tough times. We also must remain vigilant against the threat of terrorism still faced by so many around the world.

Rep. Chip Cravaack:

I applaud the amazing men and women of our military and our intelligence agencies who have worked for almost 10 years to make sure Osama bin Laden -– the perpetrator of the worst terrorist attack in American history – was finally brought to justice for his heinous crimes. This may not end the threat posed to us by global terrorism, but it is a clear victory for America and freedom loving people throughout the world.

Update: Ellison, Muslim community applaud elimination of bin Laden