World leaders warn terror not defeated

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is dead, US President Barack Obama has confirmed. Western leaders have rejoiced at the news but warned of the risk of possible Islamist retaliation strikes.

Western leaders expressed relief and urged continued vigilance on Monday following news that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by US special forces in Pakistan.

In a televised announcement, President Barack Obama said bin Laden was fatally wounded in an operation involving a small team of US operatives “with extraordinary courage and capability.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed bin Laden’s death as “good news,” but warned that the threat of terrorism had not been eliminated.

“With the commando operation against Osama bin Laden and his killing, US forces succeeded in making a decisive strike against al Qaeda,” a statement released by the chancellor’s spokesman said.

The European Union said bin Laden’s death was a “major achievement” in efforts to eradicate terrorism. “His death makes the world a safer place and shows that such crimes do not remain unpunished,” a joint statement from European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

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Iran says there is no excuse for US to remain in Middle East after bin Laden killing

Iran says there is no excuse for the United States to continue deploying troops in the Middle East after the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, says the U.S. can no longer send troops to the region under the pretext of fighting terrorism. His comments were reported Monday by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

Iran says it co-operated with the U.S. in fighting terrorism but instead of being rewarded, former President George W. Bush placed Iran in his “axis of evil.”

Iran says it has cracked down on al-Qaida operatives, especially along its border with Afghanistan, but also criticized the U.S. for invading Afghanistan and Iraq.

Source: DW-WORLD