Sound Off: Osama Bin Laden Dead

Osama bin Laden is dead and U.S. forces are in possession of his body, president Barack Obama said Sunday night.

"Justice has been done," Obama said in a televised announcement Sunday.

While he did not provide details, he said that the U.S. has been tracking bin Laden for months and finally located him in a residence in Pakistan. After a firefight, the president said, bin Laden was killed, with no loss of U.S. lives.

Bin Laden was leader of al Qaeda, the terrorist network behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which killed approximately 3,000 people, many of them from Morris County. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the attacks.

After midnight Sunday, a single family member of a 9/11 victim stood at Morris County's Sept. 11 memorial, located on West Hanover Avenue in Parsippany. The family member declined to comment for the record as he looked onto the tribute, built with steel from the twin towers of the World Trade Center, which toppled in the attacks.

Among Jefferson's fallen heroes in the years after 9/11 was Marine 2nd Lt. John Thomas "J.T." Wroblewski, who died due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Listed among the 9/11 dead in several resources is Daniel Robert Nolan; Patch is seeking to clarify reports that alternately list him as being from Hopatcong, or Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township.

"As a nation, we may all feel some measure of closure that justice was accomplished," New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez said Sunday night. "That through persistence and continued perseverance Osama Bin Laden and others were found and held accountable. Like all Americans, New Jerseyans, never forgot the heinous actions of those responsible, never forgot those whose lives were lost, never stopped asking questions of our government, and never ceased continuing the pressure on the importance of capturing Bin Laden and bringing justice to those responsible."

Menendez said he hoped the loved ones of 9/11 victims might find  "solace and a measure of closure today."

"I want to commend President Obama's Administration for its commitment and dedication to finally bringing Osama bin Laden to justice," Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday night. "As the former U.S. Attorney and now Governor of New Jersey, I speak for all the families of this state who have courageously endured the unspeakable and devastating consequences of terrorism. There is hardly a life that has gone untouched in New Jersey by the horrifying assault on American soil that took place on September 11th and today, after years of waiting, justice has finally been delivered. While our fight against terrorism continues, Osama bin Laden's reign of terror has come to an end, sending a clear signal that even in the face of immeasurable horror, democracy and freedom continue to prevail."

"People across the civilized world will have great satisfaction and relief with news of the death of Osama bin Laden, one of the worst killers in the history of man," Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg said.

Patch invites all its readers to share their thoughts on bin Laden's death in the comments below. It also invites those whose lives were touched by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to contact editor Sue Toth at Susan.Toth@Patch.com or 973-580-2230.