Obama Kills Osama! President OK's Raid That Kills al-Qaida Leader

Well, that only took 3,519 days.

What began on September 11, 2001, and grew to become the biggest manhunt ever known to mankind ended yesterday in a suburban compound deep inside Pakistan. That's where an elite team of U.S. military cornered and killed Osama bin Laden after descending from helicopters into his heavily armed fortress surrounded by walls 12 to 18 feet high.

Poll: Is the world safer without Osama bin Laden?

According to reports, bin Laden picked up a weapon and fired on U.S. forces before being shot to death. Four other people were killed in the raid, including a son of bin Laden, two male couriers and a woman who was reportedly used as a shield in the firefight. No U.S. personnel were killed.

The body of bin Laden was buried at sea in an effort to discourage a shrine being built in his honor. United States intelligence first learned of the compound outside of Islamabad as far back as August and suspected that it could be used by bin Laden. Beginning in March, President Barack Obama began meeting with the National Security Council to outline a plan to raid the property with Obama giving the final order on Friday.

Pakistani officials reportedly cooperated with the U.S. military on the raid, though what his capture will mean to relations between the two countries remains to be determined. Pakistan has long denied that bin Laden has used its country as a base.

The U.S. reportedly discovered bin Laden's whereabouts by following the couriers who detainees had told them were very close to the al-Qaida leader and alleged mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.