AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS Obama: Al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden is dead
Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks
that murdered thousands of Americans, was killed in an operation led by the United
States, President Barack Obama said Sunday.
"Justice has been done," said the president in a dramatic late-night announcement at the
White House.
A small team of Americans killed bin Laden in a firefight Sunday at a compound in
Pakistan, the president said, and took custody of his remains. American officials said they
were being handled in accordance with Islamic tradition.
A jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House as word spread of bin Laden's death
after a global manhunt that lasted nearly a decade.
Former President George W. Bush, who was in office on the day of the attacks, issued a
written statement hailing bin Laden's death as a momentous achievement. "The fight
against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter
how long it takes, justice will be done," he said.
Obama said he ordered the operation after receiving undisclosed intelligence information.
Senior administration officials said the terrorist mastermind was found inside a custombuilt compound with two security gates. They said it appeared to have been constructed
to harbor one high- value target and that for undisclosed reasons, officials became clear
the hideout was bin Laden's.
Officials also said they believe the death puts al-Qaida on a path of decline that will be
difficult to reverse, but there was no word on the whereabouts of bin Laden's second-incommand, Ayman al-Zawahri.
The stunning end to the world's most widely-watched manhunt came just months before
the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Centers and Pentagon,
orchestrated by bin Laden's al-Qaida organization, that killed more than 3,000 people.
The attacks a decade ago seemed to come out of nowhere, even though al-Qaida had
previously damaged American targets overseas.
The terrorists hijacked planes, flew one of them into one of Manhattan's Twin Towers -and, moments later, into the other one. Both buildings collapsed, trapping thousands
inside and claiming the lives of firefighters and others who had rushed to help them.
A third plane slammed into the Pentagon, defacing the symbol of America's military
night. A fourth crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers
and forced the craft from the air -- before it could hit its intended target in Washington.
Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
1 AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS The attacks set off a chain of events that led the United States into wars in Afghanistan,
and then Iraq, and America's entire intelligence apparatus was overhauled to counter the
threat of more terror attacks at home.
A senior administration official says Obama gave the final order for U.S. officials to go
after bin Laden on Friday. The official added that a small team found their quarry hiding
in a large home in an affluent suburb of Islamabad. The raid occurred in the early
morning hours Sunday.
Administration officials offered some details of the operation.
Based on statements given by U.S. detainees, intelligence officials have known for years
that bin Laden trusted one al-Qaida courier in particular and they believed he might be
living with him in hiding. In November, intelligence officials found out where he was
living, a huge fortified compound in an affluent suburb of Islamabad. It was surrounded
by walls as high as 18 feet high, topped with barbed wire. There were two security gates
and no phone or Internet running into the house.
Intelligence officials believed the $1 million home was custom-built to harbor a major
terrorist. CIA experts analyzed whether it could be anyone else, but time and again, they
decided it was almost certainly bin Laden.
Three adult males were also killed in Sunday's raid, including one of bin Laden's sons,
whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden's sons, Hamza, is a senior member of alQaida.
Obama spoke with Bush and former President Bill Clinton Sunday night to inform them
of the developments.
Obama struck a less than boastful tone in his brief announcement, although he said the
death of bin Laden was "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to
defeat al-Qaida.
"
His death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that al- Qaida will
continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant," he added.
Moments after he spoke, American officials cautioned that the events could lead to
heightened threats against the United States.
Officials said the U.S. would ensure that bin Laden's body was handled in accordance
with Islamic tradition.
From the Associated Press 9:50 PM PDT, May 1, 2011
Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
2 AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS A Bin Laden Hunter on Four Legs
The identities of all 80 members of the American commando team who thundered
into Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden are the subject of intense
speculation, but perhaps none more so than the only member with four legs.
Little is known about what may be the nation’s most courageous dog. Even its
breed is the subject of great interest, although it was most likely a German shepherd or a
Belgian Malinois, military sources say. But its use in the raid reflects the military’s
growing dependence on dogs in wars in which improvised explosive devices have caused
two-thirds of all casualties. Dogs have proved far better than people or machines at
quickly finding bombs.
Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of United States forces in Afghanistan, said
last year that the military needed more dogs. “The capability they bring to the fight
cannot be replicated by man or machine,” he said.
Maj. William Roberts, commander of the Defense Department’s Military Working
Dog Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, said the dog on the raid could have
checked the compound for explosives and even sniffed door handles to see if they were
booby-trapped.
And given that Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a narrow, dark hole beneath a
mud shack in Iraq, the Seal team might have brought the dog in case Bin Laden had built
a secret room into his compound.
“Dogs are very good at detecting people inside of a building,” Major Roberts said.
Another use may have been to catch anyone escaping the compound in the first
moments of the raid. A shepherd or a Malinois runs twice as fast as a human.
Tech Sgt. Kelly A. Mylott, the kennel master at Langley Air Force Base in
Virginia, called dogs ideal for getting someone who is running away without having to
shoot them. “When the dogs go after a suspect, they’re trained to bite and hold them,”
Sergeant Mylott said.
Some dogs are big enough that, when they leap on a suspect, the person tends to
drop to the ground, Sergeant Mylott said. Others bite arms or legs. “Different dogs do
different things,” she said. “But whatever they do, it’s very difficult for that person to go
any further.”
Finally, dogs can be used to pacify an unruly group of people — particularly in the
Middle East. “There is a cultural aversion to dogs in some of these countries, where few
of them are used as pets,” Major Roberts said. “Dogs can be very intimidating in that
situation.”
Sergeant Mylott said that dogs got people’s attention in ways that weapons
sometimes did not. “Dogs can be an amazing psychological deterrent,” she said.
There are 600 dogs serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that number is expected to
grow substantially over the next year, Ensign Brynn Olson of the United States
CentralCommand said. Particularly popular with the troops are the growing number of
Labrador retrievers who wander off-leash 100 yards or more in front of patrols to ensure
the safety of the route. A Silver Star, one of the Navy’s highest awards, was awarded
posthumously in 2009 to a dog named Remco after he charged an insurgent’s hide-out in
Afghanistan.
The training of dogs in Navy Seal teams and other Special Operations units is
Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
3 AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS shrouded in secrecy. Maj. Wes Ticer, a spokesman for United States Special Operations
Command, said the dogs’ primary functions “are finding explosives and conducting
searches and patrols.”
“Dogs are relied upon,” he continued, “to provide early warning for potential
hazards, many times, saving the lives of the Special Operations Forces with whom they
operate.”
Last year, the Seals bought four waterproof tactical vests for their dogs that featured
infrared and night-vision cameras so that handlers — holding a three-inch monitor from
as far as 1,000 yards away — could immediately see what the dogs were seeing. The
vests, which come in coyote tan and camouflage, let handlers communicate with the dogs
with a speaker, and the four together cost more than $86,000. Navy Seal teams have
trained to parachute from great heights and deploy out of helicopters with dogs.
The military uses a variety of breeds, but by far the most common are the German
shepherd and the Belgian Malinois, which “have the best overall combination of keen
sense of smell, endurance, speed, strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to
almost any climatic condition,” according to a fact sheet from the military working dog
unit.
Suzanne Belger, president of the American Belgian Malinois Club, said she was
hoping the dog was one of her breed “and that it did its job and came home safe.” But
Laura Gilbert, corresponding secretary for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America,
said she was sure the dog was her breed “because we’re the best!”
Source: By Gardiner Harris, NY Times, 5.7.11
Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
4 AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS Al Qaida Head Osama Bin Laden is Dead A Bin Laden Hunter On Four Legs 1. Based on information in the first article, what can you conclude about the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden? A. George Bush ordered the operation. B. The operation took ten years to implement following attacks on the World Trade center took place. C. The operation was not planned and soldiers happened upon Bin Laden’s compound. D. Obama was not pleased with the outcome. 2. Which sentence from the first passage most accurately reflects Obama’s thoughts on the operation? A. Obama struck a less than boastful tone. B. There’s no doubt Al Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against the U.S. C. The death of Bin Laden was the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al Qaida. D. Obama said he ordered the operation after receiving undisclosed intelligence information. 3. Read the sentence from the second passage. “There is a cultural aversion to dogs in some of these countries where few of them are used as pets.” What does aversion mean? A. Attraction B. Interest C. Prevention D. Opposition 4. Which statement from the second passage provides the BEST evidence that a dog was a member of the operation that killed Bin Laden? A. B. C. D. Dogs can be used to pacify an unruly group of people. When dogs go after a suspect they’re trained to bite and hold them. Dogs can be an amazing psychological deterrent. Dogs are very good at detecting people inside a building. Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
5 AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS 5. 6. From reading both passages, the reader can infer that A. B. C. D. Dogs will continue to be relied upon for saving the lives of the special operation forces with whom they work. Special Operation Forces will only use the German Shepherd breed. The cost of using digs will place a financial strain on he military. Dogs will eventually replace the use of soldiers in Special Operation Forces. Read the excerpt from the passage. “Intelligence officials believed the $1 million home was custom built to harbor a major terrorist.” In which sentence does the word harbor have the same meaning as used in the excerpt above? A. The yacht was docked inside the harbor. B. The teenager harbored secret thoughts of love for his best friend. C. Miami has long been a harbor for refugees escaping tyranny and seeking freedom. D. The fisherman looked for streams that harbor trout and bass. 7. All of the following describe the compound EXCEPT A. Set in a wealthy neighborhood B. Contained an elaborate computer system C. Had high walls D. Built with security gates Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
6 AOW_6_Gr910_NGSSS AOW 6 ANSWER KEY 1.B (LA.910.1.7.3) 2.C (LA.910.6.2.2) 3.D (LA.910.1.6.3) 4.D (LA.910.6.2.2) 5.A (LA.910.6.2.2) 6.C (LA.910.1.6.9) 7.B (LA.910.6.2.2) Secondary Reading High School, Supplemental Articles 910 December 12, 2011
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