Osama Bin Laden Dead

May 1, 2011, 11:29 pm

Osama Bin Laden Dead, U.S. Official Says

By HELENE COOPER

 

WASHINGTON — President Obama announced late Sunday that Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, was killed in a firefight during an operation he ordered inside Pakistan, ending a 10 year manhunt for the world’s most wanted terrorist. American officials were in possession of his body, he said.

The fate of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Al Qaeda number two in command, was unclear.
The death of Mr. Bin Laden is a huge punctuation in the American-led war on terrorism. What remains to be seen is whether the death of the leader of Al Qaeda galvanizes his followers by turning him into a martyr, or whether it serves as a turning of the page in the war in Afghanistan and gives further impetus to the Obama administration to bring American troops home.

One American official said that American forces, acting on intelligence, launched a “targeted assault” that killed Mr. Bin Laden, whose ability to elude capture for so long deeply frustrated the Bush administration.
The news of the death of the leader of Al Qaeda was bound to electrify the world, particularly as it comes a full decade after American forces, under President Bush, launched their all-out assault to find the man responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.

Since those attacks, Mr. bin Laden was able to elude capture by hiding out in the mountains of Afghanistan and elsewhere. He initially escaped from Tora Bora in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan after an American invasion routed the Taliban, his protectors. Since then, he issued some 30 messages, in audio, video or electronic text. Intelligence officials believe they were passed from hand to hand repeatedly to obscure any trail back to his hiding place. Even while in hiding, he remained a potent symbolic figure. And American officials believe, based on intercepted communications from second- and third-tier Qaeda operatives, that he also still helped shape Al Qaeda’s strategy.

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Direct Relief Delivers Medical Aid to Affected Areas

$36 Million in Medical Inventory Made Available; Healthcare Companies and FedEx Step in to Help

April 29, 2011
To help people across the southeastern U.S. who have lost their homes or been injured in tornadoes and other severe weather, Direct Relief USA is delivering specifically requested medical aid to clinics and shelters throughout the south.
Direct Relief is the only nonprofit organization licensed to distribute prescription medications in all 50 states and maintains an ongoing support program with more than 1,000 nonprofit clinics and health centers across the country, including 168 facilities in the six states affected by recent tornados.
In the past week, Direct Relief USA completed a distribution of medical aid this month through its nationwide Safety Net Support program, delivering more than $756,000 in medical material to 39 health facilities in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
In addition, emergency shipments have been provided to facilities in North Carolina and Arkansas following tornados that struck in the past two weeks.
In response to the devastating tornadoes this week, Direct Relief has activated its entire network to prioritize emergency assistance to the affected southern states.
The organization has made its current inventory of $36 million in medicines and medical supplies available for the response. Text message alerts have been sent to community clinics and health centers notifying them of available resources.
In mobilizing private resources for the response, Direct Relief has joined with a vast array of nonprofit and public agencies to coordinate assistance, as well as with dozens of healthcare companies that have offered assistance and released previously made product donations to assist in the southern states.
Damon Taugher, Director of Direct Relief USA, says: “Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by this awful tragedy. Direct Relief has worked closely with partners in these communities over the past six years and will continue to provide medical resources to assist in recovery efforts.”
As needs assessments and relief operations have begun, Direct Relief is coordinating efforts with several national contacts, which include the National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Free Clinics, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through the Private Sector ESF-15 National Response Coordination Center, and Rx Response.
In the affected states, Direct Relief is coordinating its efforts with the Georgia Primary Care Association, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Mississippi Primary Healthcare Association, and Alabama Primary Care Association.
Many clinic partners across the southeast are conducting damage assessments and identifying needs. One organization has made a specific emergency request for assistance, which Direct Relief will fulfill with transportation services donated by FedEx:

• Semo Health Network, Sikeston, MO – Due to flooding, the Semo Health Network is housing 100 evacuated families in nearby hotels, and specifically requested maintenance medications for evacuees. Continuity of care and the availability of needed medicines are important for people with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, which are seen in relatively high incidence among partner clinic patient populations.

Another clinic partner has made a request to assist with families whose homes have been destroyed:

• Conway Interfaith Clinic, Conway, AR – An estimated 50 to 60 displaced people are staying in shelters after a tornado swept through the town earlier this week, damaging about 500 homes. Personal care and hygiene items ($14,382 wholesale value) are en route to the clinic today to help the people living in the shelter.

These states have been hit by the recent spate of storms, in which more than 300 people have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed, according to news reports.
Direct Relief’s emergency relief efforts and ongoing assistance to partner clinics in the U.S. facilitate a fast, efficient response when a disaster strikes. The organization’s Hurricane Preparedness Program equips clinic sites across the Gulf States each year with medical material aid that is pre-positioned before hurricane season starts. Direct Relief’s response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has been one of the organization’s largest, rivaled only by the Haiti earthquake response in 2010.

Incident: Severe weather, including tornadoes and heavy rain, hit the southeastern U.S. April 2011
Human Cost: More than 300 people killed and hundreds injured and displaced across six states
Direct Relief Response: Medical aid offered to partners across affected states through local, regional, and national associations, including Primary Care Associatios, the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the National Association of Free Clinics.