While much of the reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden has been celebratory, the feeling is very different in the country where U.S. forces found and killed the terrorist leader.
In Pakistan, the mood is not jubilant. Rather, there is a sense of stunned silence.
In a carefully worded release from the foreign minister, the Pakistani government acknowledged that a U.S. team conducted the operation inside Pakistani territory. It did not say what role Pakistan took in that operation.
On Pakistani media, the bin Laden killing is occupying all the time, mostly with reaction from pundits and former government members.
From some quarters, there is anger at the United States conducting a mission inside Pakistan.
With Al Qaida being the primary reason United States launched is war in the region, the death of the network's leader is seen here by some as a chance to push for the United States to leave the region.
From some, there is concern that Pakistan will be attacked in response for the death of bin Laden.
Tasneem Nooran is a former Pakistani secretary for the interior. He says he thinks the terrorist networks very well may strike back at Pakistan.
"The extremist group in Pakistan will hold the government responsible... and will hold the state responsible. I think you will see more terrorism here in retaliation," Nooran said.
The statement from the foreign ministry says that Al Qaeda declared war on Pakistan and that the authorities will continue to support international efforts against terrorism. It points out that Pakistan has lost thousands of soldiers and civilians to terrorist attacks.
Many Pakistanis have been frustrated with the ongoing war in Afghanistan and with U.S. counterterrorism efforts on Pakistani soil.
But many critics say Pakistan continues to harbor terrorists.
The fact that bin Laden was found inside Pakistan and in the same town as the country's elite military academy has not gone unnoticed.
For former secretary Nooran, it gives ammunition to those in the west who would like to justify their covert actions in Pakistan.
"As far as the west is concerned, they will thumb their nose at Pakistan and to say 'we told you so' and to run down the credibility of Pakistan," Nooran noted.
Journalists and pundits in the media are already saying that there may be fallout for Pakistan from how this operation happened and the location of where bin Laden was ultimately found.
But, mostly, Pakistanis seem to be waiting to see what comes next. And, many are expressing concern rather than jubilation.
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Briefing reporters in a telephone news conference after the president spoke, senior administration officials provided additional details on the operation that killed bin Laden, although they stressed they could not and would not go into many details of the mission.
Officials described what they called a dangerous surgical raid by a small helicopter-borne special operations team, against a large compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, north of the capital, Islamabad.
The officials said the compound had existed for about five years, had heavy security, including thick walls topped by barbed wire, few outward facing windows and two security gates, and had no telephone or Internet service.
According to the officials, Osama bin Laden resisted the assault force and was killed in a firefight. The U.S. officials offered no further details on the duration of the firefight, itself.
The U.S. special operations team remained in the compound for less than 40 minutes and did not encounter any local Pakistani authorities. Officials said the mission was designed to minimize collateral damage and risk to non-combatants in the compound and to Pakistani civilians in the area.
In the firefight, the officials said, three adult males were killed, including what were believed to be two bin Laden couriers and the third man, who officials said is believed to have been one of bin Laden's adult sons.
Of several women and children at the compound, officials said one woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant. Two other women were injured.
One U.S. helicopter was lost during the operation, because of mechanical failure, which the officials did not elaborate on. They said the aircraft was destroyed by the crew for security reasons, and the assault force boarded the remaining helicopter to exit the compound.
In answer to a reporter's question, the senior administration officials said steps have been taken to ensure that bin Laden's body is being handled "in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition", something they said the United States takes very seriously.
Asked about the fact that bin Laden was ultimately found inside Pakistan, and whether this confirmed any links he may have had with Pakistani authorities, the officials said the U.S. is "very concerned" about the fact that bin Laden was inside Pakistan, adding "this is something that we are going to continue to work [with] the Pakistani government on."
Senior administration officials recalled that President Obama had repeatedly made clear that the U.S. would act on "actionable intelligence" on bin Laden's whereabouts. They said senior Pakistani leaders were briefed shortly after the raid on its intent and results.
Senior administration officials said intelligence on the bin Laden compound was shared with no other country, including Pakistan, saying this was essential for the security of the operation and U.S. personnel. They added that only a small group of people inside the U.S. government knew of the operation.
The officials said that beginning in September of last year the Central Intelligence Agency began to work with President Obama on "a set of assessments" that led the agency to believe that Osama bin Laden was located at the compound in Pakistan. By mid-February the officials said a series of intensive meetings determined there was a sound intelligence basis for pursuing this in an aggressive way.
Between mid-March and the end of April, the officials said, President Obama chaired a series of National Security Council meetings to develop a course of action to bring bin Laden to justice, and gave the final order for the operation on the morning of April 29th.
One senior official said the successful operation was the culmination of years of careful and highly advanced intelligence work involving multiple agencies. When the case was made that the compound in Pakistan was a critical target, the official said, officials began to prepare the mission in conjunction with the U.S. military.
As for the impact bin Laden's killing will have on al-Qaida, senior administration officials call it "the single greatest victory in the U.S.-led campaign to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida" and "a major and essential step in bringing about al-Qaida's eventual destruction."
Although the administration officials say bin Laden's death will put al-Qaida on "a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse" they say the terrorist organization may not fragment immediately.
They add that it is most fitting that bin Laden's death comes at a time of great movement for freedom and democracy that is sweeping the Arab world" adding that he stood in direct opposition to what courageous men and women throughout the Middle East and North Africa are risking their lives for - "individual rights and human dignity."
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10:08 UTC: Our live updates on this story have now ended. Check VOA's home page for the latest developments.
0901 UTC -The international police agency Interpol is calling for increased vigilance by police forces around the world following reports of the death of Osama bin Laden. In a formal statement Monday, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said, "The world's most wanted international terrorist is no more." But, he warned that al-Qaida affiliates and others inspired by bin Laden will continue to engage in terrorist attacks. He said the world's police forces therefore "need to remain united and focused in our ongoing cooperation and fight, not only against this global threat but also against terrorism by any group anywhere."
0827 UTC - Senior U.S. officials are telling American media that the body of Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea, less than half a day after he was killed in a firefight in Pakistan. There has been no formal announcement on the disposal of the body, but numerous leading news organizations say they have had the sea burial confirmed by unidentified officials.
During a briefing early Monday, U.S. officials said the corpse would be "handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition." By burying the body at sea, the United States may have hoped to ensure that his final resting place does not become a shrine or a place of pilgrimage for his followers.
0812 UTC - Afghan President Hamid Karzai is claiming the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan is proof of his claim that the source of international terrorism does not lie in Afghanistan. In one of several public comments Monday, the Afghan president said the death of bin Laden shows he has been right to criticize international forces for focusing the fight against al-Qaida in Afghanistan rather than other countries.
Karzai also said in a nationally televised press conference that the Afghan-based Taliban "must learn a lesson from this" and give up their fight against his government. He said he hopes the death of bin Laden will bring an end to terrorist activities.
0805 UTC - Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the news of bin Laden's death highlights India's "concern" that terrorists find "sanctuary" in Pakistan.
0740 UTC - A Pakistani man who appeared to have live-tweeted the U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden's compound says he moved to the garrison city of Abbottabad from Lahore in search of peace and quiet. "Uh oh, now I'm the guy who live-blogged the Osama raid without knowing it," tweeted the Twitter contributor @ReallyVirtual after U.S. President Barack Obama announced details of the raid.
Hours earlier, the writer tweeted as a helicopter hovered above his home at 1 a.m., and then a large explosion shook his windows.
Over the following hours, ReallyVirtual exchanged tweets with some of his neighbors as they listened to more explosions and the crash of one helicopter. A taxi driver notified him that Pakistani security forces had cordoned off an area. When the truth finally became clear, he tweeted, "I need to sleep, but Osama had to pick this day to die."
0734 UTC - Asian markets generally rose Monday on optimism that Wall Street shares would rally, after U.S. officials said al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden had been killed.
Futures on the Standard and Poor's 500 Index rose, indicating U.S. shares may extend a four-day rally when markets open later Monday.
0717 UTC - Senior U.S. officials say that the plans for the raid that ended in the death of Osama bin Laden were not shared with any other country, including Pakistan. They said in a briefing early Monday that the operation was kept secret to protect the security of the operation and of the personnel involved. The officials, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said that even within the U.S. government, only a very small group of people knew of the operation in advance.
0700 UTC - U.S. officials say the trail that led them to Osama bin Laden began four years ago when they discovered the identity of one of the al-Qaida leader's trusted couriers. It took another two years of persistent efforts to identify the area in Pakistan where the man and his brother operated, and until August last year to track them to their home in in the city of Abbottabad, where Sunday's operation took place.
The officials said in a briefing Monday that the size of the compound and its elaborate security arrangements convinced them that someone important was being sheltered there. Suspicions were also aroused by the lack of telephone or Internet connections in a property valued at about $1 million. Officials then determined that a third family was living in the compound -- one whose size and make-up matched that of bin Laden's family. The final intelligence analysis was that a high-value target was being harbored in the compound, and there was a strong probability that the person was Osama bin Laden.
0640 UTC - A spokesman for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says the president held an emergency meeting with top security officials Monday morning to discuss the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been killed. The spokesman said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, armed forces chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha were among those in attendance. The spokesman said the foreign ministry was preparing a formal statement.
0636 UTC - U.S. officials say the operation that ended in the death of Osama bin Laden was carried out by a small helicopter-borne special operations team and lasted for less than 40 minutes. The raid, in the military garrison city of Abbottabad, was staged against a large compound with thick walls topped by barbed wire, few outward facing windows, and two security gates. It had no telephone or Internet service.
The officials told reporters early Monday that the mission was designed to minimize collateral damage and risk to non-combatants. They said three adult males besides bin Laden were killed in a firefight, one of whom is believed to have been bin Laden's adult son. One woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant, and two other women were injured.
The officials said one U.S. helicopter was lost during the operation, due to mechanical failure, and was destroyed at the site. They said no Pakistani military personnel were encountered during the operation.
0630 UTC - An image made from Geo TV video shows flames at what is thought to be the compound where terror mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed Sunday, May 1, 2011, in Abbatabad, Pakistan.
0620 UTC - U.S. officials say President Barack Obama approved the mission to capture or kill Osama bin Laden on Friday, shortly before he flew to Alabama to view the destruction from a wave of deadly tornados. The officials said Mr. Obama and his top security officials reviewed the final preparations at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Less than two hours later, the operation was over and the president had been told that a person tentatively identified as bin Laden had been killed. At about 7 p.m., he was told there was a "high probability" that bin Laden was dead.
0608 UTC - Abbottabad, the city where Osama bin Laden met his death on Sunday, has a long history dating from the days of British rule as a military station. It remains today the headquarters of a brigade in the Second Division of Pakistan's Northern Army Corps, and is dotted with military buildings and home to thousands of army personnel. The Associated Press says the house where bin Laden died is just 100 yards from a Pakistani military academy. Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, was in the city last week for a passing-out parade, where he said, "The terrorists' backbone has been broken and God willing we will soon prevail."
0545 UTC - The United States is warning its citizens around the world to be on the alert for potential anti-American violence in response to the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death. The State Department issued a statement early Monday saying U.S. citizens in sensitive locations "are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.'' The statement said U.S. embassies would maintain operations insofar as possible but may be forced to limit some services.
0539 UTC - Thousands of people poured into the streets in New York early Monday in a spontaneous celebration at the reported death of Osama bin Laden, mastermind of attacks that killed almost 3,000 people in the city on September 11, 2001. At "Ground Zero," where the World Trade Center once stood, crowds waved American flags and sang the national anthem.
At Times Square, a crowd was joined by members of the New York Fire Department, which suffered dozens of members killed and injured when the twin towers collapsed. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly was quoted describing the death as a "welcome milestone."
Watch the celebration as shot by a participant in the crowd in New York City
0535 UTC - Twitter says there were more than 4,000 tweets per second during President Obama's announcement
0519 UTC - Pakistani military sources are telling VOA they agree the body recovered after an operation early Monday is that of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. The sources confirmed reports by U.S. officials that the operation was mounted with helicopters in Abbottabad, approximately 100 kilometers north of Islamabad, and say it was carried off without death or serious injury to either U.S. or Pakistani personnel. They say other individuals who were inside the house have been killed. The area is now cordoned off and controlled by Pakistani authorities.
0516 UTC - U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says the death of Osama bin Laden "sends a signal that America will not tolerate terrorism in any form." In a formal statement following President Barack Obama's announcement of the death, Cantor said the families of more than 3,000 people who died on 9/11 " have grieved for far too long." He added that the United States "will not relent in our fight against terror and our efforts to keep America safe and secure."
0508 UTC - Former U.S. president Bill Clinton says the death of Osama bin Laden is a "profoundly important moment" for the families of those who were killed on September 11, 2001, and for others around the world who "want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our children." In a formal statement late Sunday, Mr. Clinton offered his contratuations to President Barack Obama, members of his national security team and to the armed forces of the United States.
0500 UTC - Former U.S. President George W. Bush says the everlasting gratitude of Americans will go to the men and women of the U.S. military and intelligence communities who have devoted their lives for almost 10 years to capturing or killing Osama bin Laden. Mr. Bush was president when al Qaeda struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Septermber 11, 2001. In a statement issued late Sunday, he said that in announcing the death of bin Laden, "the United States has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."
Watch President Obama's Announcement:
U.S. reaction to the announcement:
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Twenty-five minutes before midnight on a Sunday night, President Obama made an announcement that the American people had waited almost ten years to hear.
"I can report to the American people and to the world, that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children," Obama said.
Osama bin Laden has been the world's most-wanted terrorist since more than 3,000 people were killed in al-Qaida's attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
Mr. Obama said he was briefed last August on a possible lead to bin Laden's location. He said the terrorist leader had been hiding in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The president said he authorized a mission last week to "get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice."
Watch President Obama's Announcement:
Mr. Obama said a small team of Americans Sunday carried out the operation on the compound.
"After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body," Obama said.
The president acknowledged that al-Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against the United States, and he warned Americans to remain vigilant.
"I have made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9-11, that our war is not against Islam, because bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al-Qaida has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own."
Mr. Obama said counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead U.S. forces to bin Laden. He said he called Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to notify him of bin Laden's death. The president said Pakistani officials agreed that this was a "good and historic day" for both nations.
Mr. Obama also called former President George W. Bush, who was president on September 11, 2001, and who launched the U.S. war on terror. In a written statement, Mr. Bush called bin Laden's killing a "momentous achievement" and a "victory for America." He said "No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."
Osama bin Laden was born March 10, 1957 to a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia.
When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, bin Laden joined the Afghan mujahedin Islamic fighters. Several years later, he used his wealth to form his own militia force, later called al-Qaida, Arabic for "the base."
In 1996, bin Laden declared a holy war against the United States, which he accused of looting the natural resources of Muslim nations and helping Islam's enemies.
While hiding in Sudan, bin Laden is said to have plotted attacks on the U.S. military in Somalia and Saudi Arabia. He also orchestrated the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Within weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States led a coalition that overthrew Afghanistan's Taliban government, which had refused to turn bin Laden over to the U.S.
For almost ten years, U.S. soldiers and intelligence officers combed the mountainous area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, trying to find bin Laden.
Shortly before President Obama announced that bin Laden had been killed, a jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House, chanting, cheering and singing.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has put its embassies on alert and warned Americans of possible al-Qaida reprisal attacks.
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The world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, is dead at the age of 54. U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the world's most wanted terrorist was killed by U.S. forces on Sunday at a compound deep inside Pakistan.
Blamed for terrorist atrocities on at least three continents, Osama bin Laden was the target of perhaps the largest U.S. manhunt in history.
Following the catastrophic attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th, 2001, President Bush publicly vowed to find the man believed to be the master mind - Osama bin Laden. "This man wants to destroy any semblance of civilization for his own power and his own good. He's so evil that he's willing to send young men to commit suicide while he hides in caves. Not only is he guilty of incredible murder, [but] he has no conscience and no soul," he said.
But bin Laden's image as the world's most-wanted terrorist stands in sharp contrast to his peaceful and comfortable upbringing.
Born March 10 1957, he was one of more than 50 children of a wealthy Saudi construction magnate who died when Osama bin Laden was a teenager.
Raised in the opulence of Saudi Arabia's upper-class, rubbing shoulders with members of the ruling royal family, bin Laden went on to pursue an engineering degree and seemed headed for work in the family business.
But his life forever changed when, in 1979, the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
Bin Laden, like many Muslims, left home to join the fight against the Soviets, although at first his participation amounted only to logistical support for new recruits to the Afghan mujahedin Islamic fighters - the same ones supported by the United States.
But in the mid-1980's, bin Laden decided to use his share of his family's wealth to form his own militia force, which later became known as "al-Qaida" - Arabic for "The Base."
After the Soviets withdrew, bin Laden returned home, but kept ties with fellow veterans from the Afghan war and maintained an interest in other Muslim causes.
Another major turning point in his life came in 1990 when Iraq invaded the oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Kuwait, prompting Saudi Arabia to invite U.S. troops to deploy within its territory.
Bin Laden saw the arrival of non-Muslims on what he considered holy land as an affront to Islam. He protested strongly against the move, resulting in his expulsion from Saudi Arabia in 1991.
Bin Laden found refuge in Sudan, where he is said to have orchestrated attacks on the U.S. military in Somalia and Saudi Arabia. Under U.S. pressure, the Sudanese expelled him in 1996, and he returned once more to Afghanistan.
Vikram Parekh is an analyst for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. He says bin Laden quickly became a close ally of Afghanistan's new rulers, the hard-line Islamist Taliban movement, providing them with needed funds. "It gave the Taliban an independent financial base from pure reliance for example on Pakistan for the maintenance of its administration, for the coordination of its military campaign," he said.
But even as he involved himself once again in Afghan politics, bin Laden stayed involved in his global struggle against the United States. He allegedly masterminded the 1998 bombing of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Parekh notes that as Osama bin Laden became associated with attacks on the West, his popularity grew among disaffected Arabs and those unhappy with U.S. policy in the Middle East. "He has become sort of an icon of resistance to the United States, regardless of whether or not people actually support Osama as an individual or the ideology he represents," he said.
Stopping bin Laden became the top priority for the United States following the New York and Washington attacks in 2001, which claimed more than 3,000 lives.
When the Taliban refused to surrender the al-Qaida leader to U.S. authorities, the United States went to war, ousting the Taliban from Afghanistan in December 2001 and sending Osama bin Laden into hiding.
In his years at large, bin Laden released a series of audiotapes condemning the United States, causing great frustration for Washington - a frustration that has now ended.
Even before the hunt for bin Laden ended, U.S. Ambassador J. Coffer Black, former head of counter-terrorism for the Central Intelligence Agency, said it would have great meaning for many in the United States. "A good day, a day that the relatives of all the victims of 9-11 will certainly remember," he said.
But, he added, it would not mean the end of foreign terrorist threats against the United States.
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Crowds have rallied at the Tripoli compound of Moammar Gadhafi, after the government said the Libyan leader narrowly escaped a NATO airstrike that killed one of his sons and three grandchildren. NATO denies any individuals were targeted.
Supporters of Colonel Gadhafi demanded vengeance after the government announced the death of Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, and three of the leader's grandchildren.
The crowds of protesters also effectively served as a human shield for the colonel, who government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said was in Saif al-Arab's Tripoli home when it was hit.
"The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, 29 year old and three of the leader's grandchildren. The leader himself is in good health. He was not harmed," said Ibrahim.
Foreign journalists were taken to a heavily damaged one story house in a residential neighborhood said to be the scene of the attack.
It was apparently the Colonel Gadhafi's second brush with death in a day, with a NATO strike early Saturday landing near a television studio where he was delivering an address.
The attacks raised speculation that the NATO-led campaign has moved beyond its U.N. mandate to protect Libyan civilians from government attack. Spokesman Ibrahim stated bluntly that Gadhafi was being targeted.
"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country. This is not permitted by international law; it is not permitted by any moral code or principle.
The commander of operations in Libya, Canadian General Charles Bouchard, said he was aware of unconfirmed reports and expressed regret for all loss of life. But he said NATO does not target individuals, and that all strikes have been on places clearly linked to the government's "systematic attacks on the Libyan population."
Those attacks have not diminished, despite Colonel Gadhafi's offer of yet another cease fire Saturday. In addition to the government's siege of the rebel-held town of Misrata and the attempted blockade of its harbor, there are new reports of attacks on another western town, Zintan.
Fighting has reached a stalemate in recent weeks, with neither the government, nor the rebels and NATO-led coalition able to decisively turn the battle.
The conflict, which began in mid-February as popular protests, has been accompanied by a progressive hardening of emotions among Libyans. On the streets of the rebels' de facto capital, Benghazi, reports of the death of Saif al-Arab, one of the most private members of the Gadhafi family, were greeted with celebratory gunfire and calls for a similar fate for his father.
A man who gave his name as Majid expressed joy at the news, adding the "big joy" will be the day the Libyan leader is killed.
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U.S. legislators of both parties are affirming support for NATO airstrikes that reportedly killed one of Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's sons and three of his grandchildren.
In 1986, Moammar Gadhafi survived U.S. airstrikes on Libyan military installations as well as the leader's residence in Triploi. If current reports from Libya are accurate, Colonel Gadhafi has again survived air attacks that killed several family members.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is applauding NATO's actions.
"I support what NATO did," he said. "I thought this was a good use of the mandate. This is the way to end this [conflict]. Thousands of people are subject to dying, the longer this takes. No one in the world is going to regret Gadhafi being replaced, however you do it. I want to thank NATO for expanding the scope of these operations."
Graham, who spoke on the Fox News Sunday television program, was an early advocate of international support for Libyan rebels who rose up against Moammar Gadhafi earlier this year.
A Libyan government spokesman has labeled the air strikes as a deliberate assassination attempt. Senator Graham says NATO has nothing for which to apologize.
"Wherever Gadhafi goes is a legitimate military target. He is the command-and-control source [of Libyan forces], he added. "He is not the legitimate leader of Libya. In my view, he is a murderer. He is killing his own people; he is acting outside of international law. He should be brought to justice or killed."
Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation program, Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said he regrets any loss of innocent life in Libya, but reaffirmed his support for ousting Colonel Gadhafi.
Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Democratic Senator Kent Conrad also voiced support for ongoing NATO operations.
"Gadhafi has got to go," he said. "I have said repeatedly I think you go after the pillars of his power. And the pillars of his power are the regiments that are controlled by his sons, the mercenaries he has brought in from other countries, his money, and his tribe. I believe all of those should be targeted and aggressively gone after. You cannot allow him to continue."
Conrad acknowledged his understanding of U.S. law is that individuals are not to be targeted militarily. But he said going after Colonel Gadhafi's military support structure is entirely legitimate, actions that could result in the death of the Libyan leader himself.
British Prime Minister David Cameron says NATO is targeting Libyan command and control units, not individuals.
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Gulf officials are sending a top official back to Yemen to try to salvage a deal to ease Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power, after the longtime leader refused to sign the agreement.
Foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which sponsored the accord, met Sunday at the group's Riyadh headquarters to discuss the crisis. The group said it was sending GCC's Secretary-General Abdel Latif al-Zayyani back to Yemen and hoped to remove all "obstacles" blocking a final agreement.
Earlier, Gulf officials said the deal's signing ceremony had been indefinitely postponed. They said Mr. Saleh had agreed to sign the deal as leader of the ruling General People's Congress party but not in his capacity as president - as required by the deal.
The Yemeni president had been expected to sign in advance of a formal ceremony in Riyadh planned for Sunday or Monday.
Yemen's opposition says it hopes Gulf Arab states will extract Mr. Saleh's signature. A senior opposition leader told Reuters that renewed "escalation" is an option if the deal falls through.
Representatives of the hundreds of thousands of Yemenis staging protests since early February have rejected the deal entirely, demanding that Mr. Saleh step down immediately and face trial.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia want the standoff resolved to avert a deadly military divide like the one in Libya, which could strengthen Yemen's al-Qaida wing as it seeks to destabilize neighboring Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude oil.
The GCC plan calls for President Saleh to hand over power to a deputy and resign within 30 days of signing the initiative. It would establish a unity government that would include opposition members. A presidential election would take place two months after Mr. Saleh leaves office.
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Witnesses say authorities in Syria have arrested hundreds of people - many of them in the flashpoint city of Daraa - as troops backed armored vehicles roam the streets trying to crush protests against President Bashar al-Assad.
Residents in Daraa say Syrian security forces are detaining all males 15 and older in that southern city - the center of the six-week uprising. They say troops have systematically cut off neighborhoods while making sweeping arrests. Prominent lawyers and activists also are reported being targeted in Daraa.
Witnesses say new military reinforcements entered the city Sunday, joining thousands who already were there. Fuel, water, power and communications have been severely disrupted in Daraa for six days. Food is said to be scarce.
Nearly all foreign media have been banned from Syria, making it almost impossible to confirm the reports.
Syrian activists say six people were killed in Daraa Saturday when the military and snipers opened fire on civilians. Activists say a woman and her two daughters were among those killed when a tank shell hit their home.
Tanks also shelled the city's old quarter and security forces stormed the Omari Mosque, where anti-government protesters had been gathering.
On Friday, activists and witnesses said at least 65 people were killed when government forces moved to suppress opposition protests across Syria. The majority of those deaths were reported in Daraa.
In another development in the Daraa region, 138 more members of Mr. Assad's Ba'ath party resigned in protest against the government crackdown. Several hundred others resigned earlier.
Syrian rights groups say at least 560 civilians have been killed by the country's security forces since anti-government protests erupted six weeks ago.
Prime Minister Adel Safar announced plans for more reforms on Saturday, in an apparent bid to appease opposition activists. Earlier this month, Mr. Assad lifted the country's almost 50-year-old emergency law, but then he unleashed the military's brutal crackdown.
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Afghan officials say a 12-year-old suicide bomber killed four people and wounded 12 others Sunday in eastern Paktika province, on the first day of the Taliban's promised spring offensive.
NATO said the bomber detonated his suicide vest in a bazaar full of civilians, a day after the Taliban publicly promised to pay "strict attention" to the safety of civilians in its spring offensive. The attack killed the head of a district council in the Shakeen area and three other people.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the suicide bombing. The NATO mission in Afghanistan called it a "cowardly attack that shows the impotence of the Taliban."
In other violence Sunday, insurgents ambushed a police vehicle in neighboring Ghazni province, triggering fighting in which two policemen and two civilians died. Also in Ghazni, a bomb planted on a bicycle near the provincial police headquarters wounded 13 people.
In eastern Logar province, insurgents killed at least two people, while in the southern city of Kandahar, a gunmen on a motorcycle killed an Afghan soldier.
In Kandahar's Arghandab district Sunday, Afghan policemen opened fire on each other in a dispute over supplies. One policeman was killed and four were wounded.
The Taliban had warned it would launch its spring offensive against coalition and Afghan forces on Sunday. It said its targets would include military bases and convoys as well as Afghan officials, including members of the peace council that is trying to negotiate a settlement to the war.
The Taliban also urged Afghan citizens to stay away from the centers and activities of coalition and Afghan forces.
The top U.N. official in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, called on pro-government forces and Taliban militants not to launch attacks on civilian locations or in areas where civilians gather. He also urged insurgents not to use improvised explosive devices indiscriminately, and called on Afghan and coalition forces to better regulate air strikes and nighttime raids targeting militants.
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Egypt's once outlawed Muslim Brotherhood has announced the formation of a new political party, which it says will contest half of the parliamentary seats in the September election.
A spokesman Saturday described the Freedom and Justice party as a civil group with an Islamic background.
The Brotherhood has run independent candidates in the past to get around a ban on its participation in politics.
The new party has pledged to cooperate with secular groups in Egypt's new parliament. The Brotherhood also says the Freedom and Justice party will not field a candidate in November's presidential election.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Bahrain's chamber of commerce has called for Gulf Arab nationals to boycott Iranian goods and halt all financial transactions with Tehran in retaliation for alleged interference in the island kingdom's unrest.
State media reports Sunday quoted a statement from the Bahrain Chamber for Commerce and Industry calling on all Bahraini traders, businessmen and companies to boycott Iranian goods and stop import-export dealings with Iranian counterparts.
The chamber's Saturday statement requested an end to all transactions with Iranian banks and financial institutions. It also appealed to the other five nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council to join the proposed embargo.
The GCC includes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Relations between Shi'ite Iran and the Gulf Arab states have deteriorated since Saudi Arabia and the UAE sent troops into Bahrain to crush protests by the country's Shi'ite majority against the Sunni-led monarchy.
Bahrain blames Iran for stoking the demonstrations, which have called for democratic reforms and an end to sectarian discrimination in the tiny Gulf Arab state. Bahraini Shi'ites make up 70 percent of the country's population but are excluded from key government and security posts.
Iran has denounced Gulf leaders for sending the Saudi-led military force, but denies direct involvement in the protests.
Bahrain, a strategic Gulf nation and home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, was hit by a month-long protest wave that began in mid-February amid a broader revolt roiling across the Arab world.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Ivory Coast's president says former prime minister Charles Konan Banny will lead a reconciliation panel set up to heal divisions from the country's political crisis.
President Alassane Ouattara spoke to reporters Sunday in Abidjan, where he met with members of The Elders, a group of global leaders that includes former United Nations chief Kofi Annan, Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu and former Irish president Mary Robinson.
Mr. Ouattara said that "very soon" Banny will be named president of The Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation.
Banny was prime minister in a transitional government under President Laurent Gbagbo from December 2005 to April 2007.
Ivory Coast endured more than four months of deadly political violence after President Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in the November 2010 election.
Mr. Ouattara took over the presidency last month after his supporters, backed by United Nations and French forces, captured Mr. Gbagbo at his residence.
The power struggle between the two men took the lives of hundreds of civilians and displaced an estimated 1 million people from their homes.
Political violence in Ivory Coast was triggered by a coup in 1999 that was followed in 2002 by a rebel uprising that divided the country in two. Elections were postponed for more than five years until finally going ahead in November.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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Israel is remembering one of the darkest chapters in Jewish history.
Flags were lowered to half staff late-Sunday as Israel began its observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day with a solemn ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem that was attended by senior Israeli officials and foreign diplomats.
Holocaust survivors lit six torches in memory of the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that more than six decades after the Holocaust, the Jewish people are again threatened.
Mr. Netanyahu said that Iran and its proxies - Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip - openly call for the destruction of Israel. He said that "Iran is even arming itself with nuclear weapons to accomplish that goal." He said the most important lesson of the Holocaust is that the Jewish people must not ignore such threats.
The prime minister said Israel is extending its hand in peace to its neighbors. But he warned that the Jewish state and its defense forces are determined that the Holocaust will never happen again.
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Tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rallied in Colombo Sunday to protest a U.N. report that says the government may have committed serious human rights violations in the final months of a civil war that ended in 2009.
Sri Lankan President Mahinde Rajapakse's ruling party organized the anti-United Nations protest to coincide with May Day, a traditional day of international demonstrations for workers' rights.
Mr. Rajapakse told the crowd that government troops fought humanely against Tamil rebels whom they defeated in May 2009, bringing an end to a 26-year conflict. He said Sri Lankan authorities provided food to captured fighters and rehabilitated them after the war, even providing a university education to some rebels who were trained to be suicide bombers. The Sri Lankan president asked rhetorically whether such actions amounted to human rights violations.
Three U.N. experts published a report on Sri Lanka's civil war last Monday, saying they found "credible allegations" of war crimes and crimes against humanity on the part of the government and the rebels.
Colombo has rejected the findings of the U.N. panel led by former Indonesian Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, calling them an attempt to undermine Sri Lanka's postwar reconciliation process. In his speech, Mr. Rajapakse appealed to unspecified organizations and individuals not to tarnish his country in return for "dollars." He did not elaborate.
President Rajapakse said his government carried out a major humanitarian operation in the final stages of the war to rescue more than 300,000 people from the "clutches" of the rebels, as he put it.
The U.N. panel said it found evidence of Sri Lankan troops killing many civilians through widespread and indiscriminate shelling of hospitals and other humanitarian facilities during the period. It also cited allegations of the rebels using civilians as human shields, holding civilians as hostages and recruiting child soldiers.
Sri Lankan Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka told the anti-U.N. protesters that the people must unite to protect themselves from what he called "international conspiracies." Some demonstrators burned an effigy of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and carried signs mocking the U.N. chief as they marched to the grounds of Colombo's Town Hall.
Mr. Ban has said he will launch an international investigation of the allegations in the report only if the Sri Lankan government agrees or if U.N. member states call for such a move.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake is expected to discuss the U.N. report with Sri Lankan government officials during a visit to that nation in the coming days.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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More than a million people descended on Rome to take part in the beatification ceremony of the late Pope John Paul II.
Throngs of people jammed Saint Peter's Square, the boulevard leading up to it and nearby piazzas for the special beatification mass at the Vatican. Thousands camped out all night and took part in an all night prayer vigil at Circus Maximus.
People from all corners of the world prayed, sang hymns and waved their national flags. Many were Polish who came in to honor their native son. Attending the ceremony were 90 official delegations and 16 heads of state.
Also among the crowd was French nun, Sister Marie-Simon Pierre, who says she was miraculously cured from Parkinson's disease after praying to the late pope.
Pope Benedict pronounced the beatification formula and a large portrait of a smiling Pope John Paul II was unveiled, to the applause of the large crowd.
Those who took part in the ceremony spoke of the privilege they felt to be present and of how much the Polish pope meant to them.
"He was so loving and just open and warm, and just looking at this face in pictures makes me remember the love he had for everyone," said one pilgrim.
"He's like the traveling pope who wanted to reach out to every person and every human being on earth," remarked another.
In his homily, Pope Benedict called his predecessor an exemplary son of Poland who, through his witness of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human charisma, helped believers throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian. Pope Benedict said his own service was sustained by John Paul's spiritual depth and by the richness of his insights.
The pope also spoke of John Paul's witness in suffering. He said the Lord gradually stripped John Paul of everything, yet he remained ever a "rock," as Christ desired.
His profound humility, Pope Benedict added, grounded in close union with Christ, enabled him to continue to lead the Church and to give to the world a message that became all the more eloquent as his physical strength declined.
Sunday's beatification ceremony took place despite criticism about the record speed with which John Paul was being honored, and continued outrage about clerical abuse. Critics say he mishandled the sex-abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church.
Vatican officials have insisted that John Paul deserved to be put on the road to sainthood saying this process is not a judgment of how he administered the church but rather whether he lived a life of Christian virtue.
John Paul's beatification means he has had a miracle attributed to his intercession. Another miracle will need to be recognized for him to become a saint.
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The Italian and British embassies in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, have been attacked in apparent retaliation for a NATO missile strike that reportedly killed one of leader Moammar Gadhafi's sons and three young grandchildren.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague Sunday condemned the embassy attacks and said his government is expelling the Libyan ambassador to Britain. He said attacks on diplomatic missions violate the Vienna Convention.
Italy confirmed its embassy was among several in Tripoli damaged by vandals and accused Mr. Gadhafi's government of failing to take measures to protect foreign missions. Most western countries closed their Tripoli embassies and evacuated their staffs before the NATO military intervention began several weeks ago.
The United Nations said Sunday it was evacuating its international staff from Tripoli because of unrest in the Libyan capital. U.N. spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said the decision does not affect local staff or international personnel in rebel-held Benghazi.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said 29-year-old Saif al-Arab Gadhafi and three of his children were killed late Saturday during what Ibrahim called a direct attempt to assassinate the Libyan leader. The deaths have not been independently confirmed.
Ibrahim says Mr. Gadhafi and his wife were in their son's home at the time, but were not hurt. He said several other people were injured. Journalists taken to the site of the house reported extensive damage.
British Prime Minister David Cameron - without confirming fatalities - said Sunday that coalition targeting policy is in line with a U.N. mandate to prevent "a loss of civilian life." Mr. Cameron said NATO forces are targeting Libya's command and control units, as well as military hardware, and not specific people.
Russia's foreign ministry condemned the airstrike, saying Moscow has "serious doubts about statements by coalition members that strikes on Libya are not intended to physically eliminate Mr. Gadhafi and his family."
Earlier, a top Russian lawmaker-- Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian Parliament's International Affairs Committee-- said the attack proves the coalition is not protecting civilians, as mandated by the United Nations.
The Libyan leader lost an adopted daughter in a 1986 U.S. air raid on his Bab al-Aziziya residential compound. That strike came in retaliation for the bombing of a German discotheque in which two U.S servicemen were killed. Washington blamed Libya for the disco blast.
Meanwhile, Libyan troops continued their attacks on rebel-held targets.
Witnesses and opposition spokesmen in Misrata said pro-Gadhafi forces shelled the besieged city's battered port area Sunday. The bombardment occurred as a Maltese aid ship, the Mae Yemanja, was unloading food and medical supplies. The vessel quickly embarked back to sea.
Heavy fighting was also reported near the Tunisian border.
NATO Saturday rejected an offer from Mr. Gadhafi for negotiations to end the conflict in his country, saying it was without merit.
Libya says coalition air forces bombed a site near the national broadcast offices early Saturday while the Libyan leader was inside delivering an address to the nation. Last week, a NATO airstrike in Tripoli destroyed a building in the complex where Mr. Gadhafi lives.
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Mexican police have confiscated a large weapons cache stashed in a hidden room behind the walls of a home gym in a house in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from the U.S. city of El Paso, Texas.
Police say the uncovered arsenal, in what is likely a drug safehouse, included machine guns, grenades, clips for high powered guns, gas masks, bulletproof vests and military uniforms. The Associated Press reports anti-aircraft guns and three money-counting machines were also found.
Police searched the house after receiving an anonymous tip.
Mexican officials say no one was arrested during the operation.
Authorities say a picture of actor Al Pacino in his role as the notorious Cuban drug dealer Tony Montana in the movie Scar Face was on the wall of the hidden room.
Drug-related killings have claimed at least 35,000 lives since 2006 when President Felipe Calderon took office and launched an offensive against drug gangs.
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The U.S. space agency has announced the space shuttle Endeavour will not launch for its final mission before Friday, because of electrical problems.
NASA officials said Sunday that the faulty switch box that prompted them to scrub Friday's launch will take several days to fix. They also said the next launch attempt must wait until after the planned launch of a military satellite Friday.
Technicians say the switch box in the engine compartment powers a heating system designed to protect a fuel line from freezing in space.
After Sunday's announcement the Endeavour crew headed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida back to Houston, where they will undertake a few more days' training.
Endeavour and its six-person crew are to deliver a $2 billion scientific instrument to the International Space Station. The instrument is designed to search for cosmic rays throughout the universe
The mission is the 25th and final one for Endeavour, which will be decommissioned and put on permanent display at a science center in Los Angeles after returning to Earth.
NASA's 30-year space shuttle program is expected to end in June after the shuttle Atlantis makes its final trip to the space station.
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A shipping firm says Somali pirates have likely hijacked a chemical tanker with 25 crew members off the coast of Kenya.
Singapore-based Glory Ship Management says it believes the MT Gemini was seized by pirates on Saturday, as the ship sailed toward the Kenyan port city of Mombasa.
A company statement says the vessel is now headed toward Somalia.
The Gemini was carrying 28,000 tons of crude palm oil from Indonesia. Its crew consists of 13 Indonesians, five Chinese, four South Koreans, and three citizens of Burma.
The shipper says it is making "every effort" to secure the crew's release.
Somali pirates made hundreds of millions of dollars hijacking ships for ransom over the past few years.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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Canadians will cast ballots Monday in a national election, and what started out as a lackluster five-week campaign has turned into something unexpected for one of Canada's opposition parties.
In suburban Vancouver, more than 2,000 supporters of the New Democratic Party overflow a film studio in a setting similar to a rock concert. Party Leader Jack Layton is now capturing the headlines and finding support in opinion polls that were unfathomable just a few weeks ago.
Going into this election campaign, the New Democrats were the fourth place political party in Canada's House of Commons. Now, an unprecedented surge of support in recent opinion polls puts them within reach of the governing Conservatives.
It is a surprising turn in this election, as the NDP, which is on the left wing of the political spectrum, has never been in second place or in any position to lead a possible coalition government.
Canada follows the British Parliamentary system, where voters elect a local Member of Parliament. The party with the most elected members usually forms a government and that party leader becomes prime minister.
Going into this election, the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper held the largest number of seats, but not a majority in the 308-seat house.
The Liberals, led by former Harvard University professor Michael Ignatieff, started out firmly in second place as Canada's main opposition party, but have since dropped well behind the NDP.
Speaking at the campaign event, Layton says Canadians have historically only had two choices, the Conservatives or Liberals. He says a vote for the NDP will amount to significant change in the way Canada is governed.
"…[F]or far too long, leaders have told you it has to be this way. That there is no other alternative. That this is the best you can do. That you have no choice for real change. Well, in this election Canadians are saying, that's wrong. We do have a choice, we can make change. In fact, that it is time for change.
Since the start of the campaign, most polls and political watchers have predicted the Conservatives to win the most seats, but not a majority. However, even if the NDP comes in second, they could join forces with other opposition parties and replace the Conservatives, who have been in power since January of 2006.
In a campaign rally in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, Conservative leader and current Prime Minister Stephen Harper told a crowd of supporters the choice is now between Jack Layton's NDP and his party.
Harper says for Canada's economic recovery to continue, he needs to be elected with a majority government.
"This is a campaign for the future of the country that we love. A campaign that will determine whether Canada moves forward, or Canada slides back. Friends, today you know, the world knows, Canada is moving forward. We have been through some difficult and challenging times, and some challenges remain. But friends, this country is emerging from the global recession in a position that is an economic engine of the world."
Harper says another minority government could quickly lead to another election, or an unstable coalition government led by the NDP and other opposition parties.
He says this would include the Bloc Quebecois Party, which only runs candidates in Quebec, and wants that province to separate from the rest of Canada and become an independent country.
The Green Party stands a chance of electing its very first member of parliament. Green leader Elizabeth May has concentrated her campaign on finding success in a constituency on Vancouver Island.
This is Canada's fourth election in seven years and is estimated to cost more than $4-million.
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Israel is imposing sanctions on the Palestinian government after a controversial unity deal between Palestinian moderates and militants.
Israel has suspended tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, holding up an $88-million payment planned for this week. The decision follows a reconciliation agreement between the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and the rival Islamic militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
Israel collects some tax and customs fees for the Palestinian government under peace agreements signed in the 1990s. Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said the "burden of proof is on the Palestinians."
Steinitz said Israel needs guarantees the money will not go to Hamas, which he described as a terrorist organization.
The United States and European Union also consider Hamas a terrorist group because it has carried out dozens of suicide bombings in Israel and fired thousands of rockets across the border from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Palestinian reconciliation agreement at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
He said the agreement should not only worry Israelis, but also people around the world who want to see peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Netanyahu said peace is possible only with those who want to live in peace and not with Hamas, which seeks Israel's destruction.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Israeli threats would not stop reconciliation with Hamas, and he urged the international community to pressure Israel to drop the sanctions.
Hamas expelled the more moderate Palestinian Authority from Gaza during a civil war in 2007, and since then the two factions have been bitterly divided. But they decided to reconcile because the rift was widely seen as harming the Palestinian cause.
The reconciliation agreement is due to be signed Wednesday in Cairo. It calls for an interim Palestinian government to be created in the coming weeks and elections in a year.
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