We woke up this morning to learn that Osama bin Laden had been found and killed by US forces. It was so incredible we had to visit several trusted news web sites and then turn on the TV to BBC News before we really believed it.
The reaction here seems to be much more guarded than in the US. The news channels keep showing footage of Americans celebrating outside the White House and Ground Zero, interspersed with David Cameron's warning that we should be "particularly vigilant" about retaliatory attacks. The BBC commentators have been subtly asking various people they interview (political experts, 9/11 widows, etc) whether they think it is appropriate for Americans to be celebrating the death of another person. Really?! I don't think that's quite what the celebrating is about, but maybe it's hard for people here to understand what this means to Americans, especially those of us who were in New York or DC on 9/11 or lost loved ones that day.
It's a bank holiday here today (May Day), so Josh has the day off work. He was planning to go for a bike ride in the morning and then we were going to IKEA this afternoon, since we will be moving into our rental house this week. We spent about an hour watching the news, so he didn't make it out of the apartment for his ride until nearly 11 am, but he should be back soon and we'll try to get on with our day as planned. We are definitely thinking about all our family and friends back home, and wish we could be there with you on this momentous day.
I wish you were here, too! His death doesn't change the threat, but it is satisfying to say the least!!!
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