STRIKE THAT TOOK PLACE VIA DRONE
IN AFGHANISTAN OVER THE WEEKEND.
SOURCES SAY THE OPERATION KILLED
ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST WANTED
TERRORISTS THAT WAS A KEY
PLANNER OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS,
AYMAN AL ZA SAW HERE RI.
WE'RE TOLD THIS WAS ONLY
DELIVERED BY DRONE.
THE PRESIDENT WILL BE SPEAKING
OBVIOUSLY IN SOME SORT OF
ISOLATION.
IN FACT, YOU CAN SEE THE PODIUM
THERE ON THE BALCONY.
THAT OWES TO THE FACT THE
PRESIDENT RECENTLY TESTING
POSITIVE AGAIN FOR COVID,
SUFFERING WHAT DOCTORS REFER TO
AS A REBOUND INFECTION AFTER A
TREATMENT.
THIS HAS RAPIDLY UNFOLDED OVER
THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS.
>> Reporter: WE KNOW THAT THE
PRESIDENT WILL BE SPEAKING FROM
THAT BALCONY WITH THE CAMERA AT
SOME DISTANCE BECAUSE OF THE
COVID INFECTION.
AND SENIOR ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS TELL US THIS WAS A
SUCCESSFUL COUNTERTERRORISM
OPERATION WITH NO U.S. PERSONNEL
ON THE GROUND AND NO CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES, TAKING OUT THE
PERSON WHO HAS BEEN THE LEADER
OF AL QAEDA SINCE OSAMA BIN
LADEN WAS KILLED BACK IN 2011.
AND BY DOING THAT, THEY WERE
ABLE TO CARRY OUT THIS STRIKE
USING AN UNMANNED DRONE IN
KABUL, IN DOWNTOWN AFGHANISTAN.
AND OF COURSE ABOUT A YEAR AGO,
THAT IS WHEN PRESIDENT BIDEN
DECIDED TO REMOVE U.S. FORCES
FROM WHAT HAD BEEN AMERICA'S
LONGEST WAR.
AND AT THAT TIME, EVEN WITH ALL
THE CHAOS OF THAT WITHDRAWAL, HE
SAID HE WOULD ALWAYS RETAIN THE
ABILITY TO USE U.S. RESOURCES,
BOTH MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE,
TO MAKE STRIKES WHERE NEEDED.
THE PRESIDENT WILL EXPLAIN WHAT
HAPPENED.
>> MY FELLOW AMERICANS, ON
SATURDAY, AT MY DIRECTION, THE
UNITED STATES SUCCESSFULLY
CONCLUDED AN AIR STRIKE IN
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN THAT KILLED
THE AMIR OF AL QAEDA, AYMAN
ZAWAHIRI.
BIN LADEN WAS HIS DEPUTY TO TIME
AND TERRORIST ATTACKS IN 9/11.
HE WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE
PLANNING OF 9/11.
ONE OF THE MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE ATTACKS THAT MURDERED 2,977
PEOPLE ON AMERICAN SOIL.
FOR DECADES, HE WAS A MASTERMIND
BEHIND ATTACKS AGAINST
AMERICANS, INCLUDING THE BOMBING
OF THE USS COLE IN 2000, WHICH
KILLED 17 AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND
WOUNDED DOZENS MORE.
HE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE
BOMBING OF U.S. EMBASSIES IN
KENYA AND TANZANIA, KILLING OVER
224 AND WOUNDING OVER 4,500
OTHERS.
HE CARVED A TRAIL OF MURDER AND
VIOLENCE AGAINST AMERICAN
CITIZENS, AMERICAN SERVICE
MEMBERS, AMERICAN DIPLOMATS, AND
AMERICAN INTERESTS.
AND SINCE THE UNITED STATES
DELIVERED JUSTICE TO BIN LADEN
11 YEARS AGO, ZAWAHIRI HAS BEEN
THE LEADER OF AL QAEDA, THE
LEADER.
FROM COORDINATING AL QAEDA'S
BRANCHES AND ALL OVER THE WORLD,
INCLUDING OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE
THAT CALLED FOR AND INSPIRED
ATTACKS AGAINST U.S. TARGETS.
HE MADE VIDEOS, INCLUDING IN
RECENT WEEKS CALLING FOR HIS
FOLLOWERS TO ATTACK THE UNITED
STATES AND OUR ALLIES.
NOW, JUSTICE HAS BEEN DELIVERED,
AND THIS TERRORIST LEADER IS NO
MORE.
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD NO
LONGER NEED TO FEAR THE VICIOUS
AND DETERMINED KILLER.
THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO
DEMONSTRATE OUR RESOLVE AND OUR
CAPACITY TO DEFEND THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AGAINST THOSE WHO SEEK TO
DO US HARM.
WE MAKE IT CLEAR AGAIN TONIGHT
THAT NO MATTER HOW LONG IT
TAKES, NO MATTER WHERE YOU HIDE,
IF YOU ARE A THREAT TO OUR
PEOPLE, THE UNITED STATES WILL
FIND YOU AND TAKE YOU OUT.
AFTER RELENTLESSLY SEEKING
ZAWAHIRI FOR YEARS UNDER
PRESIDENTS BUSH, OBAMA, AND
TRUMP, OUR INTELLIGENCE LOCATED
ZAWAHIRI EARLIER THIS YEAR.
HE HAD MOVED TO DOWNTOWN KABUL
TO REUNITE WITH MEMBERS OF HIS
IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
AFTER CAREFULLY CONSIDERING THE
CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE OF
HIS LOCATION, I AUTHORIZED THE
PRECISION STRIKE THAT WOULD
REMOVE HIM FROM THE BATTLEFIELD
ONCE AND FOR ALL.
THIS MISSION WAS CAREFULLY
PLANNED, RIGOROUSLY MINIMIZED
THE RISK OF HARM TO OTHER
CIVILIANS.
AND ONE WEEK AGO, AFTER BEING
ADVISED THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE
OPTIMAL, I GAVE THE FINAL
APPROVAL TO GO GET HIM.
AND THE MISSION WAS A SUCCESS.
NONE OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS WERE
HURT, AND THERE WERE NO CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES.
I'M SHARING THIS NEWS WITH THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE NOW AFTER
CONFIRMING THE MISSION'S TOTAL
SUCCESS THROUGH THE PAIN STAKING
WORK OF OUR COUNTERTERRORISM
COMMUNITY AND KEY ALLIES AND
PARTNERS.
MY ADMINISTRATION HAS KEPT
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS INFORMED
AS WELL.
WHEN I ENDED OUR MILITARY
MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN ALMOST A
YEAR AGO, I MADE THE DECISION
THAT AFTER 20 YEARS OF WAR, THE
UNITED STATES NO LONGER NEEDED
THOUSANDS OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND
IN AFGHANISTAN TO PROTECT
AMERICA FROM TERRORISTS WHO SEEK
TO DO US HARM.
I MADE A PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT WE CONTINUE TO
CONDUCT EFFECTIVE
COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATIONS IN
AFGHANISTAN AND BEYOND.
WE'VE DONE JUST THAT.
IN FEBRUARY, OUR FORCES
CONDUCTED A DARING MISSION IN
SYRIA THAT ELIMINATED THE AMIR
OF ISIS.
LAST MONTH, WE TOOK OUT ANOTHER
KEY ISIS LEADER.
NOW, WE HAVE ELIMINATED THE AMIR
OF AL QAEDA.
HE WILL NEVER AGAIN -- NEVER
AGAIN -- ALLOW AFGHANISTAN TO
BECOME A TERRORIST SAFE HAVEN
BECAUSE HE IS GONE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE
THAT NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS.
YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T BE A
LAUNCHING PAD AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE TO IT THAT
WON'T HAPPEN.
THIS OPERATION IS A CLEAR
DEMONSTRATION THAT WE WILL, WE
CAN, AND WILL ALWAYS MAKE GOOD
ON THE SOLEMN PLEDGE.
MY ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE
TO VISUALLY MONITOR AND ADDRESS
THREATS FROM AL QAEDA, NO MATTER
WHERE THEY EMANATE FROM.
AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, IT IS MY
SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE
AMERICA SAFE IN A DANGEROUS
WORLD.
UNITED STATES DID NOT SEEK THIS
WAR AGAINST TERROR.
IT CAME TO US, AND WE ANSWERED
WITH THE SAME PRINCIPLES AND
RESOLVED THAT HAVE SHAPED US FOR
A GENERATION UPON GENERATION, TO
PROTECT THE INNOCENT, DEFEND
LIBERTY.
AND WE KEEP THE LIGHT OF FREEDOM
BURNING, A BEACON FOR THE REST
OF THE ENTIRE WORLD, BECAUSE
THIS IS A GREAT AND DEFINING
TRUTH ABOUT OUR NATION, OUR
PEOPLE.
WE DO NOT BREAK.
WE NEVER GIVE IN.
WE NEVER BACK DOWN.
LAST YEAR SEPTEMBER 11th, I ONCE
MORE PAID MY RESPECT TO GROUND
ZERO AT NEW YORK CITY, AT THAT
QUIET FIELD IN SHANKSVILLE AND
AT THE PENTAGON.
STANDING AT A MEMORIAL AT GROUND
ZERO, SEEING THE NAMES OF THOSE
WHO DIED FOREVER ETCHED IN
BRONZE, IS A POWERFUL REMINDER
OF THE SACRED PROMISE WE MADE AS
A NATION.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
THE MEMORIAL ALWAYS BEARS THE
QUOTATION, NO DAY SHALL ERASE
YOU FROM THE MEMORY OF TIME.
NO DAY SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE
MEMORY OF TIME.
SO, WE CONTINUE TO MOURN EVERY
INNOCENT LIFE THAT WAS STOLEN ON
9/11.
IN HONOR OF THEIR MEMORIES, TO
THE FAMILIES THAT LOST FATHERS
AND MOTHERS, HUSBANDS, WIVES,
SONS AND DAUGHTERS, BROTHERS AND
SISTERS, FRIENDS AND COWORKERS
ON THAT SERIOUS SEPTEMBER DAY,
IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS DECISIVE
ACTION WILL BRING ONE MORE
MEASURE OF CLOSURE.
NO DAY SHALL ERASE THEM FROM THE
MEMORY OF TIME.
TODAY AND EVERY DAY I'M SO
GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPERB PATRIOTS
THAT SERVE THE UNITED STATES
COUNTERTERRORISM COMMUNITIES.
THEY NEVER FORGET.
AND THOSE DEDICATED WOMEN AND
MEN WHO TIRELESSLY WORK EVERY
SINGLE DAY TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY
SAFE TO PREVENT FUTURE
TRAGEDIES.
IT IS THANKS TO THEIR
EXTRAORDINARY PERSISTENCE AND
SKILL THAT THIS OPERATION IS A
SUCCESS.
THEY'VE MADE US ALL SAFER.
AND FOR THOSE AROUND THE WORLD
WHO CONTINUE TO SEEK TO HARM THE
UNITED STATES, HEAR ME NOW.
WE WILL ALL REMAIN VIGILANT, AND
WE WILL ACT, AND WE WILL ALWAYS
DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF
AMERICANS AT HOME AND AROUND THE
GLOBE.
TODAY, WE REMEMBER THE LOSS.
WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE
SAFETY OF THE LIVING.
AND WE PLEDGE THAT WE SHALL
NEVER WAIVER FROM DEFENDING OUR
NATION AS PEOPLE.
THANK YOU ALL, AND MAY GOD
PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND ALL THOSE
WHO SERVE IN HARM'S WAY.
WE WILL NEVER -- WE WILL
NEVER -- GIVE UP.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN DELIVERING
REMARKS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
ANNOUNCING WHAT HE SAY SS THE
DEATH OF AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI.
THE PRESIDENT IS SAYING JUSTICE
HAS BEEN DELIVERED AND IS
SENDING A MESSAGE TO OTHER
TERRORISTS WHO MIGHT TARGET THE
U.S.
AND NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES,
THE U.S. WILL FIND YOU AND TAKE
YOU OUT, THE WORDS OF THE
PRESIDENT DELIVERING HIS REMARKS
THERE FROM THE BALCONY AT THE
WHITE HOUSE, OWING TO HIS RECENT
POSITIVE COVID TEST.
LET ME BRING IN OUR CHIEF
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT RICHARD
ENGEL, WHO HAS BEEN FOLLOWING
THE SEARCH FOR AL ZAWAHIRI FOR
DECADES.
RICHARD, FIRST OF ALL, YOUR
THOUGHTS ON THIS MISSION AND
TELL US WHERE AL QAEDA IS RIGHT
NOW IN TERMS OF ITS THREAT TO
THE U.S. AND THE WEST.
>> SO, THERE ARE MANY LAYERS TO
THIS STORY.
ON ONE HAND, IT SHOWS THE
ABSOLUTE ARROGANCE,
OVERCONFIDENCE OF THE TALIBAN.
THE U.S. LEFT LESS THAN ONE YEAR
AGO, AND THEY LEFT WITH THIS
PROMISE THAT THE TALIBAN WOULD
NEVER ALLOW AL QAEDA TO COME
BACK IN THE COUNTRY, THAT THEY
WOULD NEVER ALLOW A FUTURE OSAMA
BIN LADEN TO LAUNCH AN ATTACK
THERE.
THAT WAS THE DEAL STRUCK BY
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND CARRIED OUT
BY PRESIDENT BIDEN.
CLEARLY THEY VIOLATED THAT DEAL
WITH NOT ONLY THE LEADER OF AL
QAEDA, AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI NO
KABUL, NOT FAR FROM THE
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, BUT HE HAD
BEEN THERE FOR MONTHS, LONG
ENOUGH FOR U.S. TROOPS TO START
BRIEFING ABOUT HIS WHEREABOUTS
IN APRIL, LONG ENOUGH TO BUILD A
MOCK-UP OF THE SAFE HOUSE HE WAS
STAYING, LONG ENOUGH FOR THE
MOCK-UP TO BE STUDIED, TO HAVE
THE PRESIDENT BRIEFED, TO
DISCUSS THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF A
BUILDING SO THAT WHEN A STRIKE
WAS CARRIED OUT THAT IT WOULDN'T
CAUSE COLLATERAL DAMAGE, KILL
MEMBERS OF ZAWAHIRI'S TEAM.
AND THE PRESIDENT GAVE THE FINAL
GO-AHEAD TO THE MILITARY A WEEK
AGO SAYING, WHEN THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY, YOU GUYS TAKE THE
STRIKE.
AND THAT STRIKE WAS TAKEN WHILE
HE WAS ON A BALCONY IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON SUNDAY TO
ELIMINATE THE RISK FOR
COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
ON ONE NOTE IT SHOWS DECISIVE
ACTION FROM THE UNITED STATES,
ARROGANCE FROM THE TALIBAN, BUT
ALSO CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE AL QT
WAS WILLING TO GO THERE, WILLING
TO BE THERE FOR MONTHS.
IT PAINTS A PICTURE ABOUT THE
SECURITY SITUATION IN
AFGHANISTAN RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT,
BUT THERE IS COOPERATION BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES AND THE
TALIBAN WHEN IT COMES TO THE
FIGHT AGAINST ISIS, WHICH THE
TALIBAN SEE AS A RIVAL
ORGANIZATION.
BUT THAT COOPERATION HAS NOT
REALLY EXTENDED -- CLEARLY HAS
NOT EXTENDED -- TO THE FIGHT
AGAINST AL QAEDA.
AND I THINK THE U.S. NOW IS
SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE
TALIBAN, TO AL QAEDA, THAT IT
DOES NOT WANT THE ORGANIZATION,
ONCE AGAIN, TO HAVE A BASE IN
THE COUNTRY.
>> RICHARD ENGEL, WHO HAS SPENT
YEARS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD
COVERING THE TERROR THREATS AND
THE WARS.
RICHARD, THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR COVERAGE FOR
NOW.
WE'LL RETURN TO REGULAR
PROGRAMMING.
FOR ALL OF US HERE AT NBC NEWS,
I'M LESTER HOLT IN LOS ANGELES.
HAVE A GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.