B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International salutes the U.S. military action that led to the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

In addressing the nation late on May 1, President Obama said: “We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies.” He later noted of the principle figure behind the Sept. 11 attacks: “We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.” More than 3,000 Americans died on 9/11.

B’nai B’rith International welcomes the message this action sends to terrorists: that the United States will relentlessly protect its people.

Of course many questions remain. For starters, about what becomes of the al-Qaeda terror network without its leader, and about the Pakistani authorities’ role in either helping bin Laden hide or assisting in his capture.

But for now, we should take this moment to reflect on the successful pursuit of a mass murderer, who was responsible for such devastating loss of life in the United States and in so many places around the globe.