United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday said that the killing of Osama bin Laden did not end the war on terror and used the occasion to warn the Taliban to detach itself from Al Qaeda and join a peaceful political process in Afghanistan.
Terming the success in taking out bin Laden as a "milestone", Clinton at the same time reminded that the battle against the "syndicate of terror" was still very much on, and so is the US' cooperation with the international community, including Pakistan.
She said the Taliban would do better to abandon its ties with Al Qaeda and join the political process in Afghanistan.
"Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today it may have even greater resonance: You cannot wait us out. You cannot defeat us. But you can make the choice to abandon Al-Qaeda and participate in a peaceful political process," she said in her first reaction to the American operation that succeeded in eliminating the al Qaeda chief.
Osama was shot dead on Monday morning in the Pakistani city of Abottabad in a secret American operation and the news set off celebrations across America.
"Continued cooperation will be just as important in the days ahead, because even as we mark this milestone, we should not forget that the battle to stop Al-Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden," Clinton said.
"Indeed, we must take this opportunity to renew our resolve and redouble our efforts," she said. She said the US is determined to continue to take the fight to the bastions of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan while working to support the Afghan people as they build a stronger government and begin to take responsibility for their own security.
Clinton said a series of terror attacks motivated by a violent ideology from London to Madrid, Bali and Istanbul and several other places have in the past years claimed many lives, targeting innocent people, most of them Muslims, in markets and mosques and subway stations and airplanes.
"... I hope their families can now find some comfort in the fact that justice has been served," she said.
Clinton said America's partnership with Pakistan has helped in building unprecedented pressure on Al Qaeda and Taliban, and that the US was committed to support the country as it defends itself from violent extremism.
