Bin Laden reaction: Marine general is glad Al Qaeda leader is 'in hell' but warns of decades-long war

Of all the U.S. military families who have served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, few have done more than the Kellys.

Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly led Marines into Baghdad and Tikrit in 2003 and Fallouja in early 2004 and later served a year as the top Marine in Afghanistan. Now he's a top military aide to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Photos: Osama bin Laden dead

Marine Capt. John Kelly, the oldest son of the general and his wife, Karen, served in combat in Iraq. And the younger son, Marine Lt. Robert Kelly, also served in combat there as an enlisted Marine, including during the bloody fight in Fallouja in late 2004.

On Nov. 9, Robert Kelly, 29, was killed while leading a patrol in the Sangin district of Afghanistan. He was with the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment: one of 25 Marines killed during the battalion's seven-month deployment.

Like most other Americans, the Kelly family is pleased at Osama bin Laden's fate. But the general warns that the fight against Al Qaeda is long from finished.

"He's in hell now with the rest of his kind," Kelly said. "That said, Al Qaeda has metastasized and is a many-headed snake -- so killing Osama will weaken but not eliminate the threat of extremism against America and the world."

"This is a decades-long war that will ebb and flow. We will succeed only so long as we don't run out of the kind of men like the ones Sunday night that are willing to go into the darkest and most dangerous places on Earth and hunt down and kill those who would do us harm."

As for the young people celebrating the news in front of the White House and Times Square, Kelly says they were "carrying on like fools" and "might consider making a real difference and joining the Marines or Army and lending a hand."

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-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: The Kellys, from left, Kathleen, John, Karen, Robert, and John F. Kelly. Credit: Kelly family

Comments

[SeaRation]

I agree with General Kelly's assessment of Al Qaeda's spread even though Osama bin Laden has been killed. There is much more to be done in the fight against terrorism.

I also agree that watching these people who show up and demonstrate their patriotism by waving the flag on occasions like this makes me cringe. Instead of getting a flag painted on their cheek, or barbed wire tattooed on their arm, why don't they enlist in the armed services and really display their patriotism? It's a shame that only a very few are doing all the sacrificing for the many.

[walid omari]

hello,
in my openion, death of osama is an achivement for the united stats, but it may create seruse reactions of alqaeda in all around the world. and if the united stats once aqain leave the afghanistan it means the sorce of terorest which is negboring with afghanistan can product othere osamas which can be a risk for all countries of the world not only the US.
the united stat to make sure that ware in afghanistan is not affective to destry the teroresm it is in nigboring we hope from the USA to take actions not watching.
thank you