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U.S.
kills
bin
Laden
Long hunt for al Qaeda mastermind
who backed 9/11 attacks ends with
his death in firefight in Pakistan

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press

President Obama addresses the nation with the news that U.S.
forces have killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

By Helene Cooper announced. Laden has been al Qaeda’s

and Peter Baker
NEW YORK TIME S
WASHINGTON — Osama
bin Laden, the mastermind
of the most devastating at-
tack on American soil in
In a dramatic late-night
appearance in the East Room
of the White House, Obama
declared that “justice has
been done” as he disclosed
that U.S. military and CIA
operatives had finally corner-
leader and symbol,” the pres-
ident said in a statement
carried on television around
the world. “The death of bin Inside
Laden marks the most signif-
icant achievement to date in 1 Bay Area reaction subdued: Death brings a sense of a
our nation’s effort to defeat al relief, along with some concern for the future. A8
1 Obituary: Born into Saudi riches, bin Laden became leader
Associated Press 1998

modern times and the most
hunted man in the world,
was killed in a firefight with
U.S. forces in Pakistan on
Sunday, President Obama
ed the al Qaeda leader who
had eluded them for nearly a
decade and shot him to death
at a compound in Pakistan.
“For over two decades, bin
Qaeda. But his death does not
mark the end of our effort. … of one of the most ruthless, far-flung terrorist networks. A9
We must and we will remain 1 A day of horror: Remembering the terror attacks of Sept.
vigilant at home and abroad.” 11, 2001 — planned by bin Laden and al Qaeda — which forev-
Bin Laden continues on A8 er changed the United States. A12

ANALYSIS Urban Development DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

Re-evaluating blueprint
for historic preservation
By John King
CHRONICLE URBAN DE SIGN CRITIC
If any Western city shows the
value of historic preservation,
it’s San Francisco. And if any
city shows how broadly this
value can be defined — not
always for the best — it’s San
Francisco as well.
But when a Board of Su-
pervisors committee meets
today to explore whether the
cause of preservation has been
carried to extremes, here’s
something else to keep in mind:
The balancing act here between
old and new works more often
than not.
The hearing was called by
Supervisor Scott Wiener, who
insists his goal is nothing more
than to “look at how historic
Preservation continues on A7
Public-sector workers
going on the offensive
By Joe Garofoli
CHRONICL E P OLITICAL WRITER
SACRAMENTO — The sign
fourth-grade teacher Julie Tim-
merman held declared in large
bold letters “I am a public ser-
vice worker.”
John King / The Chronicle It was a tribute to the civil
City Lights Bookstore is an rights slogan “I am a man,” and
architectural landmark, but it was an iconic image at the
for cultural reasons. California Democratic Party
convention in Sacramento over
the weekend. While Democrats
dominate California’s political
landscape and hold all its ma-
jor offices, both political lead-
ers and the labor unions that
put them in power are sound-
ing the alarm about anti-union
initiatives that are creeping into
the state and efforts to “demon-
ize” union workers as the
Workers continues on A7

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