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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Bin Laden death brings justice to still grieving Irish families -- Closure for those who lost loved ones on 9/11

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Bin Laden death brings justice to still grieving Irish families -- Closure for those who lost loved ones on 9/11

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2011 at 11:44 PM

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Read more: A tribute to those Irish Americans we lost on 9/11

Read more: Bin Laden's death: good news that could have waited

When I heard they killed Osama bin Laden I thought of Cork native Ron Clifford.

Ron from Cork, lost his niece and his sister on 9-11, and was almost killed himself.

He was in the World Trade Center that day and narrowly escaped with his life when the planes overhead crashed into the Towers.

Incredibly, Ron Clifford's sister and niece were on one of the flights.

Since that day I know that Ron, who I featured in my book Fire in the Morning on 9-11 heroes, has gone through hell, and I know that this news of Bin Laden's death will finally bring some relief.

I sat with Ron and his wife in their New Jersey home many nights after that awful event and marveled at the courage and resilience they showed.

But I knew their hearts were breaking

Not just for him, but for the thousands who died on 9-11 this is a great night.

The death of bin Laden proves that there is nowhere to hide when you are the most bloodthirsty terrorist in U.S. history.

For years with his videotapes and his taunts, he has continued to threaten America and to boast about how many of us he would kill.

Now he is gone, and truly the world is a much better place.

Anyone who lived through 9-11 in New York as I did will consider this one of the greatest nights in the history of this city.

The man who tried to take us down has himself had his life ended, and justice has at last been served.

I think of other victims of bin Laden. Mike Meehan from Donegal, who went to his grave early because of the death of his son Damian. There's Kieran Gorman from Sligo, a young Irish construction worker from Sligo trying to make his way.

I remember interviewing the widow of FDNY Lieutenant Kevin Dowdall for my 9-11 book, "Fire in the Morning." She recalled his great Irish sense of humor and his love of Irish music.

Just two weeks ago I met with Jim Smith, whose wife, NYPD Officer Patricia Smith, saved so many lives that day by leading people to safety, but died herself.

I think of them all tonight, and the thousands of others and the lives that were lost, and the senseless deaths.

I am so proud of this country that they have tracked down the man who ordered these deaths, and that justice has been done.

God Bless America.

Read more: A tribute to those Irish Americans we lost on 9/11

Read more: Bin Laden's death: good news that could have waited

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MrSinatra | May 02, 2011, 12:37 PM EDT

My Best Man was a block way from the WTC that morning, in the shower actually. Anyone clear thinking should be able to tell the difference between good and evil, and ergo the difference between valid celebration and gleeful schadenfreude. There's no room for moral equivalence in these matters, unless you're happily prepared to be dead.

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howareya | May 02, 2011, 12:19 PM EDT

I'm sure he is now rejoicing with his 72 year old virgin...oh wait...is that correct?

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Trealach | May 02, 2011, 12:18 PM EDT

Evil begets evil. What Bin Laden has been responsible for, which under no circumstance do I condone, the US stands equally guilty of the same level Evil. Those who condemned the radicals Muslims dancing in the streets after 9/11 are the same hypocrites who were dancing on the White house Lawn and on the streets when this news broke. The removal of the 'head' of terrorism will only result in an unmerciful back-lash, and the world will suffer as a result. So while America tries vainly to draw some solace and comfort over the terrorist style murder of a terrorist, the rest of the world holds its breath for the reaction. This is nothing more than one terrorist killing another terrorist - and it is nothing to be proud of.

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ellenred | May 02, 2011, 11:48 AM EDT

Thank God we finally got him. Tears of relief. And tears for all those lost in my home city.

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truthseeking | May 02, 2011, 11:31 AM EDT

Emmanuel Goldstein is dead! Who is the new Goldstein? We NEED our monster. Make us a new one.

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Nancy61 | May 02, 2011, 11:20 AM EDT

Thank God, he is gone!!!!!!

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antoman | May 02, 2011, 11:14 AM EDT

@Stephendoyle-Very well put.

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SeamusMor | May 02, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT

One minute Osama was plotting Jihad, the next he eating lamb in paradise! Contratulations Seal Team 6!!!

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stephendoyle | May 02, 2011, 10:53 AM EDT

Antoman, I like your anology of the Russian Dolls. But as in your anology, each new doll is smaller than the outer one. Just as Osama's replacement will never be as large as he was......

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Liamkeyes | May 02, 2011, 10:52 AM EDT

No doubt, there are others waiting to fill his shoes but at least they will know that there is a price to pay and Uncle Sam won't give up until they are also caught. To our friends, relatives and brave firemen who paid the supreme sacrifice on that fateful day......" Ar laimh Deas Dia ro raibh gach anam, in anman a Athair agus an Mhic agus an Spirid naomh AMEN) translated "May their souls be at the right hand of God, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit AMEN!!!! Spirit

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truthseeking | May 02, 2011, 10:43 AM EDT

Niall: A little 9/11 trivia that seems appropriate to revisit on this national holiday: For almost a decade, some character named Bin Laden was featured at the top of the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. Hardly surprising. Oddly, though, he wasn't sought for the paradigm-shifting mass murders of 9/11, but just for the attacks on the US embassy in Tanzania and an American warship, the USS Cole. Hmmm. When pressed on this by a tiny handful of independent journalists (the corporate boys won't go near it), an FBI spokesman explained that there is NO evidence linking someone named Bin Laden to the crimes of 9/11. Odd. Seems the "fatty, gold-wearing, boastful, wrong-handed Bin Laden" of the infamous video "found" in Afghanistan wasn't good enough for the world's leading Bin Laden expert or the intrepid FBI. Makes you wonder. Good thing we took "him" alive... oops. Well, at least we have the body for dental and DNA identi... oops again. As our old friend Voltaire might remind us "If Bin Laden didn't exist, we'd have to invent him." Bring on the new Goldstein.

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antoman | May 02, 2011, 10:36 AM EDT

Perhaps it is a cause for celebration.But I would be thinking Russian Doll.You open the doll and there's another doll inside.You open that and there's yet another doll and so forth.

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cillowen | May 02, 2011, 10:16 AM EDT

obama gets the job done - shoudda be done within months of 9/11 - the baggers will go looney with the good news. read posting to glean much insanity and see the ILLOGICAL apple and orange (freemason) compaRISONS.

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antoman | May 02, 2011, 10:13 AM EDT

Can you really kill the boogeyman?No more looking under the bed for little Timmy.Dad says the boogeyman is dead.

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JBRAFTREE | May 02, 2011, 10:08 AM EDT

Too bad it wasn't the Marines, Navy is OK too though!! Semper Fi

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