By Allison Musante, Staff Writer
Jubilation, fear, relief, shock area residents are feeling a whirlwind of mixed emotions in response to President Barack Obama’s announcement Sunday evening that Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has been killed.
President Obama reminded the American public that on that September day, a day “darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history … the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table.”
Of the 3,000 American lives lost that day, more than a dozen were lost among the communities of Princeton, West Windsor, Plainsboro and Montgomery:
From Princeton, Cathy E. Chirls, 47, Tu-Anh Pham, 42, Kevin P. York, 41, Frank B. Reisman, 41, and Andrew M. King, 42; from West Windsor, Steven Lawn, 28, David S. Suarez, 24, Jeffrey M. Chairnoff, 35, Michael J. Cunningham, 39, Edward R. Pykon, 33, John J. Ryan, 45, Peter Edward Mardikian, 29, and Patrick Sean Murphy, 36; from Plainsboro, Suresh Yanamadala, 33, James E. Potorti, 52, Robert P. Devitt Jr., 36, and Jeffrey L. Fox, 40; from Montgomery, Phillip L. Parker, 53, and Steven Goldstein, 35; and from Rocky Hill, William F. Fallon, 53.
Brenda Fallon lost her husband, William. Mr. Fallon was an executive with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Ms. Fallon said she heard the announcement Monday morning, having returned late Sunday night from a trip to Morroco, where 16 people were killed in a terror bombing in Marrakech last Thursday.
”I had just gone through a lot of emotional feelings of the terrorist bombs in Marrakech, so hearing the news brought a lot of those feelings to the forefront,” she said. “Upon waking up this morning and hearing the news, I was just generally glad to be home safely, knowing my son is safe, and glad to be back in America in my precious small all-American town of Rocky Hill, surrounded by my loved ones and friends.”
She said for her, the word ‘closure’ does not describe how she feels.
”It’s a good overall feeling of God’s blessing,” she said. “I had no doubt this would happen eventually, we just didn’t know when.”
She added that with the new Montgomery Veterans Memorial, which had a groundbreaking ceremony last week in Montgomery Park, she can honor the memories of all those who lost their lives on Sept. 11.
”I’ve always looked at life positively and this is just another step in that direction,” she said.
Norman Shapiro of West Windsor worked for Bear Stearns on Wall Street but was working in Langhorne, Pa., on Sept. 11. Mr. Shapiro is a former president of the Security Traders Association of New York, a professional association connecting workers in investment, security and banking business. He said the association lost 40 members in the World Trade Center on the day of the attacks, some of whom were his friends and colleagues.
”I think this is great news,” he said. “He was one of the evil empire guys and even though it took so long, I think we should take our hats off to those Navy Seals. I don’t know if it’s closure, I don’t know if al Qaeda will disappear. It’s a war we’ll probably still be fighting for a long time.”
West Windsor police Chief Joe Pica said, “I’m glad he’s gone. If anyone deserved it, it was him.”
Many people were still processing the headlines on Monday morning while getting coffee or grocery shopping in the Princeton Shopping Center.
”I think it’s wonderful,” said Barbara Cornille of Skillman. “I had missed the news last night, but when my husband and I heard, we couldn’t believe it. It seems like a fitting end to such an awful time and it seems like justice has been served.”
Many shoppers declined to comment. Some only agreed to speak on the condition that their last names would not be included. One woman who declined to comment said, “You just don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
”I’m in shock,” said Justine of Princeton.
”My first impression is that as devastating as his actions were violent, violent, violent I think the fact that they killed him struck me as a paradox,” said Alvina of Flemington. “It seems to me that it’s counteractive to changing the culture of violence and death and war, if we’re trying to establish a culture of peace. It’s puzzling to me how everyone thinks the death of one man will do so much good. I wasn’t happy with what he was doing, but I don’t understand how one man dead is going to help us achieve the peace we want.”
In a statement released to the press, the Islamic Society of Central Jersey in South Brunswick, said it was is grateful for the successful mission to bring down bin Laden.
”We hope that bin Laden’s death will bring some measure of closure to the families of 9/11 families, many of whom are Muslim Americans. Two members of ISCJ community were also killed on 9/11,” read the statement.
”We join all Americans in expressing our relief, and echo President Obama’s sentiment that we must remain vigilant against terrorists of all persuasions. We speak as Muslims, as Americans and speak as human beings who are committed to democracy, and the rule of law. ISCJ has always and will continue to champion the fundamental core beliefs we hold dear love of one’s fellow neighbor; respect for others’ ways of life and; mutual dialogue and understanding.”
Jacob Shapiro, assistant professor of politics and public affairs of the Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, said Americans should not fear attacks of retaliation. He said bin Laden’s death will likely force al Qaeda’s remaining followers to take greater security measures and they may be less likely to conduct large scale attacks.
”One of the reasons al Qaeda hasn’t been effective is that they are reluctant to manage things centrally because when they do, people find them and they’re arrested or killed,” said Professor Shapiro. “It only makes their organization more cautious, less willing to communicate and, so, less effective. Future attacks will be more difficult to orchestrate.”
He added, “We killed the man responsible for the deaths of 3,000 Americans it’s absolutely a victory.”
