Officials issue statement from site of 4 World Trade Center

Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward, and other local officials gathered at the World Trade Center (WTC) site to discuss the death of Osama bin Laden, and the future of WTC rebuilding.

"In the dark days that followed September 11th, we made a solemn commitment that we would rebuild the World Trade Center site," said Bloomberg. "As you can see, Seven World Trade Center is standing and open for business. Four World Trade Center has risen above 25 stories, One World Trade Center is now above 60 stories, and both are stretching higher every day. This is the largest, most complicated construction site in North America -- and one of the most important in American history."

The mayor continued, "We made a solemn commitment -- to the dead and the living -- that we would bring to justice those responsible for killing more than 2,900 innocent people. Yesterday, Osama bin Laden found out that America keeps its commitments.

(Click here to read more about the latest WTC rebuilding updates from the Port Authority.)

Mayor Bloomberg praised President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, as well as "all the men and women in our Armed Forces, and in our intelligence community, for accomplishing this mission."  

Among the many local officials and agency chiefs, in attendance were City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano, MTA Chairman and CEO Jay Walder, 9/11 Memorial Executive Director Joe Daniels, and Anthoula Katsimatides, whose brother John worked at Cantor Fitzergerald.

"The New York City Police Department has built the most sophisticated counter-terrorism operation of any police department in the world," said Bloomberg. "Today, as it does every day, Commissioner Kelly and our counter-terrorism experts will adjust their strategies and deploy their resources based on the latest information."

Commissioner Kelly echoed the mayors sentiments, adding that the NYPD's officers stationed abroad also will remain in close communication with the local department, and that local patrols in high-traffic, high-profile locations will be enhanced.

Bloomberg concluded, "Today, we have come to the site that terrorists attacked in 1993 and again in 2001 to re-affirm our commitments -- to all those we lost, to the future we believe in, and to a more peaceful and just world. And we come to say, with gratitude for the courageous men and women who made it possible, that the forces of freedom and justice have once again prevailed over those who use terror to pursue tyranny."

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