美国青年涌上街头庆祝拉登之死

A decade after the September 11 attacks, US President Barack Obama was able to declare on Sunday: "Justice has been done".

In a sudden and dramatic nationwide address to the US people that night, Obama announced Al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces operating deep inside Pakistan and was confirmed dead.

Given that bin Laden had become a synonym for global terror, his death could mark a milestone in the international efforts to fight terrorism and serve as a morale booster for the United States.

The Saudi-born multimillionaire was for years the target of US-led manhunts worldwide. The US wanted bin Laden "dead or alive" as he was regarded as the prime suspect behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US in 2001, which left nearly 3,000 people dead.

The Obama administration will no doubt use its success in hunting down bin Laden to build up confidence among US citizens and restore the US' international credibility.

Under increasing pressure both at home and abroad, Obama needed a piece of big news like this to boost his approval ratings and pave the way for his re-election next year.