Families of 9/11 victims express mixed emotions about bin Laden's death

Bin Laden was killed in a U.S. assault on his Pakistani compound on Monday (May 2), then quickly buried at sea, in a dramatic end to the long manhunt for the al Qaeda leader who had become the most powerful symbol of global terrorism.Al Santora and his wife Maureen, who lost their 23-year-old son Christopher in the twin tower attacks, said that they could not believe the news when they first heard it.

"We were kind of numb when we first heard it. We weren't really sure if it was really in fact you know, this was true. We waited and then we just were glued to the TV until the President spoke, and then we were watching the day afterwards and all of the commentators. It was a great feeling to hear this, but as I said, it's a mixed emotion. It's a rollercoaster ride, you're happy one moment and sad the next moment. No matter what happens, nothing is ever going to bring these people back," Santora told Reuters.

Sally Regenhard lost her son Christian Regenhard who was a 28-year-old probationary firefighter. He was lost with his entire engine company on 9/11.

Regenhard said that over the course of years she had given up hope that bin Laden could be ever caught.

"I was very, very surprised because I was one of the people that really you know, gave up hope that this man would be captured," she said.

"I mean it was ten years, it really was sort of like a joke. People, there would be cartoons about him (bin Laden) hiding there were jokes about the fact that President Bush never found him, you know, in eight years. I really was shocked and I was very surprised but I was very gratified that this happened," Regenhard added.

Regenhard also said that she wanted to thank the Obama administration for orchestrating the assault.

"I'd like to say that you know, I really have gratitude to the Obama administration regardless of politics or whatever. In almost ten years no one could locate this man. I think he accomplished a great goal and I appreciate it," she said.

U.S. president Barack Obama, whose popularity has suffered from continuing U.S. economic woes, will likely see a short-term bounce in his approval ratings.

On a different note, Rosaleen Tallon, who is the sister of 9/11 victim Sean Tallon, said that she is hesitant to celebrate the killing.

"Especially living in New York, it's personal to us. And I don't want it to become this political -- like 'Oh, this is the most wonderful thing's that happened,' it is a small victory, but I think it is a victory that needs to be tempered with caution."

She also said that she was upset on the news that bin Laden's body was swiftly buried at sea, after Muslim funeral rites.

"I mean, that's only a natural thing. I mean, you hear that he's caught, and the next minute you hear he's in the sea. I mean that seems strange, like from just a criminal point of view. I mean for a country that was so waiting for this," Tallon said.

Many analysts see bin Laden's death as largely symbolic since he was no longer believed to have been issuing operational orders to the many autonomous al Qaeda affiliates around the world.