Holder: Raid Was 'Entirely Lawful'

The AP reports:

Attorney General Eric Holder expressed serious concern Thursday about Americans' safety from possible revenge attacks for Osama bin Laden's death and expects the terrorist watch list will be expanded based on evidence collected in the al Qaida leader's home.

Holder also said the raid was "entirely lawful and consistent with our values."

Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee in testimony Wednesday that he thinks bin Laden's death ultimately will make the United States safer. But meanwhile, he's trying to address the risk that terrorists will try to avenge his killing.

Holder said he held a conference call earlier this week with U.S. attorneys nationwide to go through steps he wants them to take to be on their toes. He did not specify what those steps are.

Holder also said officials from his department are working with intelligence officers to examine evidence collected from bin Laden's residence in Pakistan. He said he expects names will be added to the terrorist watch list and no-fly list because of it.

The attorney general agreed with Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., that there was a sound legal basis for the raid.

"Let me make something very clear: The operation in which Osama bin Laden was killed was lawful," Holder told the senators. The raid "was justified as an action of national self-defense" against "a lawful military target," he said.

White House officials earlier said the people who carried out the raid were prepared to take bid Laden alive if he was willing to surrender but instead he resisted capture. Holder basically reiterated that.

"If he attempted to surrender, we obviously should have accepted that," Holder said. "But there's no indication he wanted that. It was a kill or capture mission. I'm proud of what they did. And I really want to emphasize what they did was entirely lawful and consistent with our values."