"He pretended to act in the name of Islam but it was a mockery of this faith. It was a mockery of every other religion in this world. Bin Laden wanted to drive a wedge of hate between people."– German chancellor Angela Merkel
“This is a major achievement in our efforts to rid the world of terrorism. Osama bin Laden was a criminal responsible for heinous terrorist attacks that cost the lives of thousands of innocent people.
"His death makes the world a safer place and shows that such crimes do not remain unpunished."– Joint statement from European Council president Herman van Rompuy and European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso
"Above all today we should think of the victims of the poisonous extremism that this man has been responsible for."– British prime minister David Cameron
"The operation shows those who commit acts of terror against the innocent will be brought to justice, however long it takes."– Former British prime minister Tony Blair
“We all know that Osama bin Laden was responsible for sowing division and hatred among peoples, causing the deaths of countless persons and exploiting religion to this end.
"Faced with the death of a man, the Christian is never happy but rather he reflects on the grave responsibilities of every one of us in front of God and man. The Christian hopes and strives hard so that every event does not become an excuse for a further increase in hatred, but rather works towards peace."– Senior Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi
"Osama bin Laden had the devil's blood running through his veins and this is a joyous day for us."– Rosemary Cain, who lost her 35-year-old son in the World Trade Centre attacks
“The death of Osama bin Laden, announced by President Obama last night, is a watershed moment in our common global fight against terrorism.
"The crimes of al-Qaeda touched most continents, bringing tragedy and loss of life to thousands of men, women and children. This is a day to remember the victims and families of victims here in the United States and everywhere in the world."– UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon