Stephanie
Diamond Member
- Jul 11, 2004
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From The Times January 15, 2009,
Barack Obama suggested last night that removing Osama bin Laden from the battlefield was no longer essential and that America's security goals could be achieved merely by keeping al-Qaeda "on the run".
"My preference obviously would be to capture or kill him," he said. "But if we have so tightened the noose that he's in a cave somewhere and can't even communicate with his operatives then we will meet our goal of protecting America."
His comments, in a CBS interview, represent a significant watering down of the "dead or alive" policy pursued by President Bush since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. They also appear to contradict Mr Obama's own statements made in the election campaign.
As recently as October 7, in a presidential debate, Mr Obama said: "We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority."
Yesterday, the President-elect adopted far less aggressive language, saying his "No 1 priority" was to protect America from further attack.
"I think that we have to so weaken [bin Laden's] infrastructure that, whether he is technically alive or not, he is so pinned down that he cannot function," he said. "And I'm confident that we can keep them on the run and ensure that they cannot train terrorists to attack our homeland."
A new audio tape thought to be from bin Laden was broadcast yesterday, taunting President Bush for leaving his successor "with a heavy inheritance" that would force Mr Obama to choose between military defeat or drowning in economic crisis.
Barack Obama: it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden - Times Online
Barack Obama suggested last night that removing Osama bin Laden from the battlefield was no longer essential and that America's security goals could be achieved merely by keeping al-Qaeda "on the run".
"My preference obviously would be to capture or kill him," he said. "But if we have so tightened the noose that he's in a cave somewhere and can't even communicate with his operatives then we will meet our goal of protecting America."
His comments, in a CBS interview, represent a significant watering down of the "dead or alive" policy pursued by President Bush since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. They also appear to contradict Mr Obama's own statements made in the election campaign.
As recently as October 7, in a presidential debate, Mr Obama said: "We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority."
Yesterday, the President-elect adopted far less aggressive language, saying his "No 1 priority" was to protect America from further attack.
"I think that we have to so weaken [bin Laden's] infrastructure that, whether he is technically alive or not, he is so pinned down that he cannot function," he said. "And I'm confident that we can keep them on the run and ensure that they cannot train terrorists to attack our homeland."
A new audio tape thought to be from bin Laden was broadcast yesterday, taunting President Bush for leaving his successor "with a heavy inheritance" that would force Mr Obama to choose between military defeat or drowning in economic crisis.
Barack Obama: it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden - Times Online
