WASHINGTON: “I pledged to make it a priority to take out the terrorists who had attacked us on 9/11. And as a candidate, I said that if we had Osama bin Laden in our sights, we would act to keep America safe — even if it meant going into Pakistan. “Some of you remember, at the time, that comment drew quite a bit of criticism,” Obama said in a foreign policy speech in Reno Navada.
“Since I took office, we’ve worked with our allies and our partners to take out more top al-Qaida leaders than any time since 9/11. “And thanks to the courage and the skill of our forces, Osama bin Laden will never threaten America again, and al-Qaida is on the road to defeat,” Obama said in his address to the 113th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
“I pledged to finish the job in Afghanistan. After years of drift, we had to break the momentum of the Taliban, and build up the capacity and the capability of Afghans.
Taking on his critics who were against a timeline for troop withdrawl from Afghanistan, Obama said: “Again, there are those who argued against a timeline for ending this war or against talking about it publicly. But you know what, that’s not a plan for America’s security either. “After 10 years of war, and given the progress we’ve made, I felt it was important that the American people — and our men and women in uniform — know our plan to end this war responsibly.”
“By the end of this summer, more than 30,000 of our troops will have come home. Next year, Afghans will take the lead for their own security.
“In 2014, the transition will be complete. And even as our troops come home, we’ll have a strong partnership with the Afghan people, and we will stay vigilant so Afghanistan is never again a source for attacks against America,” he said. (PTI)
