Barack Obama: it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden (in-your-face flip-flop?)

Times of London ^ | Tom Baldwin

[TigerLikesRooster]

arack Obama: it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden

Tom Baldwin in Washington

Barack Obama last night suggested that removing Osama bin Laden from the battlefield was no longer essential and that America's security goals could be achieved by merely 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 last night, 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."

But yesterday, the President-elect adopted far less aggressive language, saying his "number one 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."

[Larousse2]

Mme. Bhutto on an interview with Sir. David Frost--- Benazir Bhutto: Bin Laden was Murdered

[SunkenCiv]

America's security goals could be achieved by merely 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." ...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."

Thanks Lucyt.