President’s Vow FulfilledBy JEFF ZELENY
The New York Times
WASHINGTON -- President Obama’s announcement late Sunday that Osama bin Laden had been killed delivered not only a long-awaited prize to the United States, but also a significant victory for Mr. Obama, whose foreign policy has been the subject of persistent criticism by his rivals.
In his 2008 presidential campaign, Mr. Obama bluntly declared, “We will kill Bin Laden.” But as time passed, Bin Laden’s name had gradually fallen out of presidential speeches and the political discourse, raising concern from critics that Mr. Obama’s administration was not sufficiently focused on the fight against terrorism.
In delivering the news from the East Room of the White House, as jubilant crowds gathered outside waving American flags and cheering, Mr. Obama did not address his critics or gloat about his trophy. He instead used the moment to remember the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to issue a new call for national unity.
“Let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11,” Mr. Obama said. “I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.”
Bin Laden’s death is certainly one of the most significant and defining moments of Mr. Obama’s presidency. It allows him to claim the biggest national security victory in a decade — something that eluded President George W. Bush for nearly eight years — and instantly burnishes his foreign policy credentials at a time when he has been questioned about his decisions on the Middle East. The gravity of the moment was impossible to minimize. At ground zero, in baseball stadiums and on college campuses across the country, elation erupted as though a war had been won.
Mr. Obama called Mr. Bush on Sunday evening to tell him that Bin Laden had been killed. Shortly after Mr. Obama’s announcement at the White House, Mr. Bush issued a statement congratulating his successor, saying, “No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”
Bin Laden was killed at a time when the Obama administration is dealing with questions about its strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The president revealed few details of the operation in his address on Sunday, but aides said he would discuss it more in the coming days, perhaps through another national address or in interviews.
Mr. Obama has been facing some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, largely because of domestic concerns over high gas prices and the rising federal debt. It remains an open question what lasting effect Bin Laden’s death will have on how Mr. Obama is seen by the American people, but it gives him an unmistakable advantage on national security heading into the 2012 presidential campaign.
“I don’t care about the politics,” said Ari Fleischer, who was the White House press secretary in Mr. Bush’s first term. “This is great news for our country.”
The reaction was swift on Sunday evening, with Democrats and Republicans alike hailing the moment. Some of Mr. Obama’s rivals praised him, including Tim Pawlenty, a Republican and former governor of Minnesota.
“I want to congratulate America’s armed forces and President Obama for a job well done,” said Mr. Pawlenty, a frequent critic of the president’s policies. “Let history show that the perseverance of the U.S. military and the American people never wavered.”
Representative Peter T. King, a New York Republican who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, praised the president for signing off on the secret mission in Pakistan to capture Bin Laden.
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