Will repeat covert raid if al Qaeda leaders found in Pakistan: Obama

Dawn

US President Barack Obama speaks at the
CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia,
on May 20, 2011. Obama warned Al-Qaeda
members must watch their backs, as
the United States acts on a trove of intelligence seized
from Osama bin Laden’s compound.

LONDON: US President Barack Obama said that they will proceed with another unilateral covert military operation if intelligence was acquired of any other al Qaeda or Taliban leaders’ presence in Pakistan, DawnNews reported.

Speaking during an interview with the BBC, Obama said that he respected Pakistan’s sovereignty but the US would not allow terrorist plots to succeed. He stated that his mission was to ensure US security at any cost, and that they could not ignore terrorists plotting to murder US citizens or their allies.

“We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan,” but “our job is to secure the United States,’’ he said, adding that he could not allow “active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action.”