Obama's speech contained a distinct nod to bin Laden's stated goals

January 30, 2014 02:27

Barack Obama's State Of The Union address presented a restrained foreign policy, contrasting past years when he has talked about smashing Al Qaeda. In one part he even acknowledged how past U.S. aggression may have been exactly what terrorists wanted: I will not send our troops into harm's way unless it is truly necessary, nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles '" (applause) '" that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us '" large-scale deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed extremism.

Bin Laden, who was killed in 2011, stated as early as 1996 that he aimed to draw the U.S. into a protracted and economically costly conflict.

TOP STORIES

Rahul, Ruturaj fined Rs 12 lakh each for slow over-rate

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul and his Chennai Super Kings counterpart Ruturaj Gaikwad have been fined Rs 12 lakh each as their teams maintained a slow over-rate in their Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.

Phase 1: Voter turnout may cross 64%, Tripura tops with 80.17%

According to an official release, the voting percentage is likely to go up when reports from all polling stations are obtained, as polling was scheduled until 6 pm in many constituencies.

Preity Slams Rohit 'Fake News'

'I hold Rohit Sharma in very high regard & am a big fan of his, but I have NEVER DISCUSSED him in any interview.'

Two dead, seven missing as boat capsizes in Odisha's Mahanadi River

The incident took place when around 50 passengers hailing from Kharsia area in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh were returning in the boat after visiting a temple in Patharseni Kuda in Odisha's Bargarh district.

Rahul Or Dhoni? Who Batted Best? Vote!

Does Rahul get your vote? Or did you prefer Dhoni's cameo?