LAS VEGAS: Former President George W Bush said he was "not overjoyed" when President Barack Obama told him Osama bin Laden was dead because the campaign to track down the al-Qaida leader was done not "out of hatred, but to exact judgment."
The former president who initiated the hunt for bin Laden after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks made his first candid public comments on bin Laden's killing Wednesday at a conference of hedge fund managers in Las Vegas, ABC News reported Friday.
Bush said he was eating souffle at a restaurant when he received the call from Obama, according to an ABC News contributor at the conference. Bush said he went home to take the call and, "Obama simply said, 'Osama Bin Laden is dead."'
Bush told the audience of about 1,800 people that Obama described the secret US mission to raid bin Laden's compound in detail, and Bush told the president that the decision to put the plan into motion was a "good call."
But he said he was "not overjoyed," explaining that the search for bin Laden was done not "out of hatred but to exact judgment."
"The intelligence services deserve a lot of credit. They built a mosaic of information, piece by piece," Bush said, claiming no credit for himself.
Bush has kept a low profile since bin Laden's death May 1. He has declined interview requests and declined Obama's invitation to join him at a ceremony at the former World Trade Center.
Saturday 14 May 2011
Tamilians hope Amma boosts TN's image
MUMBAI: On Friday, Tamil Nadu came closer to West Bengal in spirit than geography will ever allow. There too, the formidable ruling party was defeated by a female archrival. The only difference was that few saw it coming.
Not only had poll pundits given the scam-hit Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) a 50% chance of winning, they also overemphasized the importance of free TV sets and two-rupee rice. The smart electorate swallowed the freebies but showed that corruption was indeed an issue.
As Jayalalithaa's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) inched closer to victory early in the day, the delight was clearly visible on the faces of many Tamilians in the city. In two Tamil strongholds, Matunga and Dharavi, people were pleased that the Karunanidhi clan was heading for defeat.
"No political party can take its voters for granted and this is a classic example," said Matunga resident Govind Muthukumar. "Maybe after seeing how the electorate was being bribed with television sets distributed by the DMK, the voters outsmarted them by saying the party did not deserve to win."
Many Dharavi residents, who were following the election results as closely as a Rajinikanth-starrer, were delighted by the DMK's ouster. Mary Fernandes said, "The DMK brought disgrace to the country. Karunanidhi's associates and relatives, like A Raja and Kanimozhi, are being investigated in the 1.76 lakh crore 2G scam. This was the dressing down we were hoping for."
"We are happy that Amma (Jayalalithaa) has come to power and we hope that she will help improve the poor image that Tamil Nadu has recently earned due to the scam," said another resident, Ruben Fernandes, 29, who hails from Tuticorin.
However, people hoped that the AIADMK does not let the voters of Tamil Nadu down. Nataraj Mudaliyar sounded a note of caution, saying that the electorate should not get carried away by the AIADMK's victory and that Jayalalithaa should now work towards development and not just pursue an agenda of vendetta.
Not only had poll pundits given the scam-hit Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) a 50% chance of winning, they also overemphasized the importance of free TV sets and two-rupee rice. The smart electorate swallowed the freebies but showed that corruption was indeed an issue.
As Jayalalithaa's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) inched closer to victory early in the day, the delight was clearly visible on the faces of many Tamilians in the city. In two Tamil strongholds, Matunga and Dharavi, people were pleased that the Karunanidhi clan was heading for defeat.
"No political party can take its voters for granted and this is a classic example," said Matunga resident Govind Muthukumar. "Maybe after seeing how the electorate was being bribed with television sets distributed by the DMK, the voters outsmarted them by saying the party did not deserve to win."
Many Dharavi residents, who were following the election results as closely as a Rajinikanth-starrer, were delighted by the DMK's ouster. Mary Fernandes said, "The DMK brought disgrace to the country. Karunanidhi's associates and relatives, like A Raja and Kanimozhi, are being investigated in the 1.76 lakh crore 2G scam. This was the dressing down we were hoping for."
"We are happy that Amma (Jayalalithaa) has come to power and we hope that she will help improve the poor image that Tamil Nadu has recently earned due to the scam," said another resident, Ruben Fernandes, 29, who hails from Tuticorin.
However, people hoped that the AIADMK does not let the voters of Tamil Nadu down. Nataraj Mudaliyar sounded a note of caution, saying that the electorate should not get carried away by the AIADMK's victory and that Jayalalithaa should now work towards development and not just pursue an agenda of vendetta.
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