United States President Barack Obama on Monday defended his decision to order special forces to go inside Pakistan and kill al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his safe hideout a year ago.
"As far as my personal role and what other folks would do, I'd just recommend that everybody take a look at people's previous statements in terms of whether they thought it was appropriate to go into Pakistan and take out bin Laden," Obama said at a joint White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
"I assume that people meant what they said when they said it. That's been at least my practice. I said that I'd go after bin Laden if we had a clear shot at him and I did," he said.
If there are others who have said one thing and now suggest they'd do something else, then I'd go ahead and let them explain it," Obama said in response to a question on the eve of the anniversary of the killing of bin Laden.
He also disputed a statement that there is excessive celebration on this occasion.
"I hardly think that you have seen any excessive celebration taking place here. I think that the American people rightly remember what we as a country accomplished in bringing to justice somebody who killed over 3,000 of our citizens," he said.
"And it's a mark of the excellence of our intelligence teams and our military teams, a political process that worked. And I think for us to use that time for some reflection, to give thanks to those who participated is entirely appropriate, and that's what's been taking place," Obama said.US rules out releasing Osama's pictures
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