Washington: US President Barack Obama has
said that he will never take a decision in rush on whether to
send troops overseas until absolutely necessary.
"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you
into harm`s way. I won`t risk your lives unless it is
absolutely necessary," Obama said in his address to the
servicemen and women at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville,
Florida.
"And if it is necessary, we will back you up to the hilt.
Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, and the
defined goals as well as the equipment and support that you
need to get the job done," he said.
"We are not going to have a situation in which you are
not fully supported back here at home. That is a promise that
I will always make to you," Obama said in his apparent
response to the criticism coming from the opposition
Republican leaders that he is taking too much time in taking a
decision on Afghanistan.
In his speech, Obama also mourned the death of 14
American service personnel who died in two helicopter crashes
in Afghanistan. "And our prayers are with these service
members, their civilian colleagues, and the families who loved
them," he said.
"While no words can ease the ache in their hearts today,
may they find some comfort in knowing this. Like all those who
give their lives in service to America, they were doing their
duty and they were doing this nation proud," he said.
"They were willing to risk their lives, in this case, to
prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for
al Qaeda and its extremist allies. And today, they gave their
lives, that last full measure of devotion, to protect ours,"
Obama said.
Bureau Report
