Barack Obama

====Afghanistan and Pakistan====
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|AfPak}}
[[File:P050609PS-0531 (3508804772).jpg|thumb|Obama after a trilateral meeting with Afghan President [[Hamid Karzai]] (left) and Pakistani President [[Asif Ali Zardari]] (right), May 2009|alt=Photo of Obama and other heads of state walking along the Colonnade outside the White House]]
In his election campaign, Obama called the war in Iraq a "dangerous distraction" and that emphasis should instead be put on the war in Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/15/obama.iraq/index.html |title=Obama calls Iraq war a 'dangerous distraction' |work=[[CNN]] |date=July 15, 2008 |access-date=August 15, 2022}}</ref> the region he cites as being most likely where an attack against the United States could be launched again.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/us/politics/15cnd-obama.html | title=Obama and McCain Duel over Iraq | newspaper=The New York Times | date=July 16, 2008 | last1=Broder | first1=John M. }}</ref> Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan. He announced an increase in U.S. troop levels to 17,000 military personnel in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires."<ref>{{cite news |first = Amanda |last = Hodge |title = Obama launches Afghanistan Surge |date = February 19, 2009 |work = The Australian |location = Sydney |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/obama-launches-afghanistan-surge/story-e6frg6t6-1111118893671 }}</ref> He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General [[David D. McKiernan]], with former [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Special Forces]] commander Lt. Gen. [[Stanley A. McChrystal]] in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.<ref name="counterinsurgency tactics" /> On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan and proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date;<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=December 1, 2009 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/34218604 |title=Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases |work=NBC News }}</ref> this took place in July 2011. [[David Petraeus]] replaced McChrystal in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/24/mcchrystal.gates.support/ |title = Gates says he agrees with Obama decision on McChrystal |publisher = CNN |date = June 24, 2010 |access-date = September 18, 2010 }}</ref> In February 2013, Obama said the U.S. military would reduce the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 U.S. troops by February 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last = Chandrasekaran |first = Rajiv |title = Obama wants to cut troop level in Afghanistan in half over next year |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/official-obama-to-cut-troop-level-in-afghanistan-in-half-by-next-year/2013/02/12/63a044c8-7536-11e2-8f84-3e4b513b1a13_story.html |access-date = February 14, 2013 |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = February 12, 2013 }}</ref> In October 2015, the White House announced a plan to keep U.S. Forces in Afghanistan indefinitely in light of the deteriorating security situation.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34536833 |title = US troops in Afghanistan: Taliban resurgence sees rethink |publisher = BBC News |date = October 15, 2015 |access-date = October 15, 2015 |last = Marcus |first = Jonathan }}</ref>

Regarding neighboring Pakistan, Obama called its tribal border region the "greatest threat" to the security of Afghanistan and Americans, saying that he "cannot tolerate a terrorist sanctuary." In the same speech, Obama claimed that the U.S. "cannot succeed in Afghanistan or secure our homeland unless we change our Pakistan policy."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/us/politics/15text-obama.html | title=Obama's Remarks on Iraq and Afghanistan | newspaper=The New York Times | date=July 15, 2008 }}</ref>

=====Death of Osama bin Laden=====
{{Main|Killing of Osama bin Laden}}
[[File:Obama and Biden await updates on bin Laden.jpg|left|thumb|Obama and members of the national security team receive an update on [[Operation Neptune's Spear]] in the [[White House Situation Room]], May 1, 2011. See also: [[Situation Room (photograph)|''Situation Room'']].|alt=Photo of Obama, Biden, and national security staffers in the Situation Room, somberly listening to updates on the bin Laden raid]]

Starting with information received from Central Intelligence Agency operatives in July 2010, the CIA developed intelligence over the next several months that determined what they believed to be the hideout of [[Osama bin Laden]]. He was living in seclusion in [[Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad|a large compound]] in [[Abbottabad]], Pakistan, a suburban area {{convert|35|mi|km}} from [[Islamabad]].<ref name="NYT-clues">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html |title = Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama bin Laden |last1 = Mazzetti |first1 = Mark |first2 = Helene |last2 = Cooper |first3 = Peter |last3 = Baker |date = May 3, 2011 |work = The New York Times |access-date = May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503190900/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html |archive-date = May 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> CIA head [[Leon Panetta]] reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011.<ref name="NYT-clues" /> Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by [[United States Navy SEALs]].<ref name="NYT-clues" /> The operation took place on May 1, 2011, and resulted in the shooting death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers, computer drives and disks from the compound.<ref name="WP-binLaden">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/osama-bin-laden-is-killed-by-us-forces-in-pakistan/2011/05/01/AFXMZyVF_story.html |title = Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = September 13, 2014 |date = May 2, 2011 |first1 = Philip |last1 = Rucker |first2 = Scott |last2 = Wilson |first3 = Anne E. |last3 = Kornblut }}</ref><ref name="ND-binLaden">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/breaking/official-offers-details-of-bin-laden-raid-1.2853079 |title = Official offers details of bin Laden raid |website = Newsday |access-date = September 13, 2014 |date = May 2, 2011 }}</ref> DNA testing was one of five methods used to positively identify bin Laden's corpse,<ref name="ABC-binLaden">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703 |title = Osama bin Laden Killed by U.S. Forces in Pakistan |last1 = Schabner |first1 = Dean |first2 = Karen |last2 = Travers |date = May 1, 2011 |work = ABC News |access-date = May 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504021523/http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703 |archive-date = May 4, 2011 }}</ref> which was buried at sea several hours later.<ref name="NYT-ObamaAnnounce">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html |title=Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |first2=Helene |last2=Cooper |first3=Mark |last3=Mazzetti |date=May 2, 2011 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505195308/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html |archive-date=May 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's [[World Trade Center site|Ground Zero]] and [[Times Square]].<ref name="WP-binLaden" /><ref name="Guard-ObamaAnnounce">{{cite news |last1 = Walsh |first1 = Declan |first2 = Richard |last2 = Adams |first3 = Ewen |last3 = MacAskill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama |title = Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces |date = May 2, 2011 |work = The Guardian |place = London |access-date = May 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503154000/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama |archive-date = May 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden|Reaction to the announcement]] was positive across party lines, including from former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.<ref name="Bloom-binLaden">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/death-of-bin-laden-may-strengthen-obama-s-hand-in-domestic-foreign-policy.html |title = Death of Bin Laden May Strengthen Obama's Hand in Domestic, Foreign Policy |last = Dorning |first = Mike |date = May 2, 2011 |agency = [[Bloomberg News]] |access-date = May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503203539/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/death-of-bin-laden-may-strengthen-obama-s-hand-in-domestic-foreign-policy.html |archive-date = May 3, 2011 }}</ref>
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