Bachmann comments on Osama bin Laden anniversary

WASHINGTON — On the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, Michele Bachmann congratulated President Obama for ordering the mission that killed the terrorist leader but slammed him for not articulating the American mission in Afghanistan.

“I remain proud and grateful for the President, the U.S. military and the intelligence community’s decisive action last year,” Bachmann said in a statement from her congressional office. “Violent Islamic terrorists remain a threat going forward, and our mission must remain to provide a stable Afghanistan. I call on President Obama to reaffirm that mission.”

Bachmann recently visited Afghanistanto meet with troops and diplomats in the region. She left congratulating the troops and but was largely noncommittal on the effort to draw down the  American presence in the region.

Bachmann’s statement didn’t address the Obama re-election campaign’s subsequent use of the bin Laden killing in an ad that has drawn fire for questioning whether likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would have ordered the mission. Romney tweeted Tuesday, “I commend those who planned and conducted the bin Laden raid a year ago, and I applaud President Obama for approving the mission.”

Here’s Bachmann’s statement:

“One year ago today, a nearly ten-year mission ended with the assassination of Osama bin Laden. The world breathed a collective sigh of relief, and while we will never forget the devastation and grief caused by the attacks on September 11, there seemed to be a shared optimism that his death would bring closure in Afghanistan.
      “One year later, the President’s mission in the war-torn nation remains unclear. He apologizes for America’s actions, and we are left with no clear mission for our troops. 
      “Our troops are one of America’s greatest resources. The men and women in uniform – and their loved ones — step up and bravely make sacrifices to serve their country. We cannot let their sacrifices be in vain. We need to have an end goal; we need to remove politics from military decisions; and we must not let another American die for a cause undefined.
       “I remain proud and grateful for the President, the U.S. military and the intelligence community’s decisive action last year. Violent Islamic terrorists remain a threat going forward, and our mission must remain to provide a stable Afghanistan. I call on President Obama to reaffirm that mission.”

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com. Follow him on Twitter: @dhenry