U.S. 'closer than ever' to defeating Al Qaeda - Obama

WASHINGTON (RIA Novosti) - The United States in now 'closer than ever' to defeating the Al Qaeda terrorist network, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday.

"In delivering justice to Osama bin Laden and many other al Qaeda leaders, we are closer than ever to defeating al Qaeda and its murderous network," he said.

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2 in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad, north of the capital Islamabad, during a raid by U.S. Navy Special Forces.

"Despite the enormous challenges that remain in Afghanistan, we've pushed the Taliban out of its key strongholds, Afghan security forces are growing stronger, and the Afghan people have a new chance to forge their own future," the U.S. leader said.

In a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of the Afghanistan war, Obama also praised the U.S. military effort and saluted nearly 1,800 U.S. servicemen killed in the war.

The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, shortly after the September 11 terrorist attack, and was aimed at ousting the Taliban regime and hunting down those responsible for the attack.

"After a difficult decade, we are responsibly ending today's wars from a position of strength," Obama said.

"As the rest of our troops come home from Iraq this year, we have begun to draw down our forces in Afghanistan and transition security to the Afghan people, with whom we will forge an enduring partnership," he added.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview with BBC earlier in the day that NATO mission failed to bring peace and security to Afghanistan.

"We've done terribly badly in providing security to the Afghan people and this is the greatest shortcoming of our government and of our international partners," the Afghan president said.