US President Barack Obama denounced waterboarding, offered cautious hope on the economy and looked to calm fears about swine flu as he held a major White House news conference to mark his 100th day in the White House.
Obama said he had no second thoughts.
“I do believe that it is torture,” he said flatly of waterboarding, which simulates drowning.
He appeared to acknowledge that useful information had been obtained in interrogations in which it was used, an assessment made in a memo by his administration’s top intelligence official.
Obama also gave assurance that one way or another, Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would not fall into the hands of Islamic extremists.
He said he was confident “primarily, initially” because he believes Pakistan would handle the issue on its own. But he left the door open to eventual US action to secure the weapons if needed.
Obama said he was “gravely concerned” about Pakistan. He said he does not fear an immediate takeover of Pakistan by the Taliban, but said the Pakistani government seems unable to deliver basic services and thus gain the kind of public loyalty necessary to survive against challenges over the long term.
The wide range of issues raised at Wednesday’s news conference captured the whirlwind of Obama’s first 100 days. Obama has had to deal with two wars, the deepest recession in decades and, most recently, the swine flu outbreak, even as he pushes to overhaul healthcare, energy and education policies.
Obama said he did not want to meddle with private business, even though the government was moving toward ownership stakes in banks and auto companies.
He said he would be glad if someone could tell him that the banks and auto industry were healthy “and that all you had to worry about was Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, getting healthcare passed, figuring out how to deal with energy independence, deal with Iran, and a pandemic flu.”
“I would take that deal,” he said.
Obama took office on Jan. 20 amid high expectations. The first black US president, Obama, 47, won over Americans with his youth, intellect and commitment to change the nation after the unpopular presidency of former US president George W. Bush.
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