United States (US) President Barack Obama on Tuesday noted the killing of Pakistanis in the Peshawar church blasts as he discussed threats to international security.
Speaking at the 68th United Nations General Assembly session, Obama said terrorists continued to target innocent civilians.
A look at the world scenario, he said, revealed that innocent people continued to suffer and cited the loss of many Pakistanis in the Peshawar church attack.
Obama vowed to end the Afghan war by 2014 but warned that a splinter group of the al Qaeda still posed a threat to peace and security.
Talking to the 193-member assembly, Obama said, “Next year, an international coalition will end its war in Afghanistan, having achieved its mission of dismantling the core of al Qaeda that attacked the US on 9/11.”
The US president said the Iraq war had ended, the Afghanistan conflict was coming to a close for the US and that these new circumstances also meant shifting away from a perpetual war-footing.
“Beyond bringing our troops home, we have limited the use of drones so they target only those who pose a continuing, imminent threat to the US and when it is certain that there will be no civilian casualties,” said Obama.
