Obama weighs in on bin Laden tape

President-elect Obama said Wednesday that Osama bin Laden is the
“No. 1 threat” facing the U.S., responding to a question about a newly released
tape from al Qaeda.

Obama, at a photo-op with Vice President-elect Biden and Sen.
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said that bin Laden and al Qaeda are the top threat,
but he repeated his stance that on foreign policy matters he should refrain
from commenting because “we only have one president at a time.”

{mosads}Despite that, Obama said he is “going to do everything in our
power to make sure that they cannot create safe havens that can attack
Americans.”

Obama met with Biden and Graham to hear their assessments from a
recent trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Biden told the gathered reporters that he went to the war zones
“to listen, not to convey policy.” 
“I made it absolutely clear that I was not there to make policy,” Biden said.

With Obama promising to make Afghanistan a top priority, his vice
president-elect warned that there will be an increase in American casualties.

“Things are going to get tougher in Afghanistan before they get
better,” Biden told reporters.

Graham agreed with that assessment. The South Carolina senator, a
close ally of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), said he
saw a great deal of enthusiasm for Obama while traveling abroad.

“I cannot tell you how much enthusiasm we saw in Pakistan for the
new president,” Graham said. He added: “There is a moment in time for this
country to re-engage the international community.”