Kenny praises United States Bin Laden operation

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who is in New York for two days this week, praised the U.S. military operation in Pakistan that ended the life of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Kenny said that the removal of bin Laden's ability to plot heinous acts was a major achievement in the effort to rid the world of the threat of terrorism.

Kenny said the international community could not let up in its efforts to address the threat that terrorism continues to pose.

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And he said Ireland would continue to work within the framework of the UN, the EU and the broader international community to address the "scourge of terrorism and its root causes."

Meanwhile, reports in Ireland this week were stating that it would be up to the U.S. Secret Service to decide if security surrounding President Obama's visit to the Republic in a few days will have to stepped up even beyond what was already planned.

"Largely the security efforts are being coordinated by the Secret Service, and the U.S. Secret Service has been protecting American chief executives now for the best part of a century, so really they are the ones who are taking the lead on this and they are the ones who are giving us the necessary advice as to what arrangements need to be put in place," said Irish government minister Leo Varadkar

"It's not unusual for America to be at war. So we've had similar situations in the past where you [had] to have maximum security, and I think, for the visit of an American president, security is always going to be maximum regardless of the context," he told the Irish Examiner.

President Obama will be Ireland immediately after the visit to the Republic by Queen Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Kenny will arrive in New York today for two days of meetings that are being described by Irish officials as primarily economic in nature.

Kenny will address the Council on Foreign Relations at a lunch hosted by Richard Haass, who served during the Bush administration as U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland. He will also make a visit to Wall Street while on Thursday, the taoiseach will attend and address the American Ireland Fund's 36th gala dinner at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan.

Boxer Muhammad Ali will be presented with an award for his humanitarian work a the AIF event.

 

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