Bush did not take credit for leading the effort that ultimately led to bin Laden. Bush 'not overjoyed' by death

Former President George W. Bush was “not overjoyed” to learn of Osama bin Laden’s death, he said earlier this week as he recounted the call he received from President Barack Obama as he was eating soufflé at a Dallas restaurant.

“I excused myself and went home to take the call,” Bush said on Wednesday at a Las Vegas convention for hedge fund managers, ABC News reported Friday morning. “Obama simply said, ‘Osama bin Laden is dead.’”


Bush said his successor described to him in detail the mission to raid bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and the decision to carry out the mission. “Good call,” Bush said he told Obama.

Bush issued a statement shortly after Obama appeared on television late in the night on May 1 to announce that bin Laden had been killed, but since has steered clear of making public comments. Bush turned down Obama’s invitation to appear at the World Trade Center site as the president laid a wreath there. His spokesman said the 43rd president prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

Bush made his remarks in a ballroom at the Bellagio hotel and appeared “lighthearted and relaxed,” according to ABC News.

Bush said he was “not overjoyed” by the news because he had sought out the Al Qaeda leader during his own presidency not “out of hatred but to exact judgment.”

But he is still pleased that bin Laden is dead.

“The guy is dead. That is good,” Bush said. “Osama’s death is a great victory in the war on terror. He was held up as a leader.”

Bush did not take credit for leading the effort that ultimately led to bin Laden, praising the U.S. intelligence operation for creating “a mosaic of information, piece by piece” that got to him. He also touted Navy SEAL Team Six, which carried out the raid. “They are awesome, skilled, talented and brave,” he said. Recalling meeting them in Afghanistan, Bush said he told the SEALS, “‘I hope you have everything you need.’ One guy said, ‘We need your permission to go into Pakistan and kick ass.’”

Bush also spoke more broadly about American foreign policy and the fight against terrorism.

“The long-term solution is to promote a better ideology, which is freedom. Freedom is universal,” he said. “People who do not look like us want freedom just as much. The relatives of Condoleezza Rice over 100 years ago wanted freedom. It is only when you do not have hope in a society that you join a suicide bomber team.”