MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Democratic presidential hopefuls agreed Saturday night the United States has the right to go after terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan without first obtaining permission from the government in power.
"As much as possible," the United States should seek agreement from Pakistanis, Sen. Barack Obama said in the opening moments of a campaign debate three days before the New Hampshire primary. He said he stands by his declaration last summer that he would order action if he had "actionable intelligence" on bin Laden's whereabouts -- whether or not the Pakistani government approved.
Former Sen. John Edwards agreed. "If I as president of the United States know where Osama bin Laden is I would go get him," the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee said.
Likewise, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said that if diplomacy failed and the Pakistani government was incapable of moving against the terrorist leader, "then you do take that action."
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York agreed, saying, "At some point, probably when the missiles have been launched, the Pakistani government has to know they are on the way." She said that was important to make sure Pakistan didn't jump to the conclusion that it was under attack from India, its longtime rival in southwest Asia.
The debate unfolded as a new poll showed Obama and Clinton locked in a tight race in next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.
The first-term Illinois senator won the first contest of the nominating campaign on Thursday night with an Iowa caucus triumph. Edwards finished second and Clinton third.
During campaigning Saturday, a noticeably more freewheeling Clinton subtly likened Obama to Democratic nemesis President Bush while Edwards mocked the idea of a nice candidate bringing change.
Edwards hinted he would welcome a second-place finish to Obama, which advisers said they hoped would turn the contest into a two-man race and take Clinton out of the game. Edwards narrowly edged Clinton for second place in Iowa, which he couched as an upset that he would be happy to replicate here.
The heightened campaign activity came as the candidates gathered for a presidential debate late Saturday night. Clinton and Edwards hope to stop Obama, the victor in Iowa, from capturing the first-in-the-nation primary that would only add to his momentum as he pursues the nomination.
Richardson, who finished a distant fourth in Iowa and got just 4 percent in the poll, also participated. The survey conducted Jan. 4-5 had a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
