US has no territorial ambition: Obama

US President Barack Obama today said that he will convey to the Muslim world through his Cairo speech, later this week, that America has no territorial ambition.

"I think part of what I will be addressing in my speech is a reminder that the reason we're in Afghanistan is very simple and that is: Three thousand Americans were killed. You had a devastating attack on the American homeland," Obama said.

He said that the organisation that planned those attacks intends to carry out further attacks and "We cannot stand by and allow that to happen".

In an interview to the popular National Public Radio, Obama said, "I am somebody who is very anxious to have the Afghan government and the Pakistani government have the capacity to ensure that those safe havens don't exist."

"I think it will be an important reminder that we have no territorial ambitions in Afghanistan. We don't have an interest in exploiting the resources of Afghanistan. What we want is simply that people aren't hanging out in Afghanistan who are plotting to bomb the United States," Obama said.