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WASHINGTON, DC - President Barack Obama says the anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden is a time for reflection, and he pushed back on criticism that the White House was using the occasion for "excessive celebration."

Obama also took the opportunity to raise the question of whether his Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney would have made the same decision in targeting the al-Qaida leader. While never mentioning Romney by name, Obama recommended looking at people's previous statements on the issue.

Obama's re-election team has seized on a quote from Romney in 2007 where he said it was not worth moving heaven and earth to go after one person.

On Monday, Romney said he "of course" would have ordered bin Laden to have been killed.