Obama's demeanor cloaked coming bin Laden hit

WASHINGTON - In a remarkable 36 hours of his presidency, Barack Obama carried a momentous secret and gave no hint of it as he consoled tornado victims, delivered a college commencement address and cracked jokes at a black-tie dinner.

What few insiders knew was that Obama had given the go-ahead on Friday for the military operation that would end with the death of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, target of the world's most intense manhunt.

After giving his consent, Obama, wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia left the White House on a busy day of travel, with three stops in two states.