Barack Obama won his second term as US President, defeating candidate Republican Mitt Romney. Obama secured the second term by a narrower margin that his first win in 2008. He won 275 votes more than the 270 majority required for victory. In his campaign, Obama opposed the Iraq War as a state legislator and argued for troop withdrawal, while Romney supported the invasion. Obama criticized Romney for wanting troops to remain the country. Romney initially opposed Obama’s drone strategy – using drones to target alleged terrorist overseas – but changed his position closer to the final debate. Romney said he agreed with having to do what is necessary to secure and protect the US. Over the past decade the US launched 350 drone attacks in Pakistan, with 298 attacks carried out during Obama’s term, sources said. "Al Qaeda was much weaker than it was when I came to office and they don’t have the same capacities to attack the U.S. homeland," Obama said.