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WASHINGTON: The White House on Wednesday released a longer version of President Barack Obama's US birth certificate to try to quiet charges from some Republicans that he was not born in the United States.
Obama was to make a White House statement at 1445 GMT about the controversy. Questions about his birth have been pushed in recent weeks by real estate tycoon Donald Trump, who says he is considering a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
The new document confirms what a shorter version has said, that Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug 4, 1961, but provides a little more information, such as that he was born at Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital.
The document was obtained by Obama's personal lawyer, who traveled to Hawaii to retrieve a copy and returned with it on Tuesday.
“The president believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn't good for the country. It may have been good politics and good TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country,” said White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
Trump, speaking in New Hampshire, told reporters that he was “really happy” that this has taken place and ready to debate other issues.
“I feel I've accomplished something really, really important and I'm honored by it,” Trump said in remarks shown live on CNN.
