Obama vows to 'make BP pay' for oil spill damage

Barack Obama has vowed to make BP pay for the damage caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, in his first national address from the Oval Office. The US president said he would meet company executives later and tell them that they must set up a fund to compensate those affected by the spill. He described the spill as an assault on the shores and citizens of the US that tested the limits of human technology. Presidents use the Oval Office for what they regard as vital national issues. The speech comes as opinion polls suggest a majority of Americans disapprove of how Mr Obama has handled the crisis - the worst environmental disaster in US history. In his speech, Mr Obama likened the spill to an epidemic and reiterated that BP would be made to pay for the damage.