U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he did not oppose the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, as speculation about his possible White House bid reached fever pitch.

"I told him (U.S. President Barack Obama) my opinion that I thought he should go but to follow his own instincts," Biden said during a panel discussion at George Washington University in a move that could fend off

Biden dismissed claims that he opposed the mission, stressing that with the presence of other advisers in the Situation Room, he recommended Obama wait for verification that bin Laden was actually in the compound in Pakistan before launching the strike.

"I never, on a difficult issue, never say what I think finally until I go up in the Oval (Office) with him alone," said Biden.

After the meeting, Biden said he told Obama that he was in favor of a raid.

"As we walked out of the room and went upstairs, I told him my opinion that I thought he should go but to follow his own instincts," Biden said.

The new account, however, contradicted Biden's earlier claims in 2012 when he said he counseled against the raid.

Meanwhile, Biden said on Tuesday only two advisors to Obama in the meeting gave definitive answers on whether Obama should carry out the raid.

His remarks ran contrast to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton's account that she also advised Obama to carry out the raid.

"Panetta (then director of the Central Intelligence Agency) said go, Bob Gates (then secretary of defense) said don't go," said Biden.

Speculation about Biden's 2016 White House bid ran amok this week as local media cited sources as saying that Biden's announcement of his candidacy would be imminent.

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