ORLANDO, August 19, 2008 (AFP) - Democrat Barack Obama Tuesday hit out at John McCain's tough talk on Osama bin Laden, saying his vow to follow the Al-Qaeda leader to the 'Gates of Hell' was not matched by a willingness to act.

Sharpening his national security rhetoric against his Republican White House foe, Obama also accused McCain of 'backing a dictator' in Pakistan, a reference to President Pervez Musharraf, who resigned on Monday.

'For all his talk about following Osama bin Laden to the Gates of Hell, Senator McCain refused to join my call to take out bin Laden across the Afghan border,' Obama told US military veterans here.

'Instead, he spent years backing a dictator in Pakistan who failed to serve the interests of his own people.'

'A year ago, I said I would take action against bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights and Pakistan cannot or will not act.

'Senator McCain criticized me, and said I was for 'bombing our ally.''

The McCain campaign on Tuesday accused Obama of trying to divert attention from his lack of experience in foreign affairs.

'Unlike Barack Obama, John McCain doesn?t have to compensate for a lack of credibility on the international stage with inflammatory and public threats against American allies,' said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.

'The American people know that John McCain will hunt down terrorists wherever they are, and have a choice between strength and experience versus Barack Obama?s rhetoric and theatrics.'