President Barack Obama addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday, his third such address as president. The crux of the speech was a reassurance that the administration was in control of the security situation in the country, especially after the recent San Bernardino attacks. Obama vowed to hunt down anyone plotting militant attacks against the United States.
"The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it," Obama said reassuring America, on what he said was a "new phase" in the fight against Islamist militancy. "We cannot turn against each other by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam," Obama said, according to Reuters.
"If we're to succeed in defeating terrorism, we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate. That does not mean denying the fact that an extremist ideology has spread within some Muslim communities. It's a real problem that Muslims must confront without excuse," Obama said, discussing the role of Islam in terrorism across the world, and in the United States, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The president acknowledged the process of radicalization of Americans. "We see growing efforts by terrorists to poison the minds of people like the Boston Marathon bombers and the San Bernardino killers," Obama said while accepting that the San Bernardino attack was an act of "terrorism," reports the Wall Street Journal.
"I think it's time for Congress to vote to demonstrate that the American people are united and committed to this fight," Obama said, calling upon Congress to present a united front in the fight against terrorism, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Obama used his Oval Office address to reiterate his views, that stricter gun control regulations are necessary. He had spoken on the issue on Dec. 6, and you can read that story here at HNGN.
"We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons, like the ones that were used in San Bernardino. I know there are some who reject any gun-safety measures, but the fact is that our intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, no matter how effective they are, cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether that individual was motivated by ISIL or some other hateful ideology," he said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The speech got mixed reactions with GOP candidates seeming unconvinced. "We have a president who is completely overwhelmed," said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, criticizing Obama's stand. "Obama has finally been forced to abandon the political fantasy he has perpetuated for years that the threat of terrorism was receding," said former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, reports US News.
