Obama Defends His Administration's Policies in the Fight Against Terrorism

The President of the United States, during his speech on national security, criticized the characterization of 'ISIS' as representatives of the world's Muslims and defended his administration's policies in the battle against terrorism. He stated, 'The fight against terrorists should not be conducted in a way that produces more terrorists.' Barack Obama, on December 7, at the Tampa Air Force Base in Florida, the center of the U.S. Special Operations Command, said that during his administration, no foreign terrorist group was able to plan and execute an attack in the United States. He added, 'And not because they did not intend to.' At the same time, he defended the ban on torture and waterboarding, emphasizing that no one who has worked with him over the past eight years has confirmed the effectiveness of such practices. In another part of his speech, he stated, 'We must fight terrorists in a way that does not produce more terrorists... If there is a very serious threat that requires us to put our military men and women at risk, then Congress must at least have the courage to make its decision clear and explicit, rather than retreating and expressing its views on television shows.' Obama said, 'We are fighting terrorists who claim to represent Islam.' However, he emphasized that neither the militants of the so-called Islamic State nor other extremists represent the billion-strong Muslim population of the world or American Muslims: 'If we demean good patriotic Muslims, we are merely providing fodder for the terrorists' rhetoric.' News networks like ABC say that the President's statements also reference the words and promised policies of Donald Trump, the President-elect. Trump made statements during his campaign regarding Muslims that even drew criticism from Republicans. On the other hand, conservative news networks like Fox report that a recent congressional report indicates that 'the United States is currently facing the greatest threat from Islamist terrorists since the September 11, 2001 attacks.' The President defended his administration's efforts in the fight against terrorism, especially against ISIS, stating that extremists have lost 'half of the territory they controlled.' On the other side of the American political scene, Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, stated on Tuesday, 'We are currently facing a deadlier threat than ever before. Not only because our enemies have become more cunning, but because our pressure on them has decreased.' The group known as the Islamic State, which Obama administration officials described as 'very organized' and 'beyond anything that has existed before,' gained power during the Syrian civil war. The borders of this self-proclaimed caliphate extended beyond Syria and into significant parts of Iraq. During this time, the group planned and executed unprecedented deadly attacks. Meanwhile, several individuals who appeared to be influenced by it also carried out lone attacks, which became part of the most significant news of the year as it comes to a close.