Joining Trump in being disappointed over Obama’s speech, Paul Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives said the primary responsibility is to keep the Americans safe from the real and evolving threat of radical Islamic terrorism.
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The third section stressed the importance of a broad intelligence-led operation, with Obama insisting that the USA is “working with friends and allies to stop ISIL’s operations, to disrupt plots, cut off their financing, and prevent them from recruiting more fighters”. But it may be remembered by historians as the date the 44th U.S. President tried to allay the growing fears of a nation and talk tough against terror. “That kind of divisiveness, that betrayal of our values plays into the hands of groups like ISIL”. “… We will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless”.
Obama also was correct in saying that he has stepped up the war in Iraq and Syria since the Paris attacks, taking measures that critics (including us) have recommended for a year or more. But he also said that efforts to find a political solution, a ceasefire, at least, in Syria were a key element of the policy.
He also proposed that Congress vote to authorize the use of force against ISIS. “The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it”, Obama said. “For over a year, I have ordered our military to take thousands of air strikes against ISIL targets”.
Huizenga said that was worth talking about, but that the president needs a new plan.
Still, Berger said there are big data tools that can assess terrorist activity, and social media companies might be more skilled in using them than the government. Governor Chris Christie – speaking on a New Hampshire radio show this morning – called the president’s speech absurd. What it does is have a meaning that can be interpreted that if you are a Muslim that you are a terrorist and you are radical. This is a guy who lives in a fantasy land.
“I believe that the leadership of the congress would like to move ahead and there are some in the congress who come not really wanting to move ahead”, Lugar said. “They favored symbolism over specific policy prescriptions”.
As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested banning all Muslims from entering the country on Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson stood in solidarity with an imam and leaders of other faiths at a northern Virginia Islamic center. “I immediately stated that I agreed with that goal and that I would back the president once he laid out and fully committed to an effective strategy to accomplish it. To date – and tonight’s status-quo speech was no exception – he has done neither”.
Of course, this is a more measured response to the terror threat than many politicians in the U.S. – in particular Republican Party presidential hopefuls – would like to see. Still, he called on Muslims in the USA and around the world to take up the cause of fighting extremism.
“We are Americans”, he added. “We need to work together, cooperate with each other and definitely not vilify each other or turn on each other”.
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The history of millions of European immigrants who came here in centuries past was fundamentally different from what is happening in our own times. “Terrorists try to recruit from our communities, blow up our mosques, imperil our coexistence and empower our enemies, while at the same time we are assumed to be complicit in their violence”. “In the face of fear, the response should be courage, and making sure we don’t surrender our values”.
