Obama to urge Americans not to give into fear of terrorism

[webfact]

Obama to urge Americans not to give into fear of terrorism
By JULIE PACE

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a rare Oval Office address, President Barack Obama on Sunday night will urge Americans to not give into fear following attacks in Paris and California, while trying to assure the public that he takes the threat of terrorism seriously.

Obama was not expected to announce major policy changes for targeting the Islamic State group. Administration officials said the president's remarks would focus on how the terrorist threat has evolved and what steps the government is taking to keep Americans safe.

"I think what you're going to hear from him is a discussion about what government is doing to ensure all of our highest priority — the protection of the American people," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."

"This horrific attack has people on edge and frightened. We've lost so many victims and people were wounded. People are concerned and we understand that," Lynch said.

She said Obama may ask Congress to "to review measures and take action" to safeguard national security, though she did not offer specifics. She suggested he might reiterate his call for stricter gun laws. "Dealing with guns is one way to handle the violent crime issues that we have in this country," Lynch said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Obama has an opportunity "tell the American people how he is willing to adapt to the threat and how he can better prepare our nation for a fight that will inevitably be passed on to his successor." McConnell called on Obama to outline plans for a ground force to dismantle the Islamic State group and detail what legal authorities are needed to defeat encrypted online communication that law enforcement says can be used to evade authorities.

With the prime-time address, Obama was turning to a tool of the presidency that he has used infrequently. He's made televised statements from the Oval Office just twice, the last in 2010.

His speech comes amid criticism that he has underestimated the threat from an extremist group that claimed responsibility for last month's deadly attacks in Paris.

A woman held responsible for last week's shooting in San Bernardino, California, had, under a Facebook alias, pledged allegiance to IS and its leader, according to U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. A Facebook official said the post came about the time the couple stormed the San Bernardino social service center.

Authorities said the woman — a 29-year-old originally from Pakistan — carried out the attack with her 28-year-old American-born husband, killing 14 people and wounding 21. The two were killed in a shootout with police hours after the attack.

Authorities say they believe the guns used by the attackers were legally obtained.

The FBI is investigating the massacre as a terrorist attack that, if proved, would be the deadliest by Islamic extremists on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.

FBI Director James Comey has said there was no indication yet that the plot was directed by any other foreign terrorist group, though he would not rule out that future possibility.

Obama initially said the shootings could have been terrorist-related or an incident of workplace violence. Two days later, in his weekend radio and Internet address, the president said called the attacks an "act of terror" and said it was "entirely possible that these two attackers were radicalized to commit this act of terror. And if so, it would underscore a threat we've been focused on for years — the danger of people succumbing to violent extremist ideologies."

Lynch said the kind of threats against the United States has evolved because the government has been able to foil plots. "We have come from a time of the large-scale planned al-Qaida-style attacks to the encouragement of lone wolves.'

Some of the Republican presidential candidates had quickly labeled the shootings an act of terrorism and faulted Obama for not saying so immediately. GOP candidates have sought to equate the president's cautious language on terrorism with what they see as his tepid approach to national security.

"I don't know why the president hesitates for so long to call it exactly what it is," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio called on Obama to outline a more robust strategy for defeating IS, which has strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Rubio advocated a "ground force made up primarily of Sunni Arabs from the region, including Iraqis and Syrians, but also a contribution of troops from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt."

Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, said the U.S. is "not winning" the fight against IS and it's "too soon to say that we are doing everything we need to do." While Clinton has been supportive of Obama's foreign policy, given that she served as his secretary of state, she also has called for a more robust approach to defeating IS, including setting up a no-fly zone.

The president's approach has relied largely on airstrikes by the U.S., as well as European and Arab partners. He has struggled to identify and train effective forces on the ground to supplement those efforts and has ruled out a large scale deployment of American troops.

Christie spoke on CBS' "Face The Nation," Rubio was on CNN's "State of the Union" and Clinton appeared on ABC's "This Week."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-07

[user82374298374]

If just one of the people in that building other than the attackers had been armed, the attack could've been cut short.

If the unarmed had thrown chairs, had rushed the shooters when they were reloading (apparently, they weren't disciplined enough to alternate their fire), the attack could've been cut short.

The so-called 'active shooter' drills are essentially 'cower-in-place' drills. They are just as wrongheaded as pre-9/11 thinking on how to deal with airline hijackers (e.g., do whatever the hijacker wants, don't fight back).

[Usernames]

Spoken like a man who will have armed Secret Service protection 24/7 for the rest of his life.

[kbelyeu]

I bet old Jimmy Carter is very happy to know before he kicks the bucket that someone else has taken his seat as the most idiotic president of the USA.

KUrt

[oneday]

"...She suggested he might reiterate his call for stricter gun laws..."

Might! He better darn well make an all-out battle plan on introducing tough new gun control or he needs to just stick his head back in his shell and shut the hell up.

[RKASA]

Again we are the problem - don't give into fear? - what a bubble head - We have not Mr. president you have completely. Stop blaming us and legal guns and take the fight to the source of evil - you have given into fear of your legacy not turning out according to the script which means a great deal more to you then the lives of we the people under attack.

Please help out the countries which have your gun laws already and did nothing to stop this sort of thing - I m glad they could buy semi auto AR-15's because if not they would have got full auto AK47's from over the border and killed the other 21 that were only wounded - You Mr. president and your ilk are complete morons that can't see trees in the forest only the agenda you spin - you can't round up 11 million illegals in the country but have no problem rounding up and prosecuting 300million US citizens that are ex post facto owning guns. Just add them to the no fly list with your pen and a cell phone and F--- the constitution and its inconvenience to your agenda.

You only have one front in your fight and that is the America people from day one and we have two fronts - you and the extremist nitwit left agenda you lead and the terrorist you enable and apologize for. Lets not blame inanimate objects that can only kill if used by a killer and protects those on our side if we don't get caught being a free people with a bill of rights for a reason. That 2nd amendment was put in place because of people like you and not because we need sporting guns. It is to make possible the free militia that will defend itself from a government that will and always does grow beyond the respect of the people. Your assumed self entailed position on things is not different then the right version of the other nationalist socialist party government called the NAZI's. The end game is the same no matter if you wear a suite or a uniform - nationalist socialist requires state control of all parts of everyone's live or it cannot carry on - it is a perpetual state of fail and blame and you seem to be the best at both. That is the only legacy you will leave office with.

[bassman]

Again we are the problem - don't give into fear? - what a bubble head - We have not Mr. president you have completely. Stop blaming us and legal guns and take the fight to the source of evil - you have given into fear of your legacy not turning out according to the script which means a great deal more to you then the lives of we the people under attack.

Please help out the countries which have your gun laws already and did nothing to stop this sort of thing - I m glad they could buy semi auto AR-15's because if not they would have got full auto AK47's from over the border and killed the other 21 that were only wounded - You Mr. president and your ilk are complete morons that can't see trees in the forest only the agenda you spin - you can't round up 11 million illegals in the country but have no problem rounding up and prosecuting 300million US citizens that are ex post facto owning guns. Just add them to the no fly list with your pen and a cell phone and F--- the constitution and its inconvenience to your agenda.

You only have one front in your fight and that is the America people from day one and we have two fronts - you and the extremist nitwit left agenda you lead and the terrorist you enable and apologize for. Lets not blame inanimate objects that can only kill if used by a killer and protects those on our side if we don't get caught being a free people with a bill of rights for a reason. That 2nd amendment was put in place because of people like you and not because we need sporting guns. It is to make possible the free militia that will defend itself from a government that will and always does grow beyond the respect of the people. Your assumed self entailed position on things is not different then the right version of the other nationalist socialist party government called the NAZI's. The end game is the same no matter if you wear a suite or a uniform - nationalist socialist requires state control of all parts of everyone's live or it cannot carry on - it is a perpetual state of fail and blame and you seem to be the best at both. That is the only legacy you will leave office with.

So do you think Obama is doing a good job or not?

Saw the speech what a load of regurgitated crap nothing new. And this terrorism is not about gun control, just the spin of the liberals that do want to disarm the populace. We are entering zombie land with these muslims running around stabbing shooting and bombing, and the answer is to disarm the citizens, pitiful and un-American.

I agree with your comments on the weapons and would like to add that the bombers of the Boston marathon did not have guns, they used common materials in a pressure cooker.

Good post!

[HenryB]

It seems to me Obama is the greatest President that the Muslims had in the White House.

[Michael8511]

It seems to me Obama is the greatest President that the Muslims had in the White House.

I think Obama is for most Americans the best president that have been in the White House. We now have health care for most Americans. And minimum wages have goon up.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Did Obama promote Isis to the varsity yet, or are they still in the junior league?

[Rykbanlor]

If the American people are capable of not giving in to fear in the wake of all the "non-terrorist" shootings, I don't see why they need to be told this now, given that terrorist attacks on their soil are a miniscule percentage of all other violent acts committed. The War of Terror is going well.

[tomwct]

Obama, what a Fool! His stupidity continues!

[kamahele]

If just one of the people in that building other than the attackers had been armed, the attack could've been cut short.

If the unarmed had thrown chairs, had rushed the shooters when they were reloading (apparently, they weren't disciplined enough to alternate their fire), the attack could've been cut short.

The so-called 'active shooter' drills are essentially 'cower-in-place' drills. They are just as wrongheaded as pre-9/11 thinking on how to deal with airline hijackers (e.g., do whatever the hijacker wants, don't fight back).

Unless the other armed person in the room was a trained law enforcement officer, the data suggests that he or she would not have been able to stop the terrorists and would have most likely hurt or killed another innocent. The pre-9/11 thinking on dealing with hijackers was wrong for the new breed of hijackers. I was trained in this old school thinking and at the time, it seemed to work. We wouldn't have predicted what Al Qaeda had waiting for us. I, however was dead set against pilots carrying weapons on board as they are now allowed to do. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

[kamahele]

Again we are the problem - don't give into fear? - what a bubble head - We have not Mr. president you have completely. Stop blaming us and legal guns and take the fight to the source of evil - you have given into fear of your legacy not turning out according to the script which means a great deal more to you then the lives of we the people under attack.

Please help out the countries which have your gun laws already and did nothing to stop this sort of thing - I m glad they could buy semi auto AR-15's because if not they would have got full auto AK47's from over the border and killed the other 21 that were only wounded - You Mr. president and your ilk are complete morons that can't see trees in the forest only the agenda you spin - you can't round up 11 million illegals in the country but have no problem rounding up and prosecuting 300million US citizens that are ex post facto owning guns. Just add them to the no fly list with your pen and a cell phone and F--- the constitution and its inconvenience to your agenda.

You only have one front in your fight and that is the America people from day one and we have two fronts - you and the extremist nitwit left agenda you lead and the terrorist you enable and apologize for. Lets not blame inanimate objects that can only kill if used by a killer and protects those on our side if we don't get caught being a free people with a bill of rights for a reason. That 2nd amendment was put in place because of people like you and not because we need sporting guns. It is to make possible the free militia that will defend itself from a government that will and always does grow beyond the respect of the people. Your assumed self entailed position on things is not different then the right version of the other nationalist socialist party government called the NAZI's. The end game is the same no matter if you wear a suite or a uniform - nationalist socialist requires state control of all parts of everyone's live or it cannot carry on - it is a perpetual state of fail and blame and you seem to be the best at both. That is the only legacy you will leave office with.

Actually there are not 300 million Americans who own guns. Only something like 45% of Americans own guns but those that do own a gun, own more than one. The second amendment was not put in place because of Obama who was elected, twice by a clear majority. It was in place because the USA had just gotten through a revolution against a monarch. Weapons also at that time were single shot, hard and tedious to load. No one could have predicted the killing machines we now produce. The Constitution as it was written allowed white men to own slaves and didn't allow women the right to vote. The Constitution has been amended to correct it many times and should be amended again to address the right to bear arms. Not everyone should be allowed to own a gun. Not every gun produced should be in the hands of civilians. Guns should be registered like automobiles are. People who want to own guns should have to be tested as a potential driver is before they get their license.

Guns were invented for one reason and one reason only. To kill. The argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people is just stupid. The murder and suicide rate in countries with strict gun controls are evidence of this fact. Stop blaming Obama. People like you allow these mass murders to continue.

[arjunadawn]

Obama misses the point. Were Obama driving a car with America as passengers the fear would still be the same and it would not be because of the road, its because of the driver.

[sgtsabai]

American government, no matter who was in office, has continually promulgated fear as a way to control the people and institute the police/surveillance state that now exists. As some of you know, I'm no liberal no matter how many times I'm accused of it, and BTW being a liberal is something to be proud of. None of you would have had much of anythink if it had not been for "liberals", although the right wing has been hard at work destroying all that is American since the Reagan regime. I'm a left wing radical militant and in the states I was well armed as some of the right wing wackos found out, like the KKK for one. I'm not and never was into "peace, love, good vibes, and drugs". Banning guns is not the solution, no I don't have many answers but one thing I learned long ago in college classes was one of the goals of a terrorist (they weren't called that then) was to make the people afraid of and hate their government. Seems like that thar "war on terrorism" (not really a possibility as one cannot declare war on a "thing"), ain't a goin' so good now is it Bip? Witness the kabuki theater of fear at the airports, yea I'm more scared of that than any damn terrorist. And for the uninformed, Obama is no liberal, muslim, commie, socialist, nazi, foreign born, Kenyan, etc. but is pretty damn close to a fascist with his continuation of the Cheney/Bush regime policies. But, nothing in comparison to the Donald, a true fascist. The government has and continues to promote fear since 9/11.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed. There are numerous threads about gun control. This isn't one of them.

[kbelyeu]

Again we are the problem - don't give into fear? - what a bubble head - We have not Mr. president you have completely. Stop blaming us and legal guns and take the fight to the source of evil - you have given into fear of your legacy not turning out according to the script which means a great deal more to you then the lives of we the people under attack.

Please help out the countries which have your gun laws already and did nothing to stop this sort of thing - I m glad they could buy semi auto AR-15's because if not they would have got full auto AK47's from over the border and killed the other 21 that were only wounded - You Mr. president and your ilk are complete morons that can't see trees in the forest only the agenda you spin - you can't round up 11 million illegals in the country but have no problem rounding up and prosecuting 300million US citizens that are ex post facto owning guns. Just add them to the no fly list with your pen and a cell phone and F--- the constitution and its inconvenience to your agenda.

You only have one front in your fight and that is the America people from day one and we have two fronts - you and the extremist nitwit left agenda you lead and the terrorist you enable and apologize for. Lets not blame inanimate objects that can only kill if used by a killer and protects those on our side if we don't get caught being a free people with a bill of rights for a reason. That 2nd amendment was put in place because of people like you and not because we need sporting guns. It is to make possible the free militia that will defend itself from a government that will and always does grow beyond the respect of the people. Your assumed self entailed position on things is not different then the right version of the other nationalist socialist party government called the NAZI's. The end game is the same no matter if you wear a suite or a uniform - nationalist socialist requires state control of all parts of everyone's live or it cannot carry on - it is a perpetual state of fail and blame and you seem to be the best at both. That is the only legacy you will leave office with.

Actually there are not 300 million Americans who own guns. Only something like 45% of Americans own guns but those that do own a gun, own more than one. The second amendment was not put in place because of Obama who was elected, twice by a clear majority. It was in place because the USA had just gotten through a revolution against a monarch. Weapons also at that time were single shot, hard and tedious to load. No one could have predicted the killing machines we now produce. The Constitution as it was written allowed white men to own slaves and didn't allow women the right to vote. The Constitution has been amended to correct it many times and should be amended again to address the right to bear arms. Not everyone should be allowed to own a gun. Not every gun produced should be in the hands of civilians. Guns should be registered like automobiles are. People who want to own guns should have to be tested as a potential driver is before they get their license.

Guns were invented for one reason and one reason only. To kill. The argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people is just stupid. The murder and suicide rate in countries with strict gun controls are evidence of this fact. Stop blaming Obama. People like you allow these mass murders to continue.

The constitution did not allow WHITE men to own slaves it allowed PERSONS to own slaves and if you think they were all white you are sorely mistaken. As to your other errant point there is no chance of the constitution being amended concerning the right to bear arms without a lot of bloodshed.. be careful what you ask for.

Kurt

[CMNightRider]

American government, no matter who was in office, has continually promulgated fear as a way to control the people and institute the police/surveillance state that now exists. As some of you know, I'm no liberal no matter how many times I'm accused of it, and BTW being a liberal is something to be proud of. None of you would have had much of anythink if it had not been for "liberals", although the right wing has been hard at work destroying all that is American since the Reagan regime. I'm a left wing radical militant and in the states I was well armed as some of the right wing wackos found out, like the KKK for one. I'm not and never was into "peace, love, good vibes, and drugs". Banning guns is not the solution, no I don't have many answers but one thing I learned long ago in college classes was one of the goals of a terrorist (they weren't called that then) was to make the people afraid of and hate their government. Seems like that thar "war on terrorism" (not really a possibility as one cannot declare war on a "thing"), ain't a goin' so good now is it Bip? Witness the kabuki theater of fear at the airports, yea I'm more scared of that than any damn terrorist. And for the uninformed, Obama is no liberal, muslim, commie, socialist, nazi, foreign born, Kenyan, etc. but is pretty damn close to a fascist with his continuation of the Cheney/Bush regime policies. But, nothing in comparison to the Donald, a true fascist. The government has and continues to promote fear since 9/11.

It's always refreshing to read your uplifting posts.