President Barack Obama admitted that ‘lone wolf’ jihadist attacks present a vexing new security challenge Friday, even as he assured Americans the Islamic State group can be defeated.
Obama capped a week in which he has tried repeatedly to reassure a jittery Americans that his administration can neutralise the terror threat, with an end-of-year press conference that only underscored the tough task ahead.
‘It is very difficult for us to detect lone wolf plots,’ Obama acknowledged as officials continue to piece together how a couple shot 14 people dead at a party in California.
‘Despite the incredible vigilance and professionalism of all our law enforcement… you don’t always see it.’
‘This is a different kind of challenge than the sort that we had with an organisation like al-Qaeda,’ Obama said before leaving for San Bernardino, the site of the shooting, and on to Hawaii for Christmas.
‘Essentially, you have ISIL trying to encourage or induce somebody who may be prey to this kind of propaganda.’
Obama is under intense pressure to quickly and decisively end a threat that may take years if not decades of military, security, diplomatic and economic effort to neutralize.
Part of the puzzle, he said, was to end the brutal war in Syria that has created fertile soil for the Islamic State to grow.
‘Our view has been that you cannot bring peace to Syria, you cannot get an end to the civil war unless you have a government that is recognised as legitimate by a majority of that country. It will not happen.’
President Bashar al-Assad, Obama said, ‘is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the bloodletting and for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a non-sectarian way. He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of a large majority of the country.’
Working with Assad against Islamic State – as suggested by Russia and Iran – would make the United States ‘even more of a target for terrorist activity,’ he added.
Obama capped a week in which he has tried repeatedly to reassure a jittery Americans that his administration can neutralise the terror threat, with an end-of-year press conference that only underscored the tough task ahead.
‘It is very difficult for us to detect lone wolf plots,’ Obama acknowledged as officials continue to piece together how a couple shot 14 people dead at a party in California.
‘Despite the incredible vigilance and professionalism of all our law enforcement… you don’t always see it.’
‘This is a different kind of challenge than the sort that we had with an organisation like al-Qaeda,’ Obama said before leaving for San Bernardino, the site of the shooting, and on to Hawaii for Christmas.
‘Essentially, you have ISIL trying to encourage or induce somebody who may be prey to this kind of propaganda.’
Obama is under intense pressure to quickly and decisively end a threat that may take years if not decades of military, security, diplomatic and economic effort to neutralize.
Part of the puzzle, he said, was to end the brutal war in Syria that has created fertile soil for the Islamic State to grow.
‘Our view has been that you cannot bring peace to Syria, you cannot get an end to the civil war unless you have a government that is recognised as legitimate by a majority of that country. It will not happen.’
President Bashar al-Assad, Obama said, ‘is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the bloodletting and for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a non-sectarian way. He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of a large majority of the country.’
Working with Assad against Islamic State – as suggested by Russia and Iran – would make the United States ‘even more of a target for terrorist activity,’ he added.
Source: New Age