President Obama Reassures Americans Ahead of Holiday Travel

Speaking at the National Counterterrorism Center Thursday, President Obama sought to reassure Americans on national security before the holidays.

“After the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino I know that a lot of Americans are anxious, and that’s understandable. That’s natural,” Obama said. “Here’s what I want every American to know: Since 9/11 we’ve taken extraordinary steps to strengthen our homeland security… We have the very best intelligence, counterterrorism, homeland security and law enforcement professionals in the world. Our folks are the best. Across our government these dedicated professionals are relentless 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

He said that for now, intelligence and counterterrorism officials “do not have any specific and credible information about an attack on the homeland.”

Obama also outlined the three fronts in which the United States is fighting ISIS: going after the terrorist leaders abroad, coordinating with European allies to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and other countries, and ramping up efforts to prevent attacks from individuals already in the U.S.

The president ended with a call for national unity. “One of our greatest weapons against terrorism is our own strength and resilience as a people,” He said. “It also means staying united as one American family, remembering that our greatest allies in this fight are each other, Americans of all faiths and all backgrounds. When Americans stand together, nothing can beat us.”

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