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Obama Defends Counterterrorism Strategy Against al-Qaida, IS

By VOA News December 06, 2016

President Barack Obama said his administration's shift in the tactics of fighting terrorism -- from bearing the brunt of the battle to creating a multinational force that engages local governments -- should be credited for gains the United States has made against the Islamic State and al-Qaida terror networks.

In his final major speech on national security, Obama praised the work done by the U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command, the units in charge of special operations elements of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

"Our nation owes you an unbelievable debt of gratitude," he told Special Operations troops based at MacDill Air Force Base in the southeastern state of Florida.

When Obama took office in 2009, the United States had been at war for seven years in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"For the eight years I've been in office, there has not been a day where a terrorist organization or some radicalized individual was not plotting to attack the United States," Obama said, adding that when he leaves office on January 20, 2017, he will have become the only president to have served two full terms during wartime.

Obama said due to his administration's attempts to build coalitions and collaborate with local governments, al-Qaida -- the group behind the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. -- "is a shadow of its former self."

Islamic State has "lost more than half its territory ... has lost control of major population centers. Its recruitment is drying up," he added.

Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, said before the speech that the administration's strategy "represents a more sustainable approach ... one where we had a limited number of U.S. forces on the ground."

But some counterterrorism experts contend the rise of IS is an indication the Obama administration did not respond soon enough, despite the administration's success in killing key militant leaders.

President-elect Donald Trump said during the campaign season that Obama and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton were "co-founders" of IS, by accusing them of allowing the initial spread of the terrorist group.

Obama will defend his counterterrorism record during a period of widespread unrest in the Middle East, with the intent of keeping the broad framework of his policies intact after he leaves office in January.