For the second time in a month, Barack Obama has downplayed the threat of ISIS within hours of a terrorist attack.
Before the Paris terrorist attacks which killed 130 people at seven different sites, Obama said ISIS is not gaining strength and that “we have contained them.” (RELATED: Obama: ISIS Not Gaining Strength [VIDEO])
In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Obama argued, “I don’t think they’re gaining strength. What is true is that from the start, our goal has been first to contain and we have contained them. They have not gained ground in Iraq, and in Syria they’ll come in, they’ll leave. But you don’t see this systemic march by ISIL across the terrain. What we have not yet been able to do is to completely decapitate their command and control structures. We’ve made some progress in trying to reduce the flow of foreign fighters, and part of our goal has to be to recruit more effective Sunni partners in Iraq to really go on offense rather than simply engage in defense.”
Prior to Obama’s ABC interview, ISIS head already taken credit for the shooting down Russia’s Metrojet Flight 9268, which killed 224 over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
There is also discord among the Democrats including Sen. [crscore]Dianne Feinstein[/crscore] arguing three days after the Paris attacks, “I have never been more concerned. I read the intelligence faithfully. ISIL is not contained. ISIL is expanding.”
This past Wednesday, appearing on “CBS This Morning,” Obama said, “ISIL is not going to pose an existential threat to us. They are a dangerous organization like al Qaeda was, but we have hardened our defenses, our homeland has never been more protected by more effective intelligence and law enforcement professionals at every level than they are now. The coordination is much better than it is now.”
That same day, a husband and wife team killed 14 and injured 21 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. (RELATED: Here’s Everything We Know About The San Bernardino Shooting)
The couple intended on detonating pipe bombs that used similar designs to bombs appearing in al-Qaida’s propaganda magazine “Inspire,” as well as having similarity to the designs the Boston Marathon bombers used.
Reports coming out Friday indicate that the female shooter pledged allegiance to ISIS on Facebook. (RELATED: CNN: Female Calif. Shooter Pledged Allegiance To ISIS)
UPDATE: Friday, the FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the San Bernardino shooting announced, “We are now investigating these horrific acts as an act of terrorism.”
FBI official: "We are now investigating these horrific acts as an act of terrorism" https://t.co/yLRBh3kdxk https://t.co/FzO2BRuWxS
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 4, 2015
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