The Obama administration has spent the last few days encouraging Americans not to be afraid of the Islamic State, despite attacks that killed 129 people in Paris, and new threats from the terrorist group that it will launch similar attacks inside the United States.
Speaking in Malaysia on Sunday, Obama said simply not being afraid is a key part of his strategy for fighting the group.
“[I]n addition to hunting down terrorists, in addition to effective intelligence, and in addition to missile strikes, and in addition to cutting off financing and all the other things that we’re doing, the most powerful tool we have to fight ISIL is to say that we’re not afraid; to not elevate them; to somehow buy into their fantasy that they’re doing something important,” he said, although he immediately admitted, “they’re a bunch of killers.”
Obama has been criticized for downplaying the capabilities of the terrorist group, but nonetheless did so again on Sunday, and said the group can’t defeat the U.S. even if it decides to attack.
“I am not afraid that ISIL will beat us because of their operations,” he said. “When I see a headline that says this individual who designed this plot in Paris is a mastermind — he’s not a mastermind.”
“He found a few other vicious people, got hands on some fairly conventional weapons, and, sadly, it turns out that if you’re willing to die, you can kill a lot of people,” he added.
And while many are fearful of some attack within the U.S., Obama said he wouldn’t allow the U.S. to become fearful.
“[T]hey can’t beat us on the battlefield, so they try to terrorize us into being afraid, into changing our patterns of behavior, into panicking, into abandoning our allies and partners, into retreating from the world,” he said. “And as president, I will not let that happen.”
Obama’s comments are similar to those made by other key cabinet members. Over the weekend, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said people should do whatever they normally do during Thanksgiving week, without fear.
“With this holiday season coming up we want the public to continue to go to public events, celebrate the holiday season, travel, be with their families and the like,” Johnson said Sunday.
Both Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry have said there are no specific signs that a terrorist attack is imminent against the United States. Monday morning, Kerry said people shouldn’t panic and that the U.S. is able to defeat the Islamic State.
“People need to not panic,” he said. “There is a strategy in place that is growing by the day.”
The Obama administration, however, continues to reject the idea of sending ground forces back into the Middle East, and instead is relying on the idea of building up and using other countries’ ground troops. For now, the U.S. is relying on airstrikes as a way to “degrade” the group.
Still, Kerry insisted that the Islamic State fighters are not all powerful, and that they can be defeated.
“ISIS is not 10-feet tall,” he said.
