In the wake of last week's Islamic State-inspired massacre in California, President Barack Obama on Sunday vowed to defeat the terrorist organization but said the the United States will not be "drawn once more into a long and costly ground war" overseas.
Obama, in a rare national address from the Oval Office, warned that the terrorist threat facing the United States has "evolved into a new phase," saying extremist groups far from American soil can too easily spawn attacks here.
"As we've become better at preventing complex multifaceted attacks like 9/11, terrorists turn to less complicated acts of violence like the mass shootings that are all too common in our society," the president said. "It is this type of attack that we saw at Fort Hood in 2009, in Chattanooga earlier this year, and now in San Bernardino."
Law enforcement officials have uncovered evidence that the two shooters who killed 14 in California on Dec. 2 had links to Muslim extremists and the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for last month's coordinated terrorist attack in Paris.
Obama said there is no sign the two were part of a larger U.S.-based terrorist organization, but called the shootings "an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people."
The commander-in-chief used Sunday's address to update the nation on the latest in the military campaign against the Islamic State group — more intelligence sharing, more airstrikes, and new U.S. special forces teams operating in Iraq and Syria — but also to chastise his critics and Congress for their response to the terrorist attacks.
"Our success won't depend on tough talk, or abandoning our values or giving into fear. "That's what groups like ISIL are hoping for," Obama said, using one of the acronyms for the terror group.
In particular, Obama called out Congress for failing to pass a new military-force authorization for the fight against ISIL, which began 16 months ago. The White House has made repeated pleas to Congress seeking clarity for the legal justification for action.
"I think it's time for Congress to vote to demonstrate that the American people are united and committed to this fight," Obama said.
As he's done several times previously, the president pushed back against calls for a larger ground American force in the region, insisting that his policy of training and equipping friendly forces in Iraq and Syria is the only path towards long-term peace.
"They know they can't defeat us on the battlefield," Obama said. "ISIL fighters were part of the insurgency that we faced in Iraq. But they also know that if we occupy foreign lands, they can maintain insurgencies for years, killing thousands of our troops and draining our resources, and using our presence to draw new recruits."
Obama also warned against using the recent attack to scapegoat Muslims, both at home and abroad.
"Muslim-Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co- workers, our sports heroes," he said. "And, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country. We have to remember that."
Congress is scheduled to wrap up its 2015 legislative session in the next two weeks, and will likely tackle foreign visa regulation and other monitoring issues as part of a larger immigration policy.
No near-term congressional action is expected on the White House's request for authorized military force against the Islamic State group. The administration has said such action would serve as a symbol of resolve and focus.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
