Obama vows US will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks. PHOTO: REUTERS
"We stand united with people around the world who've been targeted by terrorists - from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris," Obama said in his State of the Union address, just days after militant attacks in the French capital left 17 dead.
As he asked US lawmakers to give him updated war powers to use American military might to go after the Islamic State group, Obama vowed: "We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks."
The US has already unleashed dozens of airstrikes against the militants since September, using the powers enshrined in legislation adopted in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to hunt down al Qaeda.
"Tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL," Obama said.
But he stressed US officials "reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we've done relentlessly since I took office, to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies."
Obama denounced that "deplorable anti-Semitism" was again being seen in places around the world.
But the US president also stressed "we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims - the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace."
Promising to stand up for and respect human dignity, Obama added: "That's why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender."
"We do these things not only because they're right, but because they make us safer."
In a show of support for France, top US diplomat John Kerry last week laid wreaths at the sites of the Paris attacks.
And Kerry, who has helped lead diplomatic coalition-building efforts to harness support from more than 60 countries to combat IS, denounced the Paris attacks as an "outrage" and a sign that press freedom was increasingly "under siege."
"That is because some people, some groups, and even some governments want to dictate the truth, want to define it, want to hide what we would know to be the truth," Kerry told a conference on journalists' safety on Tuesday.
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@bajwa: That's a lie and you know it. Until we admit the terrorists are the creation of our society we will never be able to win this war they have waged on us. Do you really believe the likes of Abdul aziz and the anti-American hate he spews is made in American factories? Your mindset is what is wrong with our society.
@Rawalpindi kid: Dear Rawalpindi kid, Your explanation of the wonderful American empire almost brought a tear to my eye, before I recovered and moved back into the world of reality.
The bottom line is that America is failing from an economic point of view. It does not manufacture very much anymore, and that job has been handed over to Asia. It grows food, but most of it is genetically modified and nobody in their right mind would wish to eat it. It is the home of fast food and every time we are subjected to pictures of Americans, particularly the police and military, they are grossly overweight. Admittedly America’s business is business, but almost all of it is comprised of finance and market manipulation which is run by money junkies. Unemployment is high, wages are low, most jobs emanate from burger joints, and its medical system is a disaster unless you can afford it, which many cannot.
At the present time America is trying to get its F-35 aircraft flying with little success, and apparently it is the most expensive plane in history with some models expected to cost 40 billion rupees each, and the lower cost versions 20 billion rupees if they ever get them working. At the moment America is virtually out of the space business due to financial problems, and has to buy rocket engines from overseas suppliers such as the Russians if it wishes to visit its space station or ship items such as spy satellites into orbit.
US foreign policy is appalling. Over the last 70 years its military has roamed around the world creating one disaster after another, and during the last 20 years has moved into overdrive. I will not spell out all the disasters created individually, but at the moment much of North Africa and the Middle East through to the sub-continent are bombed out unstable wrecks due to American depredations and nuclear, radio-active poisoning.
I agree that Pakistan appears to be complicit in supporting drone strikes, and other military activities but, regretfully the US appears to have an uncanny knack of being able to manipulate or pressurise its puppet client states all over the world.
I think that if you took a poll in Iraq you would find that 99% would like to go back to the old days of Saddam Hussain governance, as bad as he was.
In summing up, and if anybody cared to look at the terror situation objectively, they would find that most of the terror the world is facing from Pakistan to Paris would not exist if America had stated at home over the last 50 years or so.
All the terrorists are made in "factories" run by US
@Ariba: You cannot blame Mr Obama for the faults of the white American chiefs and their cuban fiascos; infact he is urging the American congress to lift the sanctions embargo which did not work. I bet he is looking forward to returning the Guatanimo island back to Fidel Castro as soon as the Cuban Government accepts to take the inmates with it.l
Rex Minor
@Afzaal: horsrte a Who does not appreciate the services of the collaborators? Do not ignore though that the American Embassies or listening outposts ( as Barbara Star of the CNN calls them) are gradualy closing down in muslim countries.
Rex Minor.
We stand united with people around the world who’ve been targeted by terrorists – from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris,” Obama said in his State of the Union address, This is nothing more than 'motherhood', since the whole of the civilised world stands in solidarity with the victims of violence, be it caused by the States or non State actors!!! Mind you, he is up against the new congress majority of the republicans whose speaker leader did not hesitate to show his scorn every time the camera caught up with him. He would rather impeach the Prsident and time is running out..
Rex Minor.
Be that as may, it is very popular in Pakistan to bash America. Although no country can be perfect, I would dare say America has done a lot more good around the world, and in muslim countries in particular than it has done harm. Here are but just a few examples: America is by far the largest contributor of economic and social aid to Pakistan and no other country including our closest ally China comes close. Whenever a natural disaster strikes Pakistan America provides the biggest support, just think of all those American helicopters transporting earthquake hit people to safe locations and providing monetary and medical support. So much of the infrastructure in Pakistan was actually developed with help from America, even currently the Bhasha dam is financed by America.
We hear constant complaints about the drones, even though everyone knows the drone bombings are conducted with local intelligence and tacit support from our security forces. Pakistan govt itself has admitted, while outwardly condemning them, that the vast majority of casualties from the drones have been the terrorists that we are fighting. How else were the TTP commanders killed? Who took care of Benazir's killer? Let's not fool ourselves by claiming the drones strikes are unilateral action by the Americans.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, all ask for American support to protect themselves. Who came to the help of Bosnia when they were being ethnically cleansed of muslims while the European nations around them were sitting watching? Yes, America.
America has made life better for everyone. From Internet, to Google, the personal computer, mass produced cars, airplanes, cell phones, airconditioning, electric bulb, copier, printer, sunglasses, email, moon landing, space shuttle, CDs/DVDs, the list is endless. What did we achieve and gave to the world? Before criticizing America we better look in the mirror first. We can certainly disagree with many of American foreign policies such as the blind political support for Israel, but let's not lose sight of all the help America has provided Pakistan and Muslim countries, and let's not malign ourselves by making supporting arguments for the likes of Saddam Hussain.
I wonder if President Obama is also concerned about all the babies being born with birth defects as a result of the US using highly radio active uranium when it goes around the world bombing countries into the stone-age?.
For those brining up drone attacks, I agree with the sentiments but if we look at it logically the US is not using drones wihtout Pakistan government and Army permission. There are airports in Pakistan where these drones are launched from. So if we want to balme anyone let's blame our own leaders. The US will do what's in it's best interest and thats period. If our leaders looked after our nations interests first we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. As a nation we need to channel our effort against our leaders to fix these issues and not outside world.
Nice gesture by Obama.
@Ariba: You are exactly correct,succinct, and one of a very few who says it the way it is. If the US had not jack-booted around the world over the last 70 years, and the last 20 in particular with such hegemonic zeal, the world would surely be a much better and safer place.
@Aaliya...so think the USA should come into Pakistan to chase down the Taliban?...how about Pakistan fighting its own war with terrorists and stop blaming the west for problems caused by radical Islamists...:
Dear Zee Khan:
Our officials are meeting regularly to discuss our shared concerns and common objectives in the region. Army chief General Raheel Sharif met United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Lloyd J Austin III at the General Headquarter last week. As reported, during the meeting, matters of mutual interest including bilateral defense cooperation and overall regional security situation with special emphasis on Afghanistan were discussed. Secretary of State John Kerry also visited Pakistan last week and reiterated the U.S. was committed to deepening its security relationship with Pakistan in order to eliminate threats in the border area and elsewhere.
You’re right, and the need of the hour is to stand united and work together to negate the common threat of terrorism. As secretary of State John Kerry said during his visit last week: “The tragedy of December 16 is really a reminder of the serious risk of allowing extremists to find space, and be able to command that space and operate within it. We all have a responsibility to ensure that these extremists are no longer able to secure a foothold in this country or elsewhere.”
Ali Khan Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM
@Saeed: Same reason why so many pakis migrate to non muslim countries illegally .
Why do our newspapers post so many comments from indians? They spoil rational discussion by their bias and skewed views.
Thank you Mr. President, But we need more drones.
Here we go again. Empty words and hollow promises. If the US made even a quarter of the efforts that it is making to track down and avenge the perpetrators involved in the Charlie Hebdo attack, the terrorists involved in the Army Public School attack wouldn't stand a chance. They would be behind bars right now.! But sadly, the bloodshed in Pakistan means nothing to the US. We are used and exploited by them, and this has been proven time and again.
Appreciate President Obama's words, I feel he was genuine-but US foreign policy needs to be fixed. We all must work together to end this terror and bring Peace.
@Prem: Before commenting on my submission, you should at least try to grasp what I said. I don't know how you got the idea that I tried to paint Saddam Hussain as an angel? I clearly stated that Saddam was ruthless with those who opposed his rule. Still, during his rule, the vast majority of population enjoyed a fair degree of stability and prosperity which attracted a large number of expatriates from around the globe.
And before the US invasion, Iraq and the region were a thousand times better than what they are like now, which is a fact.
Karachi
Ask India nicely and they will end the terrorism sponsorship :)
Obama had zero need to mention Pakistan in his state of the union address to the nation. Especially seeing how Pakistanis are incapable of genuine good relations.
@Prem: Nobody is perfect, but I will give odds that the Iraq people would prefer Saddam Hussein to the Americans. Incidentally, the Kurdish fighters were not exactly angels.
@S.R.H. Hashmi: How far back do you want to look for atrocities? Didn't Saddam Hussain use chemical weapons on the Kurdish women and children? Didn't his agencies murder over 200,000 citizens? Now you want to paint him as an angel? Hypocrisy indeed. Let us see you hold the Saudis accountable for sectarianism first.
Saying "US stands with terror victims from Pakistan to Paris' US Presient Barack Obama vowed US will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks.
In fact, what was needed was an effort by Obama to stop America's international adventurism, especially invasion and interference in Muslim states that give rise to, encourages and expands terrorism.
Though ruthless towards those who opposed his rule, Saddam Hussain had managed to provide fair degree of stability and even prosperity to his people. He had also managed to keep sectarian elements under check and in his time, there was no al Qaeda or any other terrorists outfit in Iraq. However, his forcible removal from the scene by George Bush and Tony Blair, without making suitable arrangements to fill the gap gave rise to all sorts of sectarian and other divisive elements which have destabilized the country, and are now threatening the whole region.
So, while offering to stand with terror victims from Pakistan to Paris, the US owes a greater duty to victims of its own terror in Iraq who suffered nearly a million innocent men, women and children killed, apart from experiencing a permanent destabilization of their country.
When asked to redress its injustice to Iraq, the American leaders said they will help Iraq after they are out of it, but even after quitting it, they did nothing for the country and its people.
And while knowing well what foreign intervention does to countries, Americans went ahead and destabilized Syria and Libya as well, though ohers, includidng some Muslim states are also part of the dirty game..
And Obama deplores rise in anti-Semitism, while choosing not to say a word about continuing atrocities by Israel - with the unqualified support and backing by the US - which are turning public opinion, and state stance, against Israel even in countries which had previously given unqualified support to Israel. Obviously, this dislike of Israel's policies gets translated into anti-Semitism. So, the growing anti-Semitism is of Israel's own making and the remedy also lies in Israeli hands.
And there is growing defiance by Israel of the international community, including thwarting of US efforts over decades for a peaceful, two-state solution of the Arab-Israeli problem which is turning world opinion against Israel, which gets manifested in rising anti-Semitism.
Karachi
Oh you hypocrite. You murder kids through drones while murdering 'suspects', creating 'terrorists' in the process. You fund and supply weapons to create the 'militia' to fight the dictator you supported all these years, and then that militia morphs into ISIS and now you want to go back in and bomb Iraqis and Syrians into freedom.
Oh you hypocrite.
crocodile tears
what about Drone victims ? who will look after them..
What about victims of Drones, Sir .. ?
If only Mr Obama, you can stop interfering in other countries' affairs, the world will be much safer place.