Obama Discusses Christmas Terror Attempt During Weekly Address

President Obama used his weekly address to discuss the Christmas Day incident where a Nigerian national allegedly tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight landing in Detroit. And he said, for the first time, that suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab may be linked to Al Qaeda, "It appears that he joined an affiliate of Al Qaeda, and that this group — Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America." [Video after the jump]

He also emphasized that he's been working to halt terror —and that he knows the country is "at war," a swipe at critics like former Vice President Dick Cheney:

On [the day he took office] I also made it very clear-our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred, and that we will do whatever it takes to defeat them and defend our country, even as we uphold the values that have always distinguished America among nations.

And make no mistake, that's exactly what we've been doing. It's why I refocused the fight-bringing to a responsible end the war in Iraq, which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, and dramatically increasing our resources in the region where al Qaeda is actually based, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's why I've set a clear and achievable mission-to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies and prevent their return to either country.

But as we go forward, let us remember this-our adversaries are those who would attack our country, not our fellow Americans, not each other. Let's never forget what has always carried us through times of trial, including those attacks eight Septembers ago.

Instead of giving in to fear and cynicism, let's renew that timeless American spirit of resolve and confidence and optimism. Instead of succumbing to partisanship and division, let's summon the unity that this moment demands. Let's work together, with a seriousness of purpose, to do what must be done to keep our country safe.

Politico writes that the incident is the "Democrats' worst nightmare: Terrorism on their watch," noting, "The White House’s response to last week’s attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit could rank as one of the low points of the new president’s first year. Over the course of five days, Obama’s Obama’ reaction ranged from low-keyed to reassuring to, finally, a vow to find out what went wrong. The episode was a baffling, unforced error in presidential symbolism, hardly a small part of the presidency, and the moment at which yet another of the old political maxims that Obama had sought to transcend - the Democrats’ vulnerability on national security - reasserted itself."

And here's transcript of President Obama's address.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on January 2, 2010 4:29 PM

Comments [rss]

Reflect

The NY post site is Down at the moment so were all here.

NannyState

The NY Post is rife with Down Syndrome.

dgeee

Hey Obama, Don't forget to spit shine Mr. Corporate America's wing tips now. And Israel would like its bend over boy in Tel Aviv pronto- bring the large jar of Vaseline this time.

unsunghiro

What's wrong with you ppl, is this gothamist or is this the ny post??

Who cares if he flubbed with his response. Before he was elected, he said he was going to send troops into afghanistan and HE DID. He also reminded us in his speech that we are not at war with ourselves, which is a pointed allusion to the gestapo-like privacy breaches of the Bush era. Thank god we have a president who knows and values true human rights! Unlike Bush, who was an ignoramus and too stupid to be ethical, and Cheney who pissed on ethics.

thatgirl1

I know this might shock and confuse you, but there actually are some people, perhaps even New Yorkers that read Gothamist, willing to critique our Glorious Leader.

Snoopy

Obama is the same as Dinkens. Voted in because they had the black and liberal vote thinking the two could cause change.

Two total idiots way above their heads coming into the job and both were/are sinking ignorant individuals.

longacre

Politico writes that the incident is the "Democrats' worst nightmare: Terrorism on their watch,"
If Obama and the Democrats were as enlightened and intelligent as their loyalists praise them to be, you'd think they would have done something to repair that image now that it has returned to the forefront over the past nine years.

Now I believe the seriousness of the failed bombing is being completely overplayed in the grand scheme of things, but that's all the more reason the White House should have been able to deal with it. Maybe Bush flubbed when he read that book for another 10 mins after hearing about the World Trade Center, but Americans saw images of the Obamas surfing in paradise for THREE DAYS before the President made a peep about the failed bombing, and when he did, said zero that hadn't already been reported. Had he taken a half hour out of Christmas evening to make a statement, there would be little of the criticism.

The only way this will ever repair itself is if democratic voters start speaking up about the failings of the party's leadership. Blaming Bush isn't going to fix anything, and obviously the Dems will never heed criticism from the other side of the aisle.

If we continue the path we are on, Palin will be President in 2012, at which point the system will officially be broken beyond repair.

Shinobi Shaw

Good, because perhaps then we can actually make a true change when the whole system collapses.

ides_of_march

Deep down Obama sympathizes with these guys. None of them like this country. Hardly surprising when your political mentor is bomb-tossing commie Bill Ayers.

bert&ernie

Says the moron who cares more about his pathetic party than his country, and who excuses Bush who sat by and continued to clear brush and 3,000 Americans were murdered

Snoopy

What a crock of shit.

"I also made it very clear-our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and ..." Why doesn't he just come out and say he's embarrassed for being black and the crips and bloods have taken over the housing projects across the nation?

Mordicai

I sure wish people would stop putting "War on..." in front of things you can't go to war against. Even more though, I wish people would stop TRYING TO GO TO WAR AGAINST THEM. Listen, "Terror" isn't a place, or a guy. You can't send infantry & air support against "Terror."

ides_of_march

I agree. Terror is simply a tactic. In WWII we fought against Germany, it's wasn't called "War on Blitzkrieg."

Anyway, Obama showed himself to be a total wimp when he decided to give KSM a civilian trial and a media circus instead a military tribunal and a swift execution. I'd have him buried in a bacon shroud as well so he can't have his 72 virgins in the post-mortem martydom whorehouse.

longacre

You can't send infantry & air support against "Terror."
Several thousand mujaheddin killed in their Middle Eastern rat holes would probably disagree.