President Obama says that the United States has an advantage when combating radical Islamic terrorism, pointing to the strength of the American-Muslim community in America rather than just the efforts of law enforcement.
Obama made his comments during a reply to a question about terrorism from CBS reporter Major Garrett during a news conference at the White House today with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Obama asserted that the United States has been successful fighting domestic terrorism not simply its because law enforcement or intelligence services were better than other countries.
“Our biggest advantage, Major, is that our Muslim populations, they feel themselves to be Americans,” Obama explained. “And there is this incredible process of immigration and assimilation that is part of our tradition that is probably our greatest strength.”
Obama quickly added that there would continue to be domestic terror attacks.
“It doesn’t mean we aren’t subject to the kinds of tragedies that we saw at the Boston marathon,” he said. But assimilation, he thinks, “has been helpful.”
Obama encouraged European countries to build stronger ties to Muslim immigrants, rather than simply increasing law enforcement.
Alienating Muslim communities, Obama suggested, was “probably the greatest danger that Europe faces.”
“[I]t’s important for Europe not to simply respond with a hammer and law enforcement and military approaches to these problems,” he said.