HONOLULU — In his first public statement since the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, President Barack Obama called the incident “a serious reminder of the dangers we face” and tried to assure Americans that they are safe while urging them to remain vigilant.
“A full investigation has been launched into this attempted act of terrorism, and we will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable,” Obama said in brief remarks at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, a short drive from the rented beachfront house where he is spending the holidays with his family and friends.
Obama called a 23-year-old Nigerian man’s alleged attempt to ignite explosives on the flight as it descended into Detroit Metropolitan Airport “a serious reminder of the dangers we face and the nature of those who threaten our homeland.” The suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has claimed ties to Al Qaeda and said that he obtained the explosive device in Yemen. Less than an hour before Obama was scheduled to speak, the terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attempted attack.
Obama did not address Al Qaeda directly but said he directed his national security team “to keep up the pressure on those who want to attack our country.”
“We do not have all the answers on this latest attempt, but those who would slaughter innocent men, women and children must know that the United States will do more than simply strengthen our defenses,” Obama said. “We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us — whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere.”
Obama said that he spoke earlier Monday with Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and his counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, and said that “the American people should be assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep you and your family safe and secure during this busy holiday season.”
But the president offered no new details about steps the federal government has taken, since the incident occurred Friday, to ensure that air travel is safe, and his remarks, the first he has made since the incident, came as the White House struggled to send a clear message in the aftermath of the attempted attack.
On Sunday Napolitano said that “the system worked.” But she said on Monday that her words had been taken out of context and that she was referring to what happened after the incident occurred.
“Our system did not work in this instance,” she said on NBC's "Today" show. “No one is happy or satisfied with that.”
Dressed casually in a blue jacket with no tie and taking no questions from reporters, Obama reiterated the steps the administration has taken since Friday — adding federal air marshals on flights into and out of the United States, stepping up its coordination with local law enforcement and ordering reviews of airport screening procedures and of the government’s process for compiling terrorist watch lists.
The reviews were announced after it was determined that Abdulmutallab made it through airport security with the bombing materials attached to his body and was not on a no-fly list or a larger list of individuals who are flagged to receive additional searching before they can board an airplane.
“We need to determine just how the suspect was able to bring dangerous explosives aboard an aircraft and what additional steps we need to take to thwart additional future attacks,” he said.
Obama called on Americans to remain vigilant and praised the crew and passengers aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 for subduing and restraining Abdulmutallab after he caught on fire in trying to detonate the device.
Abdulmutallab was charged Saturday with attempting to detonate explosives on the Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
“Thanks to the quick and heroic actions of passengers and crew, the suspect was immediately subdued, the fire was put out and the plane landed safely,” Obama said. “
“The American people should remain vigilant but also remain confident. ... We will continue to do everything we can to keep America safe in the new year and beyond.”
