Josh Earnest: ‘We’ve Worked Very Effectively To Defeat Terrorists’

EARNEST He puts the ░░░░░░░░ and security of the ░░░░░░░░ people at the top ░░░░░░░░ his list of concerns ░░░░░░░░ the actions that he ░░░░░░░░ ordered thus far in ░░░░░░░░ to strike ISIL is ░░░░░░░░ motivated to protect American ░░░░░░░░ including our embassy and ░░░░░░░░ consulate in Iraq That ░░░░░░░░ the focal point of ░░░░░░░░ operations Then there are ░░░░░░░░ objectives that we are ░░░░░░░░ pursuing in terms of ░░░░░░░░ some humanitarian assistance to ░░░░░░░░ religious and ethnic minorities ░░░░░░░░ are being targeted by ░░░░░░░░ There are also some ░░░░░░░░ counter terrorism operations that ░░░░░░░░ engaged in there as ░░░░░░░░ for some time But ░░░░░░░░ the president is making ░░░░░░░░ decisions particularly as it ░░░░░░░░ to an organization like ░░░░░░░░ what he is focused ░░░░░░░░ is the safety and ░░░░░░░░ of the American people ░░░░░░░░ threat that this extremist ░░░░░░░░ principally poses to the ░░░░░░░░ is in the form ░░░░░░░░ foreign fighters individuals with ░░░░░░░░ passports that had traveled ░░░░░░░░ the region and taken ░░░░░░░░ arms to fight alongside ░░░░░░░░ There is significant concern ░░░░░░░░ the idea that some ░░░░░░░░ these individuals may try ░░░░░░░░ travel back to the ░░░░░░░░ using the western passports ░░░░░░░░ carry out acts of ░░░░░░░░ or engage in terrorism ░░░░░░░░ So as it relates ░░░░░░░░ our principal concern about ░░░░░░░░ threat that s posed ░░░░░░░░ ISIL the president is ░░░░░░░░ about the threat of ░░░░░░░░ And that is why ░░░░░░░░ other counter terrorism operations ░░░░░░░░ this administration has carried ░░░░░░░░ are a relevant reference ░░░░░░░░ One of the other ░░░░░░░░ that president mentioned in ░░░░░░░░ interview is that we ░░░░░░░░ seen the United States ░░░░░░░░ under the leadership of ░░░░░░░░ president and thanks to ░░░░░░░░ courage and service of ░░░░░░░░ and women in uniform ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence agencies we ░░░░░░░░ effectively to defeat terrorists ░░░░░░░░ pose a threat to ░░░░░░░░ United States That is ░░░░░░░░ of the success of ░░░░░░░░ efforts to decimate al ░░░░░░░░ core in the border ░░░░░░░░ along the border between ░░░░░░░░ and Pakistan It is ░░░░░░░░ true in some of ░░░░░░░░ counter terrorism efforts that ░░░░░░░░ have seen the administration ░░░░░░░░ the president order in ░░░░░░░░ and Somalia and other ░░░░░░░░ So what the president ░░░░░░░░ trying to do is ░░░░░░░░ to illustrate that there ░░░░░░░░ a track record here ░░░░░░░░ people can evaluate And ░░░░░░░░ of these situations is ░░░░░░░░ and we will have ░░░░░░░░ consider each of them ░░░░░░░░ But in terms of ░░░░░░░░ what the president s ░░░░░░░░ concern is and what ░░░░░░░░ solution looks like it ░░░░░░░░ similar to some of ░░░░░░░░ other counter terrorism missions ░░░░░░░░ the president has ordered ░░░░░░░░ have been successfully executed ░░░░░░░░ the United States military ░░░░░░░░ with the support and ░░░░░░░░ conjunction with our allies ░░░░░░░░ the world and of ░░░░░░░░ the support of American ░░░░░░░░ agencies PACE You mentioned ░░░░░░░░ of the other kind ░░░░░░░░ terrorism missions People often ░░░░░░░░ about this in the ░░░░░░░░ of Yemen Pakistan Somalia ░░░░░░░░ tend to be missions ░░░░░░░░ are indecipherable in secrecy ░░░░░░░░ administration in some cases ░░░░░░░░ t even acknowledge that ░░░░░░░░ are happening That s ░░░░░░░░ what the president s ░░░░░░░░ about here tough when ░░░░░░░░ talks about counter terrorism ░░░░░░░░ EARNEST Well the president ░░░░░░░░ been engaged in an ░░░░░░░░ and he gave a ░░░░░░░░ on this earlier this ░░░░░░░░ Our desire his desire ░░░░░░░░ our collective effort is ░░░░░░░░ try and bring some ░░░░░░░░ transparency to some of ░░░░░░░░ issues PACE What you ░░░░░░░░ pointing that s one ░░░░░░░░ of counter terrorism mission ░░░░░░░░ s not the type ░░░░░░░░ mission he s seems ░░░░░░░░ be talking about right ░░░░░░░░ Well each of these ░░░░░░░░ is a little bit ░░░░░░░░ and each of them ░░░░░░░░ their own unique threat ░░░░░░░░ I guess what I ░░░░░░░░ say is that president ░░░░░░░░ been pretty clear about ░░░░░░░░ he is not contemplating ░░░░░░░░ president is not contemplating ░░░░░░░░ deployment of combat boots ░░░░░░░░ the ground into Iraq ░░░░░░░░ Syria He is talking ░░░░░░░░ building a broader coalition ░░░░░░░░ engaging regional governments and ░░░░░░░░ for the support and ░░░░░░░░ effective governance of the ░░░░░░░░ central government to confront ░░░░░░░░ threat Is it possible ░░░░░░░░ might be some clandestine ░░░░░░░░ that are also underway ░░░░░░░░ I m sure that ░░░░░░░░ the case and I ░░░░░░░░ sure that s something ░░░░░░░░ won t be in ░░░░░░░░ position to talk about ░░░░░░░░ if they do occur ░░░░░░░░ what the president is ░░░░░░░░ about something that he ░░░░░░░░ laid out a couple ░░░░░░░░ times and you will ░░░░░░░░ an opportunity to talk ░░░░░░░░ that at more length ░░░░░░░░ Wednesday PACE Has he ░░░░░░░░ a decision on whether ░░░░░░░░ strikes should extend into ░░░░░░░░ EARNEST What the president ░░░░░░░░ said is he and ░░░░░░░░ said this in the ░░░░░░░░ that he conducted over ░░░░░░░░ weekend is his willingness ░░░░░░░░ go wherever is necessary ░░░░░░░░ strike those who are ░░░░░░░░ Americans And that is ░░░░░░░░ true in the range ░░░░░░░░ other circumstances to the ░░░░░░░░ that there parallels here ░░░░░░░░ president ordered this military ░░░░░░░░ to go after Osama ░░░░░░░░ Laden in Pakistan And ░░░░░░░░ was sort of the ░░░░░░░░ fulfilling campaign promise that ░░░░░░░░ made in speech I ░░░░░░░░ in the summer of ░░░░░░░░ where he talked about ░░░░░░░░ commitment as Commander in ░░░░░░░░ to deploying American resources ░░░░░░░░ necessary to protect the ░░░░░░░░ people And I think ░░░░░░░░ is an useful guidelines ░░░░░░░░ you try to assess ░░░░░░░░ president s thinking about ░░░░░░░░ of these issues PACE ░░░░░░░░ play that out if ░░░░░░░░ is willing to go ░░░░░░░░ groups that threatened Americans ░░░░░░░░ they are and you ░░░░░░░░ ISIS could pose a ░░░░░░░░ to Americans and they ░░░░░░░░ in Syria has he ░░░░░░░░ made a decision to ░░░░░░░░ after them inside Syria ░░░░░░░░ If the president has ░░░░░░░░ decision along these lines ░░░░░░░░ m sure that s ░░░░░░░░ decision that would raise ░░░░░░░░ a level of the ░░░░░░░░ making the announcement about ░░░░░░░░ decision But what I ░░░░░░░░ trying to do is ░░░░░░░░ you some insight into ░░░░░░░░ president s thinking on ░░░░░░░░ issue and I don ░░░░░░░░ if I m successful ░░░░░░░░ that effort but that ░░░░░░░░ was a [indecipherable] effort.”