08 January,2010 10:10 AM IST | | PTI
US President Barack Obama on Thursday said America is at war against Al-Qaeda and do whatever it takes to defeat them. At the same time, he asserted that his policy of dialogue with the Muslim community across the globe would continue.
"Over the past two weeks, we have been reminded again of the challenge we face in protecting our country against a foe that is bent on our destruction...let's be clear about what this moment demands. We are at war," Obama said in his speech at White House.
"We are at war against Al-Qaeda, a far-reaching network of violence and hatred that attacked us on 9/11, killed nearly 3,000 innocent people, and is plotting to strike us again. We will do whatever it takes to defeat them," Obama said.
Obama said, at the same time US has made progress against terrorism and Al-Qaeda leadership has been hunkered down. "We have worked closely with partners, including Yemen, to inflict major blows against Al-Qaeda leaders, and we have disrupted plots at home and abroad, and saved American lives," the US President asserted.
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Noting that majority of Muslims were rejecting Al-Qaeda, Obama said, Al-Qaeda increasingly seeks to recruit individuals without known terrorist affiliations not just in the Middle East but in Africa and other places to do their bidding.
He said, he has directed his national security team to develop a strategy that addresses the unique challenges posed by lone recruits. "And that's why we must communicate clearly to Muslims around the world that Al-Qaeda offers nothing except a bankrupt vision of misery and death, including the murder of fellow Muslims, while the US stands with those who seek justice and progress," Obama said.
"...we have sought new beginnings with Muslim communities around the world, one in which we engage on the basis of mutual interests and respect and work together to fulfill the aspirations that all people share - to get an education, to work with dignity, to live in peace and security," Obama said.
"That's what America believes in. That's the vision that is far more powerful than the hatred of these violent extremists," he said.
