Obama to deliver his last major national security speech

“Today, there are less than 10,000 troops in Afghanistan”, Obama says, noting the situation in Afghanistan still is tough”. “It’s imperfect”, Obama said in a recent interview with New York Magazine.

“The strategy that President Obama has put in place is more effective, it keeps us safe, it has fewer American men and women in harm’s way, and it costs American taxpayers a lot less”, Earnest said.

Following strong criticism of those views, including his willingness to target family members of terrorists, Trump appeared to reverse himself somewhat and said that he understood “that the United States is bound by laws and treaties”.

The threat will endure and “we will not achieve the clearly defined victory as we have in past wars”, because homegrown individuals are being radicalized online, he explained.

“That’s not just my assessment, that’s the assessment of Israeli intelligence, even though they were opposed to the deal”, he said.

During a visit with special operations forces Tuesday, President Obama will highlight gains the US has made against extremist organizations such as the Islamic State group and promote what he sees as the most sustainable approach to fighting such groups.

President Barack Obama is ready to travel to Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base to thank some of the country’s special operations forces and deliver his last national security speech in office.

More comfortable with an explosive tweet and a swipe at what he considers to be the Obama administration’s fecklessness on terrorism than public self-examination, Trump has promised to break Obama’s mold when he enters the White House.

Mr Obama, who ordered the successful raid against Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, also underscored the “complexity” of the fight against terror, according to top advisor Ben Rhodes.

“We should take great pride in progress we have made over eight years”, he told the assembled servicemembers. “Terrorists would love to see us walk away from multi-country organizations”.

Many lawmakers and human rights groups have denounced waterboarding, an interrogation technique that simulates drowning, as torture.

“I would challenge that conclusion that his policies have led to the expansion of extremism and I certainly don’t think that it’s going to be the case by simply using more force you’re going to reduce extremism, certainly not by re-instituting torture would you reduce extremism”.

“If you haven’t gotten covered, now is the time to do it”, he said, noting that December 15 is the deadline for people to have insurance at the start of 2017.

“Usually, presidents are very sensitive that presidents are president until noon on January 20”, said James Pfiffner, a professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

Before taking to the stage for his speech, Mr Obama told about 250 U.S. service members gathered in a gym that it had been the privilege of his lifetime to serve as their commander-in-chief.

Administration officials point to the recovery of nearly half of the territories controlled by IS in 2014, the ongoing offensive in Iraq, and a slowing of foreign fighters joining the ranks of the jihadists.

After the election, Ryan was effusive in praising Trump’s win and has complimented him at every turn, insisting that they talk all the time and will be working “hand in glove”.

During his transition to the presidency, Richard Nixon authorized secret talks between his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, and the North Vietnamese, to revive negotiations to end the Vietnam War.

Trump also boasted late a year ago that on the subject of IS, he knows “more than the generals”.

During his first post-election press conference on November 14, Obama noted “there is one president at a time”.