During a joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande in the White House on Tuesday, President Obama told Americans listening at home not to “allow fear to divide us” in the wake of terror threats and the deadly attacks on Paris and Mali.
“ISIL cannot defeat us on the battlefield so they target us at home,” said the President. “As Americans, we all have a role to play in how we respond to threats.”
“We cannot and we will not succumb to fear, nor will we allow fear to divide us, because that’s how terrorists win,” said Obama. “We must continue to go about living our lives."
The president reasserted that the U.S. stands with France in the fight against terrorism.
“This was an attack on our free and open societies,” said Obama. “This was an attack on the very idea that people with different religions and backgrounds can live together in peace.”
He noted how he and Hollande have agreed to step up their coordination and to go after not only Islamic extremists in the Middle East, but also Africa.