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President Obama Delivers Counterterrorism Speech - VÄ°DEO

President Obama Delivers Counterterrorism Speech - <span style="color: red;">VÄ°DEO

06 December 2016 22:28 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Speaking in Tampa, Florida, at MacDill Air Force Base, the home of the US Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command, Barack Obama was set to deliver his final major speech on national security as President, APA reports quoting Sputnik.

Prior to the event, the White House told the press that the president would be arguing that his administration has been successful in their efforts to disrupt Daesh and other extremist groups. The White House stated that the president would discuss his belief that building coalitions and working with locals to defeat terrorist leaders is the most sustainable approach to defeat the violent organization.

"From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the emergence of ISIL, to the importance of diplomacy and global development, President Obama will review exactly what he did as Commander-in-Chief and the lessons that can be drawn from this approach," the White House said of the speech.

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters that Obama would also argue that the executive order banning waterboarding and torture has improved national security. "We've actually been strengthened because it's easier to get other nations to cooperate with us," Rhodes said. President-elect Donald Trump had maintained throughout his campaign that he would rescind Obama’s executive order and put torture back on the table.