President Obama said Monday that he would not get into the details of investigations surrounding bombs found in New York and New Jersey, but said that law enforcement officials were “working around the clock, to prevent attacks and to keep us safe.”
“They are the best of the best. Over the years, they have thwarted many plots and saved many lives and we are incredibly grateful for their service today and every single day,” Obama said in New York, where he is in town for a United Nations summit.
“Law enforcement is asking for the help of the community, so to everybody in this region, I want to repeat what we’ve said before. If you see something suspicious, then you need to say something,” Obama said.
The President said he was in contact with Govs. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and Chris Christie (R-NJ) and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), and that he had told them that they “will continue to have all federal support as they move ahead with their investigations in tracking down every lead and working to keep the people of this city and of this region safe.”
The President began his remarks just as news outlets started to report that Ahmad Khan Rahami — believed to be linked to the attempted attacks — had been taken into custody. Bombs have gone off in New Jersey and New York over the weekend, while other devices were successfully disabled by authorities. Additionally, there was a stabbing attack in a shopping mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota, which the Islamic State has already claimed credit for.
“At this point, we see no connection between that incident and what happened here in New York and New Jersey,” Obama said Monday, but added that the FBI was investigating it as an act of terrorism.
He urged the press try “to refrain from getting out ahead of the investigation,” while praising the “the cooperation that’s been taking place between the FBI and state and local law enforcement officials.”
Obama also took the opportunity to speak about the United States’ plan to address the Islamic State, which has not taken credit for the bombings in New York and New Jersey.
“We will continue to lead the global coalition on the fight to destroy ISIL which is instigating a lot of people over the internet to carry out attacks,” Obama said.
