Furthermore, though the president addressed criticism about drone strikes and reports of civilian casualties, CAIR said it disagrees with the president's assessment that there is no better alternative to pursuing violent extremists that would not result in "these heartbreaking tragedies."
In response, CAIR again called on the president to cease his reliance on drone strikes far from the battlefields, noting that even former General Stanley McChrystal has expressed concern that such strikes "undermine America's foreign policy goals."
CAIR also cautioned against the president's proposal to review whether or not his administration would establish a "special court to evaluate and authorize lethal action" against drone strike targets as it raises serious constitutional issues about presidential, judicial authority and due process.
While CAIR welcomes the president's recommitment to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, as it has become, as he said, a "symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law," it remains cautiously optimistic as the president has yet to fulfill this six year old promise. CAIR additionally expressed concern that the closure of Guantanamo Bay would be accomplished by creating a comparable facility with the same inadequate judicial processes inside the United States.
In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that detainees in Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detentions in U.S. civilian courts.
CAIR welcomed the president's acknowledgement that the threat of homegrown violent extremism knows no single ideology, citing the 2012 Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin and 2010 attack in which a plane was flown into an IRS building in Texas.
CAIR agreed with the president that the United States must address all forms of violent extremism, regardless of ideology, proportionally to the criminal threat posed by such individuals and groups.
Finally, CAIR welcomed the president's pledge to "guard against any encroachments on [American Muslim] civil liberties" as it "is the ultimate rebuke to those who say we are at war with Islam."
In his speech President Obama stressed the success of American Mulims and said:
"The best way to prevent violent extremism inspired by violent jihadists is to work with the Muslim American community -- which has consistently rejected terrorism -- to identify signs of radicalization and partner with law enforcement when an individual is drifting towards violence. And these partnerships can only work when we recognize that Muslims are a fundamental part of the American family."
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