President Obama says Mali attack stiffens resolve against terrorism

Reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia —  President Obama said the hostage standoff that claimed at least one American life in Mali on Friday “only stiffens our resolve” to combat the scourge of terrorism.

Before planned remarks on trade Saturday at an economic summit in Malaysia, the president hailed the work of American diplomatic security forces and other American troops who worked with French and United Nations personnel to prevent even further bloodshed after Islamist gunmen stormed a Western hotel in Bamako, the Malian capital.

“Like the heinous attacks we saw in Paris, and the attacks we see all too often elsewhere, this is another awful reminder of the scourge of terrorism that threatens so many of our nations,” Obama said. “Once again this barbarity only stiffens our resolve to meet this challenge. We will stand with the people of Mali as they work to rid their country of terrorists and strengthen their democracy.”

The president arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Friday as he nears the end of a 10-day foreign trip that also included stops in Turkey and the Philippines. The attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 and in Mali have competed for his attention as he has also sought to promote his trade agenda and highlight deepened ties he’s sought to build in southeast Asia.

But Obama signaled in his remarks Saturday morning how his rebalance strategy also serves America’s security interests in the fight against terrorism.

“I’ve seen throughout my trip this week nations around the world, including countries represented here today, are united in our determination to protect our people, push back on the hateful ideologies that fuel this terrorism, and stand up for the universal values of tolerance and respect for human dignity that united us and makes us stronger than any terrorist,” he said. “This is the work that we must do together.”

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