"We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us." This is what President Barack Obama said in his most passionate denunciation of ISIS. Obama appeared on national television in the wake of the San Bernardino shootings that left fourteen dead and at least seventeen injured. Investigations have revealed that the perpetrators were a husband and wife obviously radicalized by the terrorist group. ISIS has come out to claim that the couple were followers of their group, but have not claimed directly being responsible for the massacre.
What happened was definitely not a random shooting. After being chased and gunned down by police, it was discovered that they were in tactical clothing, had several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition, along with several pipe bombs rigged to detonate via a radio control transmitter used for toy cars. Some of these pipe bombs were discovered at the facility where the shooting took place. A search of their home revealed more ammunition and pipe bombs, debunking the theory that an argument at work had caused Syed Rizwan Farook to start the carnage. It is now known that Tashfeen Malik, Farook's wife, was the first to be radicalized, influencing her husband. It has also been established that it was Malik who started shooting first.
Obama's speech was meant to assure America that the war against ISIS and all its forms will continue. But Americans have voiced out their displeasure with how the Obama administration is handling the radical group. 60% of Americans disapproved of Obama's handling of terrorism. Many want to see more aggressive action, even wanting to put "boots on the ground", referring to Syria. Obama won his first term on an anti-war platform, when Americans were tired of hearing about dying American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan at a time when the war was supposed to be over. But times have changed. Terrorism is something the American people just do not to hear about anymore.
With the San Bernardino shootings following the heels of the Paris attacks, ISIS has shown the world that it can sow terror anywhere, anytime. France has stepped up its campaign against ISIS, vowing to crush the group as well. But Obama still insists there are "smarter" ways to deal with ISIS. He does not want a repeat of Iraq and Afghanistan. But how do you fight an enemy that won't fight fair? If women are starting to be radicalized as much as men, or even more, then this is definitely a cause for concern. Women do not usually get treated well in these Islamic militant states. Their becoming active in terrorism may be a way of "being relevant." They are now being turned into deadly weapons.
The world is once again on its toes. Security has tightened at all points of entries. If Obama has a plan to crush ISIS once and for all, I hope he executes it soon. ISIS seems to be growing stronger, mostly because of the internet. What this incident has shown is that anyone with access to the internet, can also access ISIS and its ideology. They don't have to be in Syria. They could be right next to you.