Readout of the President's Meeting with his Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Team

This morning, the President assembled senior members of his counterterrorism and homeland security team to review ongoing security planning for the 58th Inauguration. The President commended the comprehensive preparations across the law enforcement and intelligence community and directed that all agencies maintain their high state of vigilance to assure we are best postured to protect the homeland against terrorist threats and individuals radicalized to violence.

The President was also briefed on ongoing counterterrorism operations in Iraq and Syria that are putting simultaneous pressure on ISIL inside Mosul and around Raqqa. In recent days, Iraqi Security Forces made significant gains in Mosul as ISIL defenses are collapsing in key parts of the city. In northern Syria, local partners continue to constrict ISIL’s movement in the vicinity of Raqqa.

The President noted the impact our strategy is having on the ground is the result of a deliberate effort to accelerate our campaign against ISIL and that the Coalition has put ISIL on the path to lasting defeat. The President expressed his deep appreciation for the contributions of his national security team to these efforts and those of thousands of U.S. personnel deployed around the world who work every day to defend the United States.