He spoke of the great admiration he felt toward President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks for being "crystal clear about the fact that we were not at war with Islam. We were at war with terrorists and murderers who had perverted Islam, had stolen its banner to carry out their outrageous acts."
For diplomacy's sake, Obama said, the distinction is important because "we need all the allies we can get." Furthermore, he said, the "overwhelming majority" of Muslims worldwide are peaceful.
At home, he said, "We've got millions of Muslim Americans, our fellow citizens, in this country. They're going to school with our kids. They're our neighbors. They're our friends. They're our co-workers. And, you know, when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?
"I’ve got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan in the uniform of the United States armed services. They're out there putting their lives on the line for us, and we've got to make sure that we are crystal clear, for our sakes and their sakes, they are Americans, and we honor their service. . . . We don't differentiate between them and us. It's just us."
The president defended the importance of continuing the war in Afghanistan, reminding Americans that the 9/11 plot was hatched there.
He said that although mastermind Osama bin Laden remained at large, "we have the best minds, the best intelligence officers, the best special forces thinking about this day and night.
He conceded that he'd "fallen short" on a pledge to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, where terrorism suspects have been held. "It's not for lack of trying," he said. "It's because the politics of it are difficult."
(Kevin G. Hall contributed to this story.) ON THE WEB
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