Obama Says Ebola is a National Security Threat

• By Matt Holden
• Oct 16, 2014

According to a report, President Barack Obama said that the Ebola outbreak is a “national security threat” with “low margin for error” during extended remarks in the White House’s Roosevelt Room. Obama addressed the American public in a televised speech shortly after concluding a meeting with his senior health, homeland security and national security advisers that focused on the nation’s response to Ebola.

“And so it is very important for us to make sure that we are treating this the same way we would treat any other significant national security threat,” he said. “And that’s why we’ve got an all-hands-on-deck approach – from the Department of Defense to public health to our development assistance, our science teams – everybody is putting in time and effort to make sure we are addressing this as aggressively as possible.”

He spoke following news that two health care workers contracted the disease after treating Thomas Eric Duncan.

“We have learned some lessons, though, in terms of what happened in Dallas. We don’t have a lot of margin for error. The procedures and protocols that are put in place must be followed,” Obama said.

The U.S. has sent thousands of troops to West Africa to help with the fight against Ebola, and the President added the government is looking at protocols to do additional passenger screening, both at the source and in the states.