Naval base shooting appears to be "terrorist attack" - NSA

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (KUNA) -- US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said Sunday that the naval base shooting in Pensacola, Florida, "appears to be a terrorist attack." In an interview on CBS network, O'Brien said "I don't want to prejudge the investigation, but it appears that this may be someone that was radicalized, whether it was here or it's unclear if he's got any ties to any other organizations." "My point is it looks like terrorism. We'll have to see what the FBI investigation shows, what his motivations were," he said.
"My point is, it looks from what we're seeing in the public reports that this looks like something that's terrorism or akin to terrorism," O'Brien reiterated.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told Fox network "it's important to allow the investigation to proceed, to understand what exactly he (shooter) was doing and why," adding, "We need to let the investigation play out." He stressed that he wants to "immediately make sure we put out an advisory to all of our bases, installations and facilities and make sure we're taking all necessary precautions appropriate to the particular base to make sure our people are safe and secure." "I ask that we begin review of what our screening procedures are with regard to foreign nationals coming to the United States," he added. "I want to make sure that those procedures are full and sufficient." On Saturday, Esper said that he cannot label the shooting as "terrorism," calling it a "tragic incident." (end) si.gb