“Let’s not forget that freedom is more powerful than fear, that we’ve always met challenges…by coming together around our common ideals as one nation and one people.”

President Barack Obama said this, and much more, in his statements tonight regarding the terror threat from the Islamic State groups (ISIS and ISIL). In the wake of not only the Paris attacks but also the San Bernadino shooting—which he now acknowledges as an act of terror.

His statements boiled down to an affirmation of the effectiveness—which I’m not sure I believe—of the current U.S. military efforts against terrorist groups in Syria and other parts of the Middle East, a statement of American values he wants to uphold (as well as negative beliefs he wants to stop) and a plea to Muslim communities and leaders to work with the U.S. to end extremism.

I think that he made this speech at the right time. I think that he is doing the best he can under the extraordinary conditions he’s working under—widely considered a lame duck president for the past year, Obama has not had an easy time passing legislation with a Republican-dominated Congress. In fact, his statements tonight included some very pointed remarks towards Congress, pleas for them to accept at least some of his motions in order to work towards the greater good, rather than advancing a petty an arbitrary feud between the two parties.

Despite these allocations, he can only promise that he is going to try. He can’t promise to solve the problem. He can’t promise that there won’t be more terror attacks like San Bernadino. It’s impossible to put all of my faith into these remarks, not with the knowledge that the last time we were involved in a war in the Middle East, thousands of soldiers died in a decade-long ground war that the U.S. partially caused. I cannot feel safe knowing that no matter how hard he tries, Congress is unlikely to put aside their differences to work towards a logical end to terror in the U.S. None of this is his fault—his hands are tied by the presidency. 

As president, his remarks were a partial salve at best.

Go to time 28:45 to view the president’s remarks below.