Surveilling US Muslim Neighborhoods Counterproductive to Fighting Daesh

US President Barack Obama stated that the notion of having surveillance of neighborhoods where Muslim's live is contrary to American values.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The proposal to surveil Muslim neighborhoods in the United States is contrary to American values and would be counterproductive in the fight against the Daesh and other terrorists, President Barack Obama said during a joint press conference with Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Wednesday.

The US president’s remarks come a day after deadly terrorist attacks on the Brussels international airport and the city’s subway station killed 31 people and injured more than 200 others. Following the attacks, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz proposed providing more resources to US law enforcement to patrol Muslim-American neighborhoods to be cognizant if they are becoming radicalized and prevent potential terrorist attacks.

"The notion of having surveillance of neighborhoods where Muslim's are present… the notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It's contrary to who we are and it’s not going to help us defeat ISIL [Islamic State]," Obama stated.

The US president noted he had just left Cuba, a country that surveils its neighborhoods and a place where Cruz’s father, a Cuban immigrant to the United States, had left Cuba precisely for those reasons.

Obama further explained that one of the greatest US strengths and a reason why there have not been more terrorist attacks in the United States is that the country has an extraordinarily successful, patriotic and integrated Muslim-American community.

Any approach to single Muslims out would "reduce the strength, the antibodies we have to resist terrorism," Obama added.

The Islamic State, also known as Daesh, claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Brussels.