Obama: No one can promise there will never be another attack on U.S. soil

President Obama expressed gratitude to the newly streamlined intelligence community Tuesday even as he warned that "no one can ever promise that there will never be another attack on America's soil."

Obama, speaking to agents and law enforcement officials at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in Washington, said the hub of intelligence-sharing has shown great success in the U.S. effort to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda."

The NCTC was created by former President George W. Bush in 2004 in response to advice from the 9-11 Commission to help tear down walls between the U.S.'s intelligence-gathering agencies and create a more coordinated sharing of information in order to prevent future attacks like those of Sept. 11, 2001.

The result, Obama said, is "one team, one mission" that is "more innovative, more collaborative and more effective than ever before."

"That's how we're going to prevail in this fight, and that's how we're going to protect this country we all love," he said.

Even as the president warned that preventing another attack is not a certainty, he did "pledge to stay focused on that mission."

Even as Obama has come under fire from former Vice President Dick Cheney for actions that Cheney said have made the country less safe, Obama said that the U.S., behind the efforts of the NCTC, has sent the "unmistakable message — we will target al Qaeda wherever they take root."

Obama said the terrorist organization has "lost legitimacy and credibility."

"Of course nobody does a better job of discrediting al Qaeda than al Qaeda itself," he said.

The president's remarks came shortly before he was set to meet with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders at the White House to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan.

Obama is scheduled to hold meetings at the White House on Wednesday and Friday with his top military advisers as he has come under fire for what Republicans say are stalling tactics in developing a strategy for the region.

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