Counterterrorism adviser promises tight security during holidays

Chief counterterrorism adviser John Brennan made an appearance at Wednesday's White House briefing to reassure reporters that the intelligence community is working to prevent terrorist threats during the holiday season such as last year's bombing attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Christmas day.

"As we get to the peak of another holiday season the homeland security, law enforcement, and intelligence communities are collectively focused on doing everything they can to prevent terrorists from destructing the safety and security of Americans as they travel, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy holiday festivities both at home and abroad," Brennan said. "We remain vigilant to attempts by al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations to carry out attacks against innocent men, women, and children, and we are working very closely with other governments to share all threat information immediately and to coordinate closely our counterterrorism and security activities."

He said his comments were not prompted by a specific terrorist threat, but rather the ongoing threat of attack that al-Qaida presents to the United States and Europe.

Brennan also said that senior officials met at the White House Tuesday at President Obama's request to review threat reporting and ensure coordination in responding to threats during the holiday season. He said he was "absolutely confident" that any deficiencies in the system that were exposed by last year's bombing attempt had been addressed.