WASHINGTON, D.C. - In an effort to help the nation "avoid assuming something that might turn out to be false," President Barack Obama, in a Tuesday press conference, continued to caution against calling the attacks on the World Trade Center 15 years ago an "act of terrorism" too soon, echoing remarks he has made throughout his time in office.

"I assure you, our best investigators are working through the facts surrounding the attacks that rocked our country on September 11, 2001," the president said from the White House briefing room, referring to the hijackings and subsequent crashes of commercial airliners into the Pentagon and World Trade Center by terrorist group al-Qaeda which injured and killed thousands a decade and a half ago. "Let's be patient - let's not jump to conclusions. Americans are better than that."

"We realize initial appearances did seem to point in the direction of extremist jihadists being responsible for the senseless violence, in the early years of the investigation," Obama said further. "But again, we stress that just because the perpetrators were clearly extremist Muslims carrying out a heinous, murderous act in the name of jihad, does not necessarily mean this can be called an act of terrorism."