Earlier this week, the Pentagon disclosed that the United States conducted airstrikes on an Islamic State stronghold in Sirte in a significant expansion of the US campaign against the Islamic State.
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NEWS BRIEF President Obama frames US military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as key to restricting its ability to inspire homegrown terrorists all over the world.
Speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon today, President Obama declared himself “pleased” with the progress in the ongoing ISIS war, insisting the U.S. had been making “significant gains” both in Iraq and Syria “and now Libya”, which the USA started attacking on Monday.
“We’re going to keep going after ISIL aggressively across every front of this campaign”, Obama said at a news conference at the Pentagon, using an acronym for Islamic State.
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Islamic State group will probably continue to be a threat to the USA even after it is ousted from key strongholds in Iraq and Syria, President Barack Obama said Thursday, warning that lone-wolf believers will still be inspired to launch attacks that are harder to detect and prevent.
According to Obama, unlike al-Qaeda, which had a much more centralized operation and tried to plan very elaborate attacks, the IS opted to inspire lone-wolf attackers whose less complicated attacks were harder to detect and prevent.
While those attacks may result in less carnage, Obama said IS knows it still can create “the kinds of fear and concern that elevates their profile”.
But he also cautioned that those who aspire to the White House “need to start acting like a president” and ensure that secrets are kept.
On Thursday he admitted that Syria had been one of the most testing issues of his presidency, which will end in January.
“I’m pretty confident that a big chunk of my gray hair comes out of my Syria meetings”, said Obama, who turned 55 on Thursday.
At least 16 civilians, including four children, were killed overnight in airstrikes by unidentified jets on rebel-held areas in Aleppo, the Observatory said. He said cash was sent because US sanctions against Iran bar that country from dealing with USA financial institutions, which would presumably handle a check or wire transfer. IS also maintains control of a few cities, including Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria. “More than 14,000 strikes so far”, Obama said when briefing the media.
“There are going to be some bottom lines that we expect for us to cooperate with Russian Federation beyond the sort of deconfliction that we’re now doing-and that means restraint on the part of the regime that so far has not been forthcoming”, Mr. Obama said.
Earlier this week, the U.S. announced that it launched a series of air strikes on IS strongholds in and around the city of Sirte in Libya at the request of the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA).
“Given the deteriorating situation, it is time for Russian Federation to show that it is serious about doing these objectives”.
In the U.S., he said that the military, diplomatic corps, intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement over the years, have “prevented many” attacks. While they may not have been directed by the group, the attackers were reportedly inspired by IS. The U.S.is investigating those reports, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said. “In other words, ISIL turns out not to be invincible, they are, in fact, inevitably going to be defeated”. When societies get scared they can react in ways that can undermine the fabric of our societies.
Obama’s official claims of progress didn’t appear to be in line with the specifics he talked about in his statement, following the statement about progress on the ground by admitting that “we’re far from freeing Mosul and Raqqa”, and that ISIS is adapting quickly to U.S. attacks.
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Dozens of State Department diplomats signed a dissent memo in June objecting to Obama’s strategy in Syria and calling for more forceful US action against Assad.
