President Barack Obama increased his warning against the Islamic State group Monday, vowing to further erode its territorial gains in Iraq and Syria and go after more of its leaders.
Advertisement
“More people are seeing ISIL for the thugs and the thieves and the killers that they are”, Obama said.
Obama emphasized that ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, and Daesh) is losing ground in the Middle East as the U.S. ramps up airstrikes and coordinates with ground forces.
Mr Obama is making the case for his broad counter-terrorism strategy, including his ongoing campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
He said the U.S.-led coalition has launched nearly 9,000 airstrikes on the extremists and in November dropped the most bombs in its 16-month campaign in Iraq and Syria.
In what was billed as a major public push of US strategy to defeat the Islamic State, President Obama took only a few minutes at the Pentagon on Monday to outline several recent successes but offered no new plans toward stopping the terror group’s growing, global threat.
But progress in Ramadi, as elsewhere, has been slow, leading to calls in the USA and overseas for a tougher response.
Obama is also hoping to draw a contrast with Donald Trump and his inflammatory remarks about Muslims, which Obama’s administration has said endangers USA national security.
That contingent will also be able to carry out “unilateral operations” in Syria, where six weeks ago, Obama authorized the presence of a small unit of special forces.
That strategy, based an global coalition made up of 65 countries and the decision to avoid another military intervention like the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan, for some time has faced criticism that has only grown harsher following the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, Vice Chairman Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, Central Command Commander Army Gen. Lloyd Austin and Special Operations Command Commander Army Gen. Joseph Votel were also in the backdrop for Obama’s comments.
According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll published Monday, Americans now view national security as a top priority.
The Islamic State coordinated attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead have renewed global discussions on how to solve the Syrian crisis.
The terror group claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks.
Advertisement
The President is expected to give a news conference after he is briefed by intelligence and security agencies at the National Counterterrorism Center on Thursday. He said Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will be heading to the Middle East for meetings with allies to persuade them to put more resources into the fight. Obama receives a similar briefing each year before the holidays.
