Obama also said that the U.S.is united with France in the fight against ISIS, after a Paris terror attack that left at least 129 people dead.
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Speaking at a news conference at the Group of 20 leading economies summit in Antalya, Turkey, Obama said that the U.S.is constantly sharing intelligence with European allies about the Islamic State group and other extremist threats, but had no useful information before the Paris attacks.
Obama called on world leaders to accept refugees fleeing the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, though he added that accepting refugees required “rigorous screening and security checks”.
“We need to be doing everything we can to protect against more attacks and protect our citizens”, said Obama.
On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with Spain, South Korea and Turkey, and also met with the King of Saudi Arabia Salman Al Saud.
“We mustn’t let the gap between us be the altar on which this country of Syria is slaughtered”.
Although he did not allude to Bush’s remarks, the president did express admiration for his brother, former President George W. Bush. “Our goal, as I’ve said many times, is to degrade and ultimately destroy this barbaric terrorist organization”. In response, he repeatedly stressed confidence in his approach to Syria, where a civil war has dogged his administration for years and helped create an opening for ISIS to flourish.
“ISIL is the face of evil”, Obama said.
The G-20 summit was scheduled before the terror attacks in Paris last week and went ahead as scheduled.
Last month, Obama committed to sending “less than 50” Special Operations forces to the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is proposing restructuring the $3 billion debt owed by Ukraine to his country.
Earlier in the press conference, Mr. Obama reiterated US pledge to take in Syrian refugees despite the news that one of the Paris attackers may have entered Europe among the wave of migrants leaving Syria. “Hopes for diplomacy in Syria have been dashed before”, cautioned Obama.
US President Barack Obama (R) meets with French President Francois Hollande (L) as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Summit 2014 at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, Britain, 05 September 2014. This concept – while incredibly hard to execute – is now a cornerstone of the anti-ISIS strategy.
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The president says the fight against the Islamic State terrorist threat requires participation of the people in Iraq and Syria to push back against ideological extremes.
