Addressing criticism of his administration’s actions against ISIS, Obama said most of his critics’ proposals “describe things we are already doing”.
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In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” Graham said he hopes France will invoke a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation provision that would draw its allies into a war against ISIS.
Bush has also suggested that any US assistance to refugees fleeing the Middle East should be primarily focused on Christians, another idea that rankled Obama.
An Iraqi intelligence dispatch sent to coalition countries warned of imminent assaults by the Islamic State group just one day before last week’s deadly attacks in Paris killed 129 people.
French President Francois Hollande blamed ISIS for the attacks on Saturday, calling it “an act of war”.
Obama’s visit to Turkey for a summit of global leaders gained fresh urgency Friday as nations scrambled to respond to the massacre in Paris.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered full cooperation with French and other European authorities trying to identify the perpetrators and prevent further attacks. The president’s approach centers largely on airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, as well as programs to train and equip moderate opposition forces.
Originally, Obama appeared to be entering this yearly gathering able to tout recent victories against ISIS, including aiding Kurdish fighters in retaking Sinjar Mountain in Iraq and having apparently taking out “Jihadi John”, the high-profile ISIS executioner.
Citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, Channel Two said Israel saw a “clear operational link” between the Paris attacks, Thursday’s Beirut suicide bombings and the October 31 downing of a Russian airliner in the Egyptian Sinai.
The overwhelming majority of victims of ISIL are themselves Muslims.
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“The president was referring very specifically to the question of ISIL’s geographic expansion in Iraq and Syria”, White House deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
