“We will destroy this terrorist organization”, he vowed. “The most powerful tool we have to fight ISIL is to say that we’re not afraid; to not elevate them and somehow buy into their fantasy that they’re doing something important”, he said.
Advertisement
Since IS militants killed 130 in France nine days ago, Obama’s strategy has come under repeated questioning. It said the strikes killed 381 IS fighters as well as 547 gunmen from other insurgent groups. While agreeing to increase intelligence sharing with the French since the Paris attacks, the USA tempered expectations that is now ready to join forces with Russian Federation in the skies over Syria.
“He’s not a mastermind”, Mr Obama said. Moscow on Monday said its warplanes had hit 472 targets in war-torn Syria in the past two days, including tanker trucks and oil infrastructure in territory controlled by the Islamic State group, APA reports quoting AFP. The two met last week during an economic summit in Turkey.
As Obama spoke in the Malaysian capital, other Western leaders were stepping up their rhetoric against IS, while the European diplomatic hub of Brussels remained under the highest threat level for the second day in a row. Hollande then heads to Russian Federation for talks with Putin. Within six months, the negotiations are to establish a “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian” transitional government that would set a schedule for drafting a new constitution and holding a free and fair U.N.-supervised election within 18 months.
US lawmakers are pushing legislation to tighten screening requirements for Syrian refugees; a few Republican presidential candidates want to halt their entry. “We will not allow these killers to have a safe haven”, Obama said, adding that the world is determined “to push back on the hateful ideologies that fuel this terrorism”.
Obama has focused his ire on Republicans throughout the trip, harshly criticizing GOP lawmakers and presidential candidates for acting contrary to American values.
“We can not respond from fear”, he said. “And I think we’ll find out over the next several weeks whether or not we can bring about that change of perspective with the Russians”. “Be assured that we stand with you against this new evil that blasphemes against the name of Islam”.
Obama recalled the attacks on 9/11, pointing out that America overcame the terror that terrorists tried to inflict on the country, even as he suggested that political leaders made mistakes in response to the attacks.
Advertisement
“We believe there is more that can be done if countries are willing to contribute additional resources”, he said.
