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USA intensifying strategy against IS: Obama

While not citing Republican critics by name, Obama said anyone who wants to “pop off” about the Islamic State should “present a specific plan”.

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During the G-20 summit, Mr. Putin emphasized the need to cut off the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s ability to generate revenue through oil smuggling.

“That’s shameful”, he said, his voice rising.

“We’ll do what’s required to keep the American people safe”.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Obama’s statements “excuse-laden and defensive”.

President Barack Obama, during a press conference Monday at the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey.

Airstrikes France conducted yesterday against Islamic State were targeted by the French military based on information the US shared with them under the new arrangement, Davis said.

“What I do not do is to take actions either because it is going to work politically or it is going to somehow in the abstract make America look tough or make me look tough”. Ted Cruz, who are both running for president, are the children of Cuban immigrants and have called for increased scrutiny of refugees fleeing Syria who seek asylum in the U.S. The strategy uses all elements of US power, Obama said: “Military, intelligence, economic, development and the strength of our communities”.

Obama insisted that he has not shown any hesitation to act militarily, citing his approval of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and his decisions to expand the number of troops in Afghanistan.

“Some of those are people I’ve ordered into battle”, he said.

“There will be an intensification of the strategy that we’ve put forward, but the strategy that we’ve put forward is ultimately the strategy that’s going to work”, Mr Obama said at a news conference. “We can retake territory and as long as we keep our troops there we can hold it. But that does not solve the underlying problem of eliminating the dynamics that are producing these kinds of violent, extremist groups”, he added. “Or Libya, perhaps? Or if there’s a terrorist network that’s operating anywhere else – in North Africa, or in Southeast Asia?”

“We have the right strategy and we’re going to see it through”, Obama said after a Group of 20 nations summit that focused on counter-terrorism in the wake of last week’s attacks in Paris. Obama will fly from Turkey to the Philippines later Monday to speak with Asian leaders.

Currently, a U.S.-led coalition is bombing Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria. But there is also the understanding the Russian-U.S. dialogue has no alternative.

While the USA has not experienced a terrorist attack on American soil to the scale of the attacks that closed France’s borders on Friday, Obama said the country has seen the possibility of terrorist attacks on US soil, citing the Boston Marathon bombers.

France launched “massive” air strikes on the Islamic State group’s de-facto capital in Syria Sunday night, destroying a jihadi training camp and a munitions dump in the city of Raqqa, where Iraqi intelligence… The Obama administration has vowed in recent weeks to escalate its airstrikes, particularly on oil smuggling from Syrian fields under Islamic State control that the administration estimates provides the militants with more than $1 million a day in revenue.

Obama also mentioned that Paris was not alone in this war, citing recent attacks of ISIS in Beirut, Iraq and Turkey.

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Obama said alternatives seem viable only to people making political arguments.

G20 Leaders Vow To Tighten Border Controls In The Wake Of Paris Attacks