WASHINGTON — President Obama began putting the final touches Wednesday on a prime-time speech outlining expanded plans to battle the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The speech may include discussion of expanded airstrikes in Iraq and perhaps Syria, increased assistance to forces in Iraq and Syria that are fighting the Islamic State, and help from a coalition of other countries that are opposed to the insurgent group also known as ISIL or ISIS.
Obama "will pursue a comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, including U.S. military action and support for the forces combating ISIL on the ground — both the opposition in Syria and a new, inclusive Iraqi government," said a statement from the White House.
The president's nationally televised speech is scheduled for shortly after 9 p.m. ET.
Obama, who has supervised a string of airstrikes in Iraq, may discuss the potential of similar strikes down the line in Syria. U.S. aircraft are conducting surveillance flights over potential targets in Syria.
The president authorized air strikes against Islamic State positions in Iraq on Aug. 7; the strikes began the next day.
In the run-up to the address, Obama dispatched Secretary of State John Kerry to Baghdad to speak with the leaders of Iraq's newly formed government. The administration is counting on that new government to help train Iraqi security forces to fight the Islamic State.
Kerry told reporters that Obama would provide "a more detailed description of exactly what the United States is prepared to do together with many other countries in the broad coalition in order to take on this terrorist structure, which is unacceptable by any standard anywhere in the world."
The White House announced that Obama and Vice President Biden would meet late Wednesday morning with members of the National Security Council in the Situation Room. Obama also planned to call allies about his speech, including Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.
Obama has said he will not dispatch American combat troops to Iraq and Syria, and that the emphasis is on training local forces to carry the fight against insurgents.
Islamic State militants have seized control of parts of Syria and Iraq, and U.S. officials say they may use a declared "caliphate" to launch attacks on the United States and allies.
The jihadist group has issued threats against the United States, including videos that show the beheadings of two American journalists. The horrific murders galvanized the administration to step up efforts against the Islamic State, plans that enjoy support from the American public according to new polls. Two U.S. citizens have been reported killed in Syria while fighting with the terror group.
While the Islamic State has been using Syria as "a virtual safe haven," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, Obama "does not envision a scenario where we would send American combat troops to be on the ground" there.
Nor would the United States act alone to back the moderate Syrian opposition, Earnest said.
Obama outlined his Islamic State strategy Tuesday in a meeting with congressional leaders.
Afterward, the office of House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he would back "certain options that have been proposed by the president, such as increasing the effectiveness of the Iraqi Security Forces and training and equipping the Syrian opposition."
Boehner also said "he would support the president if he chose to deploy the military to help train and play an advisory role for the Iraqi Security Forces and assist with lethal targeting of ISIL leadership," said a statement from his office.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a frequent critic of Obama's foreign policy, said lawmakers want a "credible" and "comprehensive" plan from Obama not a prime-time "lecture."
"If Congress is asked to support a strategy," McConnell said, "it needs to be a strategy that is designed to succeed — not a mere restatement of current policy, which we know is insufficient to the task."
In a readout of the congressional meeting, the White House said Obama told lawmakers that "he has the authority he needs to take action against ISIL in accordance with the mission he will lay out in his (Wednesday) address."
My problem with the whole ISIS thing is that Obama is prioritizing it over other stuff, from what I understand. In 2013 91.7% of Ferguson arrests involved black Americans. kmov.com's 14 August article tells that "at least 10 people, including three officers, suffered injuries and at least 75 people have been arrested" in the Michael Brown Ferguson riots, and those numbers are still growing. Innocent people are getting killed and hurt in his own country and he's prioritizing ISIS over what's going on here. I understand ISIS is a big deal, and I'm glad Obama is doing something about it, but when it comes to this sort of thing, you're kind of forced to multitask. I don't see why Obama doesn't have all his ducks in a row when it comes to something as ( at least seemingly ) simple as this.
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