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President Obama says eradicating Islamic State will not be easy
27 Aug 2014 at 07:37hrs | Views
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama cautioned on Tuesday that wiping out a radical group like the Islamic State will not be easy and quick.
The president made the comment as he has authorized surveillance flights over Syria, a move seen as a precursor to stepped-up U.S. efforts in the war-torn country to combat the Islamic State, including possible airstrikes on its targets.
"Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won't be easy, and it won't be quick," he said in remarks delivered at the annual convention of the American Legion in Charlotte, North Carolina, using another name of the Islamic group.
He once again ruled out sending back U.S. combat troops to Iraq, where American warplanes are continuing their air raids on the Islamic State targets launched on Aug. 8.
"Let me say it again, American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq," he said. "We'll not allow the United States to be dragged back into another ground war in Iraq."
Echoing what he said at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point in May, Obama said the United States has to use its power "wisely. "
"History teaches us of the dangers of overreaching and spreading ourselves too thin and trying to go it alone without international support or rushing into military adventures without thinking through the consequences," he said.
He said Washington is trying to build an international coalition to support Iraq in its battle against the Islamic State, which announced the establishment of an "Islamic Caliphate" in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq in late June.
Obama, however, did not talk about the surveillance flights that senior administration officials said he approved over the weekend.
The Pentagon said the flights will use a combination of aircraft, including drones and possibly U2 spy planes, and focus on the border between Iraq and Syria.
The New York Times said the Pentagon was drafting military options as a result with possible strikes on the Islamic State along the border "as opposed to more deeply inside Syria."
State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the United States has a long-term goal of "destroying " the militant group.
The president made the comment as he has authorized surveillance flights over Syria, a move seen as a precursor to stepped-up U.S. efforts in the war-torn country to combat the Islamic State, including possible airstrikes on its targets.
"Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won't be easy, and it won't be quick," he said in remarks delivered at the annual convention of the American Legion in Charlotte, North Carolina, using another name of the Islamic group.
He once again ruled out sending back U.S. combat troops to Iraq, where American warplanes are continuing their air raids on the Islamic State targets launched on Aug. 8.
"Let me say it again, American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq," he said. "We'll not allow the United States to be dragged back into another ground war in Iraq."
Echoing what he said at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point in May, Obama said the United States has to use its power "wisely. "
"History teaches us of the dangers of overreaching and spreading ourselves too thin and trying to go it alone without international support or rushing into military adventures without thinking through the consequences," he said.
He said Washington is trying to build an international coalition to support Iraq in its battle against the Islamic State, which announced the establishment of an "Islamic Caliphate" in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq in late June.
Obama, however, did not talk about the surveillance flights that senior administration officials said he approved over the weekend.
The Pentagon said the flights will use a combination of aircraft, including drones and possibly U2 spy planes, and focus on the border between Iraq and Syria.
The New York Times said the Pentagon was drafting military options as a result with possible strikes on the Islamic State along the border "as opposed to more deeply inside Syria."
State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the United States has a long-term goal of "destroying " the militant group.
Source - Xinhua
