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Obama to Liken ISIS Fight to Campaigns in Yemen and Somalia Obama, in Speech, Outlines Significant Expansion of ISIS Fight
(about 2 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Obama will tell the nation on Wednesday night that America is prepared to wage a sustained air campaign against Islamic militants “wherever they exist,” much the same way the administration has for years targeted terrorists in Yemen and Somalia, according to excerpts from the president’s speech released by the White House. WASHINGTON — President Obama said Wednesday night that he was ordering a significantly expanded military campaign against Sunni militants in the Middle East that includes American airstrikes in Syria and the deployment of nearly 500 more military advisers to Iraq. But he sought to dispel fears that the United States was embarking on a repeat of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ahead of the prime-time address, administration officials have signaled that Mr. Obama is ready to order airstrikes inside Syria against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They have said a military campaign with manned and drone aircraft to degrade and destroy the militant group could take years of sustained effort. In a televised speech to the nation from the State Floor of the White House, Mr. Obama said the United States was recruiting a global coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the militants, from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He warned that the effort would require years of sustained effort.
According to the brief excerpts, the president will promise to “ultimately destroy” the militant groups, but he will seek to draw a clear distinction between the military action he is preparing to put in motion and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that were begun by his predecessor. “We will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are,” Mr. Obama said. “That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.” ISIL is an alternative name for ISIS.
“It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil,” Mr. Obama plans to say in the televised speech from the White House. “This counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground.” ISIL is an alternative name for ISIS. The president took pains to distinguish between the military action he was putting in motion and the two wars begun by his predecessor, President George W. Bush. He likened this campaign to the highly targeted airstrikes that the United States has carried out for several years against terrorism suspects in Yemen and Somalia, few of which have been made public.
Mr. Obama was harshly criticized for acknowledging last month that his administration did not yet have a strategy for military strikes against the militants in Syria. In the speech, the president will seek to demonstrate a concrete plan of action for countering the immediate threat and defeating the militant group in the long run. After enduring harsh criticism for saying in a news conference two weeks ago that he did not have a strategy for dealing with ISIS in Syria, Mr. Obama sketched out a plan that will involve heightened American training and arming of moderate Syrian rebels to fight the militants. Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide bases for the training of those forces.
“Our objective is clear,” Mr. Obama said in the excerpts. “We will degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy.” The White House has asked Congress to authorize the plan to train and equip rebels — something the Central Intelligence Agency has been doing covertly and on a much smaller scale — but Mr. Obama said he had the authority necessary to expand the broader campaign.
Mr. Obama’s remarks, on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, will thrust the United States into a civil war in Syria that the president had long sought to avoid, and greatly expand its military involvement in Iraq, where Mr. Obama withdrew the last American combat soldiers at the end of 2011. “These American forces will not have a combat mission — we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq,” Mr. Obama pledged, adding that the broader mission he was outlining for American military forces “will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; it will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.”
It is a striking acknowledgment of the threat posed by ISIS, a band of Sunni militants whose lightning rampage through Iraq and Syria and videotaped beheading of two young Americans have reawakened fears of a terrorist threat to this country. For all of Mr. Obama’s efforts to reassure the public, his remarks were a stark admission of the threat posed by the militants, whose lightning rampage through Iraq and Syria and videotaped beheading of two American journalists have reignited fears of radical terrorism.
Bolstering the moderate Syrian rebels as a counterweight to ISIS is a key element of the strategy, and the White House has asked Congress to authorize a plan for the Pentagon to train and equip rebels — something the Central Intelligence Agency has done covertly and on a smaller scale. The president’s remarks, on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, will thrust the United States into a civil war in Syria that he had long sought to avoid, and will return the country to a significant military presence in Iraq, from which Mr. Obama withdrew the last American combat soldiers at the end of 2011.
The White House was unlikely to request any additional authority from Congress to conduct these operations. On Tuesday, Mr. Obama told congressional leaders that he had the necessary authority to expand the campaign, but that he would welcome some form of “buy-in” from Capitol Hill. The president delivered his speech after a frenzied effort to line up the support of partners worldwide to combat ISIS. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Obama called King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to enlist his support for a plan to bolster the training and equipping of moderate Syrian rebels.
The president’s speech comes after a frenzied effort to line up the support of partners worldwide to combat ISIS. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Obama called King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to enlist his support for a plan to bolster the training and equipping of moderate Syrian rebels.
“The president and the king agreed on the need for increased training and equipping of the moderate Syrian opposition,” the White House said in an unusually extensive briefing for reporters about the call. “President Obama welcomed Saudi Arabia’s support for this program.”“The president and the king agreed on the need for increased training and equipping of the moderate Syrian opposition,” the White House said in an unusually extensive briefing for reporters about the call. “President Obama welcomed Saudi Arabia’s support for this program.”
Mr. Obama is acting against a backdrop of rapidly shifting public opinion as polls show that a large majority of Americans now favor military action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, even as they express deep misgivings about the president’s leadership on the world stage.Mr. Obama is acting against a backdrop of rapidly shifting public opinion as polls show that a large majority of Americans now favor military action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, even as they express deep misgivings about the president’s leadership on the world stage.
Mr. Obama is also facing political challenges on Capitol Hill, where Republicans lawmakers, initially reluctant to demand congressional authorization of military action, have begun agitating for a vote at the same time that some Democrats are warning of a stampede to war. Mr. Obama is also facing political challenges on Capitol Hill, where Republicans lawmakers, initially reluctant to demand congressional authorization of military action, have begun agitating for a vote even as some Democrats warn of a stampede to war.
But Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday prepared legislation to expressly authorize the American military to train Syrian rebels. House Republicans appeared ready to follow their lead.But Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday prepared legislation to expressly authorize the American military to train Syrian rebels. House Republicans appeared ready to follow their lead.
Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House majority leader, abruptly called off a vote on a stopgap spending bill that was planned for Thursday to reconsider Mr. Obama’s request that language be included authorizing the training of the rebels. The president called the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Harold Rogers of Kentucky, to plead his case.Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House majority leader, abruptly called off a vote on a stopgap spending bill that was planned for Thursday to reconsider Mr. Obama’s request that language be included authorizing the training of the rebels. The president called the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Harold Rogers of Kentucky, to plead his case.
The flurry of activity means that Congress is likely to weigh in on the looming military action before the midterm elections in eight weeks. House Republicans have called an emergency meeting for Thursday morning to discuss their options, and leaders are leaning toward a vote to express some support for a broader campaign against ISIS.The flurry of activity means that Congress is likely to weigh in on the looming military action before the midterm elections in eight weeks. House Republicans have called an emergency meeting for Thursday morning to discuss their options, and leaders are leaning toward a vote to express some support for a broader campaign against ISIS.
The political atmosphere on Capitol Hill was further roiled by the sudden reappearance of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who implored Republicans to support military action and attributed the chaos in Iraq to what he called an “arbitrary and hasty” withdrawal in 2011 by Mr. Obama.The political atmosphere on Capitol Hill was further roiled by the sudden reappearance of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who implored Republicans to support military action and attributed the chaos in Iraq to what he called an “arbitrary and hasty” withdrawal in 2011 by Mr. Obama.
Senator Richard J. Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and a close political ally of Mr. Obama, rejected Mr. Cheney’s critique as an unwelcome echo of the Iraq war, saying, “I think we want to be careful that we don’t engage ourselves for a long period of time in a long-term war involving the vulnerability of our troops for a long period of time.”Senator Richard J. Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and a close political ally of Mr. Obama, rejected Mr. Cheney’s critique as an unwelcome echo of the Iraq war, saying, “I think we want to be careful that we don’t engage ourselves for a long period of time in a long-term war involving the vulnerability of our troops for a long period of time.”
For Mr. Obama, the speech will amount to a strategy for a problem he has long said would defy an American remedy: sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in neighboring countries with deeply disaffected minorities and no history of democratic governance.For Mr. Obama, the speech will amount to a strategy for a problem he has long said would defy an American remedy: sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in neighboring countries with deeply disaffected minorities and no history of democratic governance.
Among the difficult challenges to the strategy: How will the United States and its allies reinvigorate a moderate Syrian opposition that has been fractured, depleted and marginalized by more extremist forces? How can the United States act against ISIS in Syria without benefiting President Bashar al-Assad, who is also at war with the militants?Among the difficult challenges to the strategy: How will the United States and its allies reinvigorate a moderate Syrian opposition that has been fractured, depleted and marginalized by more extremist forces? How can the United States act against ISIS in Syria without benefiting President Bashar al-Assad, who is also at war with the militants?
Perhaps most difficult, how can the United States wage a lengthy military campaign against a Sunni militant organization without stirring up new terrorist threats in this volatile region?Perhaps most difficult, how can the United States wage a lengthy military campaign against a Sunni militant organization without stirring up new terrorist threats in this volatile region?
In his remarks, Mr. Obama was unlikely to allay those concerns, warning that the United States was embarking on a long-term campaign of heightened military activity.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, embraced Mr. Obama’s plan for military training on Wednesday, even as he expressed strong opposition to deploying American ground troops.Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, embraced Mr. Obama’s plan for military training on Wednesday, even as he expressed strong opposition to deploying American ground troops.
“It’s clear to me that we need to train and equip Syrian rebels and other groups in the Middle East that need some help,” Mr. Reid said. “The president has tried to get that from us, and we should give it to them.”“It’s clear to me that we need to train and equip Syrian rebels and other groups in the Middle East that need some help,” Mr. Reid said. “The president has tried to get that from us, and we should give it to them.”
Ahead of the president’s speech to the nation Wednesday night, the prospect of expanding the war on ISIS had already become political fodder. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, took to the Senate floor to denounce what he called Mr. Obama’s weak and failed foreign policy. But he will be hard-pressed to oppose the pending vote, which could come as soon as this week.Ahead of the president’s speech to the nation Wednesday night, the prospect of expanding the war on ISIS had already become political fodder. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, took to the Senate floor to denounce what he called Mr. Obama’s weak and failed foreign policy. But he will be hard-pressed to oppose the pending vote, which could come as soon as this week.
“The president has now declared that defeating ISIL is his objective,” Mr. McConnell said. “That’s a good start. But Americans don’t want a lecture. They want a plan — a credible, comprehensive plan to deal with this menace that clearly wants to harm us here at home, and that is only becoming stronger by the day.”“The president has now declared that defeating ISIL is his objective,” Mr. McConnell said. “That’s a good start. But Americans don’t want a lecture. They want a plan — a credible, comprehensive plan to deal with this menace that clearly wants to harm us here at home, and that is only becoming stronger by the day.”