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| Obama to authorise air strikes against Isis militants in Syria | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Barack Obama was due to announce a significant expansion of the military campaign against Islamic State militants on Tuesday, authorising air strikes against targets in Syria for the first time. | Barack Obama was due to announce a significant expansion of the military campaign against Islamic State militants on Tuesday, authorising air strikes against targets in Syria for the first time. |
| In a televised address to air at 9pm ET, Obama announced an aggressive offensive to defeat the group, which has been responsible for the beheading of two American citizens in the past month and has captured a swath of territory in northern parts of Iraq and Syria. | |
| He compared the campaign to those waged against al-Qaida in Yemen and Somalia, where US drones, cruise missiles and special-operations raids have battered local affiliates, yet without notably improving the stability of either country nor dealing decisive blows to al-Qaida there. | He compared the campaign to those waged against al-Qaida in Yemen and Somalia, where US drones, cruise missiles and special-operations raids have battered local affiliates, yet without notably improving the stability of either country nor dealing decisive blows to al-Qaida there. |
| Obama was also expected to announce the deployment of additional personnel to Iraq who will help Iraqi army forces combat Isis insurgents and also expand existing US air strikes there. | Obama was also expected to announce the deployment of additional personnel to Iraq who will help Iraqi army forces combat Isis insurgents and also expand existing US air strikes there. |
| “With a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat,” Obama willl say, according to excerpts provided by the White House. | “With a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat,” Obama willl say, according to excerpts provided by the White House. |
| “Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, Isil through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy,” he will say, using the administration’s preferred acronym for Isis. | “Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, Isil through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy,” he will say, using the administration’s preferred acronym for Isis. |
| Obama is expected to stress there is not direct threat to the US homeland at this stage, but believes congressional approval is not necessary to expand what he regards as a counter-terrorism operation. Instead he will seek backing from Congress for further US training of Syrian opposition groups, for which he has sought $500 million from Congress since May without success. | Obama is expected to stress there is not direct threat to the US homeland at this stage, but believes congressional approval is not necessary to expand what he regards as a counter-terrorism operation. Instead he will seek backing from Congress for further US training of Syrian opposition groups, for which he has sought $500 million from Congress since May without success. |
| However, the administration will stress its determination to avoid any deployment of US ground troops in combat roles. | However, the administration will stress its determination to avoid any deployment of US ground troops in combat roles. |
| “I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Obama will say, in remarks released by the White House in advance of the televised address. | “I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Obama will say, in remarks released by the White House in advance of the televised address. |
| “It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism 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. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.” | “It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism 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. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.” |
| Earlier in the day, Jeh Johnson, the homeland security secretary, stressed that the administration did not believe Isis posed a direct threat to the United States at home. | Earlier in the day, Jeh Johnson, the homeland security secretary, stressed that the administration did not believe Isis posed a direct threat to the United States at home. |
| “At present, we have no credible information that [Isis] is planning to attack the homeland of the United States,” Johnson told a Council on Foreign Relations audience in New York. | “At present, we have no credible information that [Isis] is planning to attack the homeland of the United States,” Johnson told a Council on Foreign Relations audience in New York. |
| The discrepancy between Isis’s assessed threat to the US and the buildup of US military action – thus far standing at 154 air strikes in Iraq and the deployment of more than 1,100 troops in ostensibly noncombat roles – has sparked accusations of fearmongering. | The discrepancy between Isis’s assessed threat to the US and the buildup of US military action – thus far standing at 154 air strikes in Iraq and the deployment of more than 1,100 troops in ostensibly noncombat roles – has sparked accusations of fearmongering. |
| Despite the assessed lack of an imminent threat, Johnson portrayed Obama’s latest anti-Isis strategy as a responsible approach against the “serious threat” posed by a “depraved” adversary. | Despite the assessed lack of an imminent threat, Johnson portrayed Obama’s latest anti-Isis strategy as a responsible approach against the “serious threat” posed by a “depraved” adversary. |
| “After 13 years of war since 9/11, the decision by the president to take on a new fight against this enemy was not an easy one,” said Johnson, who signaled that one of his main tasks in the coming months will be preventing Isis fighters from entering the United States. | “After 13 years of war since 9/11, the decision by the president to take on a new fight against this enemy was not an easy one,” said Johnson, who signaled that one of his main tasks in the coming months will be preventing Isis fighters from entering the United States. |
| Johnson said he had arranged new deals with foreign airports for enhanced passenger screening, which he called an “imperative” that he seeks to expand. Additional intelligence sharing between the department, the FBI and intelligence agencies in the US and Europe will attempt to identify people attempting to enter the US from Syria. Identifying “terrorist travel patterns” will be a priority, he said, with more nations enlisted for the effort. | Johnson said he had arranged new deals with foreign airports for enhanced passenger screening, which he called an “imperative” that he seeks to expand. Additional intelligence sharing between the department, the FBI and intelligence agencies in the US and Europe will attempt to identify people attempting to enter the US from Syria. Identifying “terrorist travel patterns” will be a priority, he said, with more nations enlisted for the effort. |