Good evening,
I just addressed the nation about what the United States will do with our
friends and allies to degrade and destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.
Lets be clear: While this group may call itself the "Islamic State," it is
not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast
majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. Nor is it a "state." It is not
recognized by any government, nor by the people it subjugates.
This is nothing but a terrorist organization with no vision or goal other
than to slaughter all who stand in its way. While we have not yet detected
specific plotting against our homeland, these terrorists have threatened
America and our allies. And the United States will meet this threat with
strength and resolve.
Already, our military has conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes over
the past month against ISIL targets in Iraq -- strikes that have protected
American personnel and facilities, killed hundreds of ISIL fighters, and
helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
Going forward, our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately
destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism
strategy.
Here is what that strategy looks like.
First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these
terrorists. Working alongside the Iraqi government, we'll expand our efforts
beyond protecting our own people to hit ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on
offense. And we will continue to hunt down terrorists who threaten our
country, whether in Iraq or Syria. They will learn what leaders of other
terrorist organizations have already learned: If you threaten America, you
will find no safe haven.
Second, we will increase our support to the forces fighting these terrorists
on the ground. We will send an additional 475 service members to Iraq to
support Iraqi and Kurdish security forces. These American forces will not
have a combat mission. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish
forces with training, intelligence, and equipment -- and tonight, I again
called on Congress to give our military the additional authorities and
resources it needs to train and equip the Syrian opposition fighters.
Third, working with our partners, we will continue to draw on our
substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working
with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding,
counter its warped ideology, improve our intelligence, strengthen our
defenses, and stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of the Middle
East.
And fourth, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the
innocent civilians displaced by this terrorism organization. This includes
Sunni and Shia Muslims who have borne the brunt of this terror, as well as
tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities.
I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are
strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I
welcome congressional action to support this effort in order to show the
world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.
This mission will not be like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not
involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This effort will be
a steady and relentless approach to take out terrorists who threaten us,
while supporting our partners on the front lines.
This is American leadership at its best: We stand with people who fight for
their own freedom. And we rally other nations on behalf of our common
security and common humanity.
When American forces helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on Mt.
Sinjar, here is what one of them said:
"We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember
that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to
protect innocent people.
That is what the United States of America does. That is the difference we
make in the world. And moving forward, our own safety and security depends
upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold
the values that we stand for.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni
katika machafuko"
_______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/ugandanet@kym.net/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
