The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
President Obama travels to Joint Base Andrews, just outside of Washington, D.C., to attend a meeting with military leaders from more than 20 partner nations in the coalition to combat ISIL.
President Barack Obama participates in a meeting hosted by Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with more than 20 foreign chiefs of defense to discuss the coalition efforts in the ongoing campaign against ISIL. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, Commander, U.S. Central Command also participates in the meeting at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Oct. 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This afternoon, President Obama traveled to Joint Base Andrews, just outside of Washington, D.C., to attend a meeting with military leaders from more than 20 partner nations in the coalition to degrade and destroy ISIL.
At the meeting, hosted by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, leaders discussed the progress in the coalition's efforts to date. The President reiterated that:
- The U.S. will take action against targets in both Iraq and Syria, so ISIL cannot find safe haven anywhere.
- The U.S. will act as part of a broad international coalition, because this is not our fight alone.
President Barack Obama participates in a meeting hosted by Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with more than 20 foreign chiefs of defense to discuss the coalition efforts in the ongoing campaign against ISIL. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, Commander, U.S. Central Command also participates in the meeting at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Oct. 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
To date, about 60 partners and nations have joined the coalition to combat ISIL. Allies are contributing in a number of ways, including:
- Flying sorties (combat missions by individual aircraft) in support of coalition airstrikes -- nine countries have flown sorties so far, including five Arab partners in Syria
- Sending arms and assistance to Iraqi security forces and the Syrian opposition and sharing intelligence
- Providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid for the victims of conflict in the region
Read the President's remarks after today's meeting here.
Today's meeting follows two additional meetings President Obama had at the Pentagon last Wednesday -- one with Defense Department leadership on ISIL, Ebola, global security, and the defense budget; and a follow-up meeting with the National Security Council on the implementation of the U.S. strategy to counter ISIL.
President Barack Obama meets with senior military leadership at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Oct. 8, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In his remarks after the meeting with DoD leaders, the President said that destroying ISIL "remains a difficult mission," and made clear that it won't happen overnight.
"The good news," he said, "is that there is a broad-based consensus not just in the region but among nations of the world that ISIL is a threat to world peace, security and order, that their barbaric behavior has to be dealt with."
Watch the President's remarks at the Pentagon here.
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