Finally!
President Obama Has
an Anti-ISIL Strategy:
For
Immediate Release
February 11, 2015
Remarks by the President on Request to Congress for Authorization of Force Against ISIL
Roosevelt Room
3:37 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.
Today, as part of an international coalition of some 60 nations
-- including Arab countries -- our men and women in uniform continue
the fight against ISIL in Iraq and in Syria.
More than 2,000 coalition airstrikes
have pounded these terrorists. We’re disrupting their command
and control and supply lines, making it harder for them to move.
We’re destroying their fighting positions, their tanks, their
vehicles, their barracks, their training camps, and the oil and gas
facilities and infrastructure that fund their operations. We’re
taking out their commanders, their fighters, and their leaders.
In Iraq, local forces have largely held
the line and in some places have pushed ISIL back. In Syria,
ISIL failed in its major push to take the town of Kobani, losing
countless fighters in the process -- fighters who will never again
threaten innocent civilians. And we’ve seen reports of
sinking morale among ISIL fighters as they realize the futility of
their cause.
Now, make no mistake -- this is a
difficult mission, and it will remain difficult for some time. It’s
going to take time to dislodge these terrorists, especially from
urban areas. But our coalition is on the offensive, ISIL is on
the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose. Its barbaric murders
of so many people, including American hostages, are a desperate and
revolting attempt to strike fear in the hearts of people it can never
possibly win over by its ideas or its ideology -- because it offers
nothing but misery and death and destruction. And with vile
groups like this, there is only one option: With our allies and
partners, we are going to degrade and ultimately destroy this
terrorist group.
And when I announced our strategy
against ISIL in September, I said that we are strongest as a nation
when the President and Congress work together. Today, my
administration submitted a draft resolution to Congress to authorize
the use of force against ISIL. I want to be very clear about
what it does and what it does not do.
This resolution reflects our core
objective to destroy ISIL. It supports the comprehensive
strategy that we have been pursuing with our allies and partners: A
systemic and sustained campaign of airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq
and Syria. Support and training for local forces on the ground,
including the moderate Syrian opposition. Preventing ISIL
attacks, in the region and beyond, including by foreign terrorist
fighters who try to threaten our countries. Regional and
international support for an inclusive Iraqi government that unites
the Iraqi people and strengthens Iraqi forces against ISIL.
Humanitarian assistance for the innocent civilians of Iraq and
Syria, who are suffering so terribly under ISIL’s reign of horror.
I want to thank Vice President Biden,
Secretaries Kerry and Hagel, and General Marty Dempsey for their
leadership in advancing our strategy. Even as we meet this
challenge in Iraq and Syria, we all agree that one of our weapons
against terrorists like ISIL -- a critical part of our strategy -- is
the values we live here at home. One of the best antidotes to
the hateful ideologies that try to recruit and radicalize people to
violent extremism is our own example as diverse and tolerant
societies that welcome the contributions of all people, including
people of all faiths.
The resolution we’ve submitted today
does not call for the deployment of U.S. ground combat forces to Iraq
or Syria. It is not the authorization of another ground war,
like Afghanistan or Iraq. The 2,600 American troops in Iraq
today largely serve on bases -- and, yes, they face the risks that
come with service in any dangerous environment. But they do not
have a combat mission. They are focused on training Iraqi
forces, including Kurdish forces.
As I’ve said before, I’m convinced
that the United States should not get dragged back into another
prolonged ground war in the Middle East. That’s not in our
national security interest and it’s not necessary for us to defeat
ISIL. Local forces on the ground who know their countries best
are best positioned to take the ground fight to ISIL -- and that’s
what they’re doing.
At the same time, this resolution
strikes the necessary balance by giving us the flexibility we need
for unforeseen circumstances. For example, if we had actionable
intelligence about a gathering of ISIL leaders, and our partners
didn’t have the capacity to get them, I would be prepared to order
our Special Forces to take action, because I will not allow these
terrorists to have a safe haven. So we need flexibility, but we
also have to be careful and deliberate. And there is no heavier
decision than asking our men and women in uniform to risk their lives
on our behalf. As Commander in Chief, I will only send our
troops into harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary for our
national security.
Finally, this resolution repeals the
2002 authorization of force for the invasion of Iraq and limits this
new authorization to three years. I do not believe America’s
interests are served by endless war, or by remaining on a perpetual
war footing. As a nation, we need to ask the difficult and
necessary questions about when, why and how we use military force.
After all, it is our troops who bear the costs of our
decisions, and we owe them a clear strategy and the support they need
to get the job done. So this resolution will give our armed
forces and our coalition the continuity we need for the next three
years.
It is not a timetable. It is not
announcing that the mission is completed at any given period. What
it is saying is that Congress should revisit the issue at the
beginning of the next President’s term. It’s conceivable
that the mission is completed earlier. It’s conceivable that
after deliberation, debate and evaluation, that there are additional
tasks to be carried out in this area. And the people’s
representatives, with a new President, should be able to have that
discussion.
In closing, I want to say that in
crafting this resolution we have consulted with, and listened to,
both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. We have made a
sincere effort to address difficult issues that we’ve discussed
together. In the days and weeks ahead, we’ll continue to work
closely with leaders and members of Congress on both sides of the
aisle. I believe this resolution can grow even stronger with
the thoughtful and dignified debate that this moment demands. I’m
optimistic that it can win strong bipartisan support, and that we can
show our troops and the world that Americans are united in this
mission.
Today, our men and women in uniform
continue the fight against ISIL, and we salute them for their
courageous service. We pray for their safety. We stand
with their families who miss them and who are sacrificing here at
home. But know this: Our coalition is strong, our cause
is just, and our mission will succeed. And long after the
terrorists we face today are destroyed and forgotten, America will
continue to stand free and tall and strong.
May God bless our troops, and may God
bless the United States of America. Thank you very much,
everybody.
END
3:45 P.M. EST
copied direct from the
White House website:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/11/remarks-president-request-congress-authorization-force-against-isil
