President Obama's Address on ISIL/ISIS
On September 10th, President Obama gave an address on the terrorist group ISIL or ISIS. The group also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have made threats to America, beheaded two American journalists, a British aid worker, and even threaten their own people. The terrorist group claims religious authority over all Muslims across the world and wants to bring all of the Muslim inhabited religions of the world under it's political control. It's starting in the Levant region, which includes, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and part of Southern Turkey. Part of the middle and western east media, the United Nations, and other countries have deemed it a terrorist organization.
The President has a comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group. In his speech to the American people, President Obama said, "the highest priority is the security of the American people and that we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists that threaten the United States."
So to take action on the group, the President stated four parts of a strategic plan that he is going to carry out. First, a systematic campaign of airstrikes against ISIL.
President Obama said, "Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we’re hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense."Secondly, increased support to forces to forces fighting ISIL on the ground. Obama deployed several hundred service members to Iraq to assess how the United States can best support Iraqi security forces. In addition to the other service members 475 others service men and women will be sent to Iraq as well. They won't be at war or in combat, but they are they to support Iraq.
"Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition." the President said.Third on Obama's plan is, drawing on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of the Middle East.
Lastly, providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians displaced by ISIL. Innocent people include, Sunni, Shia Muslims, and tens of thousand Christians who are at risk.
President Obama then went on to address and talk about how great America is and how we have a responsibility to lead.
"It is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism." the President said, "but in the fight for opportunity, and tolerance, and a more hopeful future."Now the United States have a long history feuding back and forth. but recently, the US has been working with the Iraqi government trying to decimate Al Qaeda. Starting in 1958 with the United States claiming territory in Iraq is when things started getting heated. Moving forward to 9/11 is when the United States was fully at war with Al-Qaeda. Starting tension there, the US was set on finding who was responsible for this horrible act of hatred. On May 2nd, 2011 is when America was a little at piece because US forces took down Osama Bin Laden, the brains behind 9/11. Thus, leading America to help Iraq build up a government and democracy.
Sources:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/08/28/president-obama-delivers-update-economy-iraq-and-ukraine
http://origins.osu.edu/article/century-us-relations-iraq/page/0/1
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/09/10/president-obama-we-will-degrade-and-ultimately-destroy-isil
