Advertisement

Obama says US will root out Islamic State 'cancer'

Barack Obama has vowed that "justice will be done" against the killers of James Foley, as the US ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

10.09 27 Aug 2014


Share this article


Obama says US will root out Is...

Obama says US will root out Islamic State 'cancer'

Newstalk
Newstalk

10.09 27 Aug 2014


Share this article


Barack Obama has vowed that "justice will be done" against the killers of James Foley, as the US launched surveillance flights over Syria to identify targets for possible airstrikes.

President Obama's comments comes as 130 members of the Irish Defence Forces enter an intense training programme, ahead of their deployment to Syria next month.

The 46th Infantry Group will deploy to the Golan Heights next month, as part of the United Nations Disengagement Observation Force. They are the third Irish contingent to deploy with UNDOF.

Advertisement

The Mission Readiness Exercise puts troops through a series of scenarios including simulated explosive strikes, air helicopter drills, anti-ambush tactics and medical evacuation exercises. The training is taking place in the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow.

IS 'a cancer'

Islamic State (IS) militants, who beheaded journalist James Foley in a video released earlier this month, have seized large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq. The US is already conducting airstrikes in Iraq.

President Obama said he would do whatever is necessary to go after those who harm Americans, and called IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL, a "cancer".

"America does not forget," President Obama told veterans at an American Legion convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

"Our reach is long. We are patient. Justice will be done. Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won't be easy and it won't be quick," he added.

Syria, which is in the throes of a three-year civil war, has warned Washington it would need permission to operate in its airspace.

But White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the US did not even recognise Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, as the country's legitimate leader. He dismissed an offer from Damascus for a joint effort to combat IS.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that when it came to defending US interests, "we're not going to ask for permission from the Syrian regime".

Options under review

A spokesman for General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed on Monday that options for dealing with IS were under review.

He added that Gen Dempsey was working with US Central Command, which is responsible for US forces in the region, to prepare options in both Iraq and Syria "with a variety of military tools including airstrikes".

The Associated Press news agency reported that the surveillance flights got under way on Tuesday.

The US ran surveillance missions over Syria ahead of an attempted mission to rescue Mr Foley and other US hostages earlier this summer.

That mission failed, possibly due to imprecise intelligence, as the hostages had already been transferred by the time the special forces launched the raid.

IS is also threatening to kill Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, and other US citizens held captive in Syria.


Share this article


Read more about

News

Most Popular