Quotes from Obama's Speech on ISIS

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 06:24:56 PM EST
Tags: ISIS, Obama Speech (all tags)

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Here is a quote from Obama's speech tonight on ISIS:

“So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat. Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.

But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.”

According to John Kerry today, no other country has agreed to put boots on the ground in Iraq or Syria. [More...]

In addition, the President of the United States and other leaders of other countries have eliminated the notion of their forces being engaged in direct combat unless, obviously, something very, very dramatic changed. That’s the way it is today, and that’s the way it’s going to be.

So it looks like Obama is relying only on rebel factions and the dysfunctional Iraqi Army for ground support. The rest will be air strikes, intelligence gathering (drones and intercepted communications) and providing training and weapons. I wonder if he will address a plan for keeping these new arms from suffering the same fate as so many others -- ending up in the hands of ISIS.

< ISIS Vs. The World | Australia Says Obama Asked It to Send Special Forces to Iraq >

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Quotes from Obama's Speech on ISIS | 14 comments (14 topical)

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Okay...but we have committed Special Forces (5.00 / 3) (#5)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 06:59:41 PM EST

The UK has committed Special Forces. Canada has committed Special Forces. We are currently negotiating with Australia to commit Special Forces.

Maybe Special Forces doesn't wear boots. Maybe they wear Vibram Five Fingers or TOMS or slippers :)

Crocs (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 07:01:03 PM EST

Duh! Waterproof, floats, air circulation (none / 0) (#7)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 07:03:02 PM EST

See, that's why I could never be in Special Forces. I don't even know what shoes to wear to Syria :)


: That's okay... (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by unitron on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 09:57:49 PM EST

...it probably changed after Labor Day anyhow.

: Look at the ISIS photos... (none / 0) (#8)
by Mr Natural on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 08:04:09 PM EST

They're all wearing sandals.

But I also read on Yahoo that Kerry said. (none / 0) (#12)
by BarnBabe on Thu Sep 11, 2014 at 12:17:35 AM EST

A coalition of nearly 40 nations already has committed to contribute to what Kerry predicted will be a worldwide fight to defeat the Islamic State.

So the contribution might be small. When we were doing the food drops, France and Australia were also part of the humanitarian effort.


: I feel very safe in speculating (none / 0) (#13)
by Militarytracy on Thu Sep 11, 2014 at 09:11:30 AM EST

That "humanitarian" encompasses more than air strikes and food drops. Somewhere in the rooms of the White House, legal documents that will be classified for years have been drafted defining Special Forces wearing slippers and killing ISIS leadership on the ground in Syria as also humanitarian effort.

Ha! (none / 0) (#14)
by ruffian on Fri Sep 12, 2014 at 03:31:12 AM EST

I wish instead of that 'boots on the ground' or, his direct quote, "It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil." he would say what I believe is the true message - we are not going in as an occupying force. That is the real worry.


Looks like more war... (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by desertswine on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 08:24:04 PM EST

for a long time.

Just as he should do (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by ZtoA on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 10:20:38 PM EST

at this point in time. Politically it is good (midterms). It gives him flexibility. Obama is teaming up with actual allies and not 'going it alone' with ''american exceptionalism" only. His war restraint is good, in my opinion, at this point in time. -- at least in a national war speech! Everyone was looking to this speech as a 'test' of Obama, which was pretty much based on politics, not on policy. This was the speech he needed to make.

This was a speech. Not action. That is separate from a leader/political speech. He said more info is needed, which is true. Intel and info is so changing and so dependent on POV. I am not an Obama fan-boy and never have been, but I think this war speech was spot on.

I tend to think (none / 0) (#1)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 06:28:37 PM EST

The damage that can be done with sustained and targeted air strikes may be under rated. So far we have only been reacting. If I was IS I would be digging a deep hole.

civilian shields (none / 0) (#2)
by thomas rogan on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 06:37:50 PM EST

If you think that the Israelis caught it for civilians who died in Gaza just wait until we start killing civilians with out airstrikes; the shrill forces who condemned Israel somehow have spread the illusion that you can have "targeted" airstrikes without killing a single civilian.


: Whoever said that (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 06:43:00 PM EST

It wasn't me. Of course they will. I expect that is why we have seen the threat level being raised to "sh!t your pants".

: For the record (none / 0) (#4)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 10, 2014 at 06:44:35 PM EST

I was one who often defended what Israel was doing. And took a fair amount of krap for it.