New Delhi, September 10 – US President Barack Obama on Wednesday told his leaders in the Congress that he had complete authority to sanctions operations against Islamic State militants.
He met a group of Congress leaders ahead of his address to the nation during which he is expected to announce the strategy to take on the militants, PTI reported. “The President told the leaders that he has the authority he needs to take action against ISIS in accordance with the mission he will lay out in his address tomorrow night.
“He reiterated his belief that the nation is stronger and our efforts more effective when the President and Congress work together to combat a national security threat like ISIS,” a White House statement said.
Obama told the leaders that he would welcome action by the Congress that would aid the overall effort and demonstrate to the world that the US is united in defeating the threat from ISIS, the statement said.
At the White House, Obama met John Boehner, Speaker of the US House of representatives; Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, and the Senate Leader, Mitch McConnell.
“The Speaker said the spread of radicalized Islam is a global epidemic and our national objective must be to defeat and destroy ISIS. He asked the president to define success in those terms when he addresses the nation tomorrow night,” an aide to the Speaker said.
Boehner expressed support for certain options that have been proposed by the president, such as increasing the effectiveness of the Iraqi Security Forces and training and equipping the Syrian opposition.
“The Speaker made it clear that ISIS is preparing to fight us, and that as we learned in Syria, the longer we wait, the more difficult our choices become. It is in the best interests of the US and our allies to put in place a strategy that rises to the challenge of the threat we face, and takes the fight directly to ISIS in a decisive fashion,” the aide quoted the Speaker as saying.
According to the aide, Boehner said he would support the President if he chose to deploy the military to help train and play an advisory role for the Iraqi Security Forces and assist with lethal targeting of ISIS leadership.
“The Speaker made clear that the administration should re-examine our border and homeland policies and authorities to determine whether there are loopholes or weaknesses that could expose the homeland to an immediate ISIL-linked attack,” the aide said.
Meanwhile, US Senator John Cornyn in a statement urged the President to go beyond the rhetoric and offer a clear explanation of the US military and strategic objectives.
“I urge him to explain how and why the Islamic State poses a dangerous threat to US national security interests, which I believe it does. I believe he thinks it does. So I hope he will explain it to the American people so they can understand it,” Cornyn said.
-INDIA TODAY
