Obama Vows To Defeat IS Amid New Airstrikes

Written By Unknown on Senin, 08 September 2014 | 14.59

President Barack Obama has vowed to defeat the Islamic State hours after the United States launched fresh airstrikes against the militant group in Iraq.

The latest aerial raids were around Haditha Dam, the first time the US has targeted the IS insurgents in that area.

The Sunni movement, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, is trying to capture the vital dam in the west of the country.

On the ground, Iraqi forces capitalised on the raids, launching an operation to drive the militants out of the Haditha area as they reportedly retook the town of Barwana.

Mr Obama said he will give a speech on Wednesday where he will set out his strategy against the jihadist group, which has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Tribal fighters fire their weapons during an intensive security deployment in Haditha Tribal fighters fire their weapons in the town of Haditha

He said he will not announce US ground troops will be sent and wants Sunni states like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE and Turkey to "step up" and help in the fight.

He also "wants the American people to understand the nature of the threat".

Mr Obama said there was not any immediate intelligence about threats to the US homeland but IS could be a serious threat over time "if allowed to control a significant amount of territory".

He told NBC: "We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities, we're going shrink the territory that they control and ultimately we're going to defeat them."

A map showing the location of Haditha and Mosul in Iraq. IS fighters have also tried to take Mosul Dam in the north of the country

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the four new airstrikes had been carried out at the request of the Iraqi government.

He said: "If that dam would fall into ISIL's hands or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant, additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq."

Sheik Ahmed Abu Risha, the leader of a pro-Iraqi government paramilitary force, said the strikes were "very accurate".

General view of Mosul Dam in northern Iraq US airstrikes drove IS fighters from Mosul Dam last month

He said: "There was no collateral damage ... If Islamic State had gained control of the dam, many areas of Iraq would have been seriously threatened, even Baghdad."

It is Washington's first offensive in Anbar province since it started hitting IS forces in the north of the country in August. Since then the US has conducted more than 130 airstrikes.

IS fighters tried to capture Haditha Dam, which has six power generators located alongside the country's second largest reservoir, last month.

A F/A-18E comes in to land onboard USS George H.W. Bush in the Gulf A F/A-18E comes in to land after striking targets in Iraq

Iraqi forces supported by Sunni tribes held them off.

IS took control of the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq last month, but US airstrikes helped to dislodge them.

IS has overrun large areas of northern Iraq and declared a cross-border Islamic caliphate (state), including territory it controls in neighbouring Syria.

Iraq's government has meanwhile welcomed Mr Obama's plan for an international coalition against the jihadists, calling it a "strong message of support".


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