U.S. President Barack Obama says the U.S. continues to lead its "friend and allies" in the strategy to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the terrorist group known as Islamic State.
Obama said in his weekly address Saturday the militants "pose a threat to the people of Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East." He said "if let unchecked, they could pose a growing threat to the United States."
The president said lawmakers from both U.S. parties in the House of Representatives and the Senate have voted to give U.S. troops the authority to train Syrian opposition fighters to fight ISIL in Syria, sending a "powerful signal" to the world that Americans "are united in confronting this danger."
Obama said while he would not commit U.S. troops to fighting "another ground war in Iraq," or in Syria, the U.S. would instead use its capabilities to help its partners "secure their own country's futures."
