Obama: The Destruction of ISIS is Inevitable; Risk of Sporadic Attacks Exists

The President of the United States expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Washington-led coalition against the 'Islamic State' and emphasized that 'this group will undoubtedly be destroyed.' Barack Obama spoke with reporters on August 5, prior to departing for summer vacation. He referred to advances against this group in areas where the coalition is engaged in battle, stating that airstrikes indicate that extremists will be defeated in conventional warfare. However, they have shown that they are capable of carrying out smaller attacks that instill fear in society. The coalition led by the United States has conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against the group known as the 'Islamic State' over the past two years. The U.S. has also targeted ISIS positions and forces in other areas, including Libya. Meanwhile, during this time, countries in West Asia, Europe, and the United States have been the targets of attacks, explosions, and shootings, some of which are unprecedented in terms of scale and civilian casualties. In his press conference, the U.S. President stated that attackers have managed to 'draw the attention they sought.' He added that 'the likelihood of an attack by a lone wolf (an effective attacker motivated by extremist thoughts acting alone) or a small group that leads to civilian casualties is a real danger.' Obama emphasized that the United States must take better actions to disrupt the activities of this group, which is capable of carrying out attacks much farther from its main bases. He also warned against the fear generated by terrorist attacks in society, saying, 'When communities are gripped by fear, they react in ways that can undermine the foundations on which our society is built.' The U.S. President stated that to defeat extremists, these battles should not be framed as a war between Islamic civilization and Western civilization; 'Such a framing is precisely beneficial to ISIS and weakens us.' He noted that creating an image of a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West only serves groups like the 'Islamic State': 'It is exactly in favor of ISIS and the distorted interpretation they provide of Islam. Such a narrative weakens us and makes us more vulnerable to threats.' The U.S. President also emphasized that more time is needed to push the Islamic State back from Raqqa and Mosul in Syria and Iraq, but stated that this group, with coalition air support for ground battles, will lose more territory: 'Even ISIS leaders know they will continue to lose [more territory].' Before heading off for summer vacation with his wife and two daughters, Obama visited the U.S. Department of Defense to be briefed by national security advisors on the latest developments regarding the battles against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and also in Libya.