President Obama delivered a rather short statement from the White House this morning defending and explaining his decision to launch U.S. airstrikes into Syria last night.
“We were joined in this action by our friends and partners,” he said, noting how five Arab countries also participated in the operation.
“America is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with these nations on behalf of our common security.”
“Meanwhile, we will move forward with our plan, supported by partisan majorities in Congress, to move and train the Syrian opposition,” he added. “More broadly, 40 nations have offered to help [to] take out terrorist targets, to cut off ISIL’s financing, to counter its hateful ideology, and to stop its flow of fighters into and out of the region.”
He also said over the coming days he will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and other world leaders, to discuss the ISIL threat at the United Nations.
“The overall effort will take time [and] there will be challenges,” he added. “But we’re going to take the fight to this terrorist group.”