WASHINGTON D. C., United States (Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday (February 25) expressed confidence that the United States would prevail in its fight against the Islamic State, but said that an end to the conflict in Syria would be key to dismantling the group.
Obama made the comments following a meeting with the National Security Council at the State Department.
Obama said his security team was realistic about how difficult the fight against Islamic State, also known as ISIL, would be.
“The situation in Iraq and Syria is one of the most complex the world has seen in recent times. ISIL’s entrenched, including in urban areas, using civilians as human shields,” Obama said.
“Countries, communities, and groups that agree on fighting ISIL in the short term often don’t agree on long term goals. Indeed, the fight in Syria is not just a civil war, but a proxy war between regional powers reflecting deep sectarian rivalries,” he added.
But despite disagreements, there was progress to report, Obama said.
“Our 66 member coalition, including Arab partners continues to grow stronger. Over the past two months, thanks to Secretary Carter’s good work, just about all of our military partners have agreed to increase their contributions, buying into our conception of how we ramp up the pressure on ISIL,” he said.
“Thanks to our wave of strikes against its oil infrastructure, tanker trucks, wells, and refineries, ISIL’s oil production and revenues are significantly reduced. We’re destroying the storage sites where ISIL holds its cash. Its money is literally going up in smoke. As a result, ISIL has been forced to slash the salaries of its fighters which increasingly diminishes their morale,” he said.
Obama said the flow of foreign fighters into Syria finally appeared to be slowing.
“And for those who are there, it’s harder for them to recruit and replenish their ranks,” Obama said. As its finances shrink, ISIL is also imposing more taxes and fines on those under its brutal rule. That in turn stokes even more resentment among local populations. More people are realizing that ISIL is not a caliphate, it’s a crime ring,” he added.
Obama said the United States would do everything it could to make a ceasefire in Syria succeed despite significant question marks over whether the agreement will hold.
The United States, Russia and other parties have agreed to a “cessation of hostilities” in Syria that is set to begin Saturday (February 27) from midnight.
“As we’ve said all along, the only way to deal with ISIL in a way that defeats them in a lasting way is to end the chaos and the civil war that has engulfed Syria. That’s how ISIL was able to thrive in the first place.”
But Obama ruled out Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remaining in power – a view that finds resistance with Russia and other partners in the peace process.
“The process agreed to in Vienna is clear: a transition toward a more inclusive representative government, a new constitution followed by free elections. I will say it again, such a future, I am convinced, cannot include (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad. It’s clear that after years of his barbaric war against his own people, including torture and barrel bombs, and sieges and starvation, many Syrians will never stop fighting until Assad is out of power. There is no alternative to a managed transition away from Assad. It’s the only way to end the civil war and unite the Syrian people against terrorists,” Obama said.
Obama stressed the agreement to halt fighting did not apply to the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State. He said the United States and its partners would continue to be “relentless” in their offensive against the militants, which he said had already left the organization with fewer fighters in Iraq and Syria.
“I am confident we will prevail,” Obama said.
The president also emphasized interagency coordination on the homefront in the effort to decrease the number of lone wolf attackers, like a husband and wife team who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., last year.