Obama: Arab allies send 'powerful message' in ISIS fight

By Susan Crabtree

President Obama speaks on airstrikes against Islamic State

President Obama speaks on airstrikes against Islamic State

President Obama thanked the U.S. military and regional Arab allies for their airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria inside Syria and said that the bombing campaign also targeted an al Qaeda group known to be planning attacks against the United States.
"America is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these nations on behalf of our common security," he said Tuesday from outside the White House. "The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this is not America’s fight alone."



He specifically commended the five Arab countries who participated in the bombing campaign — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — and said it "sent a powerful message" to the rest of the world that the U.S. and its allies that “we will do what is necessary to defend our country.”
The president made the statement just before leaving to meet with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York where he plans to make his case for further action – and cooperation — against the Islamic State.
The overnight strikes, he said, also were aimed at disrupting plotting against the U.S. and its allies by “seasoned al Qaeda operatives who are known as the Khorosan Group.”
“And once again, it must be clear to anyone who would plot against America and try to do Americans harm that we will not tolerate safe havens for those who threaten our people.”
Obama said the U.S. will "move forward" with its plans to arm the Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State on the ground, noting that more than 40 nations have offered to assist in some way.
"The overall effort will take time. There will be challenges ahead,” he predicted. “But we’re going to do what’s necessary to take the fight to this terrorist group for the security of the country and the region and the entire world.”