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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say President Barack Obama will go on the offensive against the Islamic State group with a broader counterterror mission than he previously has been willing to embrace.
However, they say the new plan won't commit U.S. troops to a ground war against the insurgency. Instead, it will rely heavily on allies to pitch in for what could be an extended campaign.
Officials say Obama's more aggressive posture will target Islamic State militants comprehensively and not just to protect U.S. interests or help resolve humanitarian disasters.
Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Monday night that "almost every single county on Earth has a role to play" in eliminating the threat from the Islamic State extremists, adding that the coalition will be "built to endure for the months, and perhaps years, to come."
The U.S. has already launched nearly 150 airstrikes against militant targets in Iraq. A U.S. Central Command spokesman says the latest strikes targeted 50 to 70 fighters and most were believed to have been killed.
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244-w-37-(Mark Smith, AP White House correspondent, with Josh Earnest, White House press secretary, and David Schenker, director, Program on Arab Politics, Washington Institute for Near East Policy)--President Obama is preparing to meet with top lawmakers and speak to the American people on how he plans to go after the Islamic State militant group. AP White House Correspondent Mark Smith reports. (8 Sep 2014)
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203-a-10-(Colonel Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman, with reporters)-"close to nil"-Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, says American airstrikes on Islamic State fighters in Iraq are having a military and psychological impact. (8 Sep 2014)
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204-a-09-(Colonel Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman, with reporters)-"seen and destroyed"-Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, says the airstrikes are limiting the ability of Islamic State fighters to move around. (8 Sep 2014)
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267-a-15-(Secretary of State John Kerry, in remarks)-"years to come"-Secretary of State John Kerry says the Obama administration is formulating a long term strategy to confront and defeat the Islamic State militant group. (8 Sep 2014)
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APPHOTO WX103: FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2014 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks at Celtic Manor, Newport, Wales. As the president plans a speech on the eve of 9/11 to assess the U.S. stance against the Islamic State militants, U.S. officials say the strategy will largely build on the current air strikes and work with the nascent coalition he began to build in Wales. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) (5 Sep 2014)
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