US President Barack Obama is scheduled to give a major nationally televised speech — at 9am today Taipei time — to outline an expanded military and political effort to combat militants in Syria and Iraq, and urge Congress to quickly give him authority to arm Syrian opposition forces.
However, administration officials said Obama will press forward with other elements of his plan without formal authorization from lawmakers. That could include wide-ranging airstrikes in Iraq and possibly in Syria.
Other elements of Obama’s plan include increased support for Iraqi security forces, as well as military and diplomatic commitments from partners in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Photo: AFP
The speech was considered rare because presidents seldom ask broadcast networks to clear time at 9pm Eastern Standard Time, when the most Americans are watching TV, doing so only to address the most critical issues.
The White House said Obama told lawmakers after an hour-long discussion with congressional leaders on Tuesday that he “has the authority he needs to take action” against the Islamic State militants.
The White House added that the president still would welcome action from Congress that would “aid the overall effort and demonstrate to the world that the United States is united in defeating the threat.”
For Obama, a sustained US intervention in the Middle East is at odds with the vision he had for the region when he ran for president on a pledge to end the war in Iraq, where the role of US fighting forces drew to a close nearly three years ago.
The timing of his announcement was all the more striking for coming just hours before anniversary commemorations of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Among the president’s most urgent priorities will be seeking authorization from Congress to arm more moderate elements of the opposition fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
With Obama ruling out sending US ground troops into combat in Iraq or Syria, bolstering the capacity of the Iraqi security forces and Syrian opposition will be crucial to efforts to root out Islamic State militants, previously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Administration officials said Obama also sees a congressional authorization for a Syrian train-and-equip message as sending a strong signal to allies who are considering similar efforts.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was traveling to the region for discussions in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
In Congress, there was little consensus on the scope of Obama’s authority to broaden the campaign against the Islamic State extremists.
New polls suggest the American people would support a sustained air campaign.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Monday showed 71 percent of Americans support airstrikes in Iraq, up from 54 percent just three weeks ago, while 65 percent say they support extending airstrikes into Syria.
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