President Obama Hosts UN Summit on ISIS, Violent Extremism
The president held a meeting with world leaders on countering ISIS.
— -- President Obama hosted a group of world leaders today at the United Nations in a summit to discuss the ongoing fight against the terror group ISIS and the global spread of violent extremism.
"There are going to be successes and there are going to be setbacks," Obama said, beginning his remarks to the leaders of the more than 100 nations present. "This is not a conventional battle. This is a long-term campaign."
Similar to his speech Monday to the United Nations, Obama reiterated that he was ready to work with countries like Iran and Russia to fight ISIS.
Obama stressed the long-term nature of the fight against ISIS, and said that while law enforcement must not profile or target people based on their faith, countries must be aware that ISIS is making unique efforts to target Muslim communities.
“This is not going to be turned around overnight because it is not just a military campaign that we are involved in,” Obama said. “There are problems that have built up over decades that are expressing themselves and manifesting themselves in organizations like ISIL,” another name for ISIS.
In his remarks sitting alongside Obama, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said significant improvements have been made in the fight against ISIS over the past year, and thanked the more than 60 coalition countries who have come to assist in the fight. He pressed neighboring countries to increase enforcement to stem the flow of foreign fighters and stop outside financing for terrorist groups.
Obama gave a brief preview of his meeting in his confrontational speech to the UN Monday.
"Part of our job, together, is to work to reject such extremism that infects too many of our young people," Obama said. "Part of that effort must be a continued rejection by Muslims of those who distort Islam to preach intolerance and promote violence, and it must also a rejection by non-Muslims of the ignorance that equates Islam with terror."
Just prior to the summit, both the Treasury and State Departments announced new sanctions against foreign terrorist groups and ISIS fighters. In all, the new sanctions target 25 new individuals and five terror groups.