AP
Obama speaks from the State Floor of the White House on his strategy against ISIS.
President Barack Obama outlined a new, expanded strategy to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the extremist group calling itself the Islamic State (also know as ISIS or ISIL) with a primetime speech Wednesday night. Speaking from the Cross Hall in the White House, Obama vowed to "eradicate" the group. "So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat," Obama said, according to a prepared version of his remarks. "Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy."
Ahead of Obama's speech, officials outlined elements of his plan to confront the group, involving a coalition of the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East, Europe, and elsewhere. It will include an expansion of American airstrikes on ISIS targets in both Iraq and in Syria, combined with an effort to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces in Iraq as well as moderate opposition forces in Syria.