--- title: ISIS: President Barack Obama Huddles With Advisers description: President Obama will chair a National Security Council meeting and receive an update on the counter-ISIS strategy canonical: https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-14T15:38:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T22:06:14.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Obama Has a Message for ISIS Leaders og:description: "You are next" og:url: https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ac9a19971e2080b/6988753c0a4a22e3cd9c77b0/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: President Obama makes a statement on the counter-ISIL campaign - DC og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Obama Has a Message for ISIS Leaders twitter:description: "You are next" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ac9a19971e2080b/6988753c0a4a22e3cd9c77b0/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Says U.S. Hitting ISIS 'Harder Than Ever' > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=76b371ea-b35e-4cd6-8833-5f077dbd8a04&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Raw: Obama to ISIS Leaders: "You are next" [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Obama to ISIS Leaders: "You are next"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MzDYm9de.m3u8) (4:22)  _Published 2015-12-14_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 10:06 PM UTCPublished: Dec 14, 2015 3:38 PM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 10:06 PM UTCPublished: Dec 14, 2015 3:38 PM UTC President Obama said the U.S. is “hitting ISIL harder than ever” following a meeting with his National Security Council at the Pentagon on Monday. Obama met with advisers to discuss the administration’s strategy to combat the militant group ISIS — which he refers to by the alternative acronym of ISIL — as part of an ongoing effort to reassure Americans about national security in the wake of terrorist attacks at home and abroad. “As we squeeze its heart we’ll make it harder for ISIL to pump its terror and propaganda to the rest of the world,” Obama said, adding that the strategy is moving forward with a “great sense of urgency.” In the wake of the attacks in San Bernardino, Calif, and Paris, both of which were linked to ISIS, President Obama has been called on to consistently update the American people on how the strategy is going. On Monday, Obama said coalition forces have launched 9,000 airstrikes against the group and taken out key leaders including a top official, a high-ranking recruiter and a weapons trafficker. “ISIL leaders cannot hide,” Obama said. “Our next message to them is simple—you are next.” The President said ISIS is continuing to lose territory and support in Iraq and Syria, quoting a refugee who said soon they will be alone in their fight. During his most recent address, Obama laid out the current strategy and said he has “no greater responsibility than the security of the American people.” The strategy includes carrying out airstrikes against the terror group in Iraq and Syria, called on allies to help in the attacks, providing training and equipment to Iraqi and Syrian forces on the ground, and working toward a diplomatic solution to the war in Syria. Obama laid out that strategy again on Monday, adding that he’s sending Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to the Middle East to work with coalition partners to shore up more support. Secretary of State John Kerry is also heading to Russia where he will discuss a solution in Syria. “Just as US is doing more in this fight, just as allies…are doing more, so must others,” Obama said from the Pentagon. President Obama also said that though the actions were being carried out, “we recognize that progress needs to keep coming faster.” While Obama stands by his plan to defeat the group, in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, he has come under growing criticism by Republicans in Congress and those seeking to succeed him as president. Obama has also come under fire for avoiding the phrase “radical Islamic terror” when discussing the threat of ISIS. Instead, he’s sought to differentiate Islam from the practices and beliefs of terrorists. “\[ISIS\] does not speak for Islam,” Obama said. “They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world — including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology.” Monday’s stop at the Pentagon was Obama’s first of a series of meetings on the counter-terrorism strategy scheduled ahead of the holidays. On Thursday, the president will travel to the National Terrorism Center for a threat briefing before heading to Hawaii with his family on Friday. ## Transcript [00:01] Today the United States and our Armed Forces continue to [00:03] lead the global coalition in our mission to destroy the [00:06] terrorist group ISIL. As I outlined in my speech [00:10] to the nation last weekend, our strategy is moving forward [00:13] with a great sense of urgency on four fronts. Hunting them, [00:17] taking out these terrorists Training and equipping Iraqi and [00:21] Syrian forces to fight ISIL on the ground. Stopping [00:25] ISIL's operations by disrupting the recruiting, financing and [00:29] propaganda. And finally, persistent diplomacy to end the [00:32] Syrian civil war so that everyone can focus on destroying [00:36] ISIL. This fall, even before the revolting [00:41] attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, I ordered new actions [00:44] to intensify our war against ISIL. These actions, [00:49] including more firepower and special operations forces, are [00:51] well underway. This continues to be a difficult fight. As I [00:55] said before, ISIL is dug in, including in urban areas, [00:59] and they hide behind civilians, using defenseless men, [01:03] women, and children as human shields. So even as we're [01:07] relentless we have to be smart, targeting ISIL surgically [01:11] with precision. At the same time, our partners on the [01:13] ground are rooting ISIL out town by town, neighborhood by [01:15] neighborhood, block by block. That [01:20] is what this campaign is doing. We are hitting ISIL harder [01:24] than ever. Coalition aircraft, our fighters, bombers and [01:27] drones have been increasing the pace of their strikes, [01:28] nearly 9, 000 as of today. Last month, [01:33] in November we dropped more bombs on ISIL targets than [01:36] any other month since this campaign started. We're also [01:39] taking out ISIL leaders, commanders and killers one by [01:42] one. Since this spring we've removed Abu Sayyaf, one of [01:47] their top leaders, Hajji Mutazz, ISIL's second in command [01:52] Judea Hussein, a top online recruiter, Mohammed [01:56] Al- Wassei, who brutally murdered Americans and others, [01:59] and in recent weeks finance chief Abu Salei, senior [02:03] extortionist Abu Maria and weapons trafficker Abu Raman [02:08] Al- Tunesi. The list goes on. We're going after ISIL [02:12] from their stronghold right in downtown Raqqa to [02:16] Libya, where we took out Abu Nabil, the ISIL leader there. [02:20] The point is ISIL leaders cannot hide and our next [02:24] message to them is simple, you are next. Every [02:28] day we destroy, as well, more of ISIL's forces. The fighting [02:32] positions, bunkers, and staging areas. The heavy weapons, [02:36] bombing factories, compounds, and training camps. In [02:39] many places ISIL has lost it's freedom of manuever [02:42] because they know if they unmask their forces we'll wipe [02:46] them out. In fact since this summer ISIL has not had A [02:50] single successful major offensive operation on the ground [02:55] in either Syria or Iraq. In recent weeks, we've unleashed a [02:58] new wave of strikes on their lifeline, the oil infrastructure, [03:03] destroying hundreds of their tanker trucks, wells, and [03:07] refiners and we're gonna keep on having those. So far, [03:11] ISIL has lost about 40 % of the populated areas it once [03:14] controlled in Iraq, and it will lose more. Iraqi [03:19] forces are now fighting their way deeper into Ramadi. [03:20] They're working to encircle Fallujah, and cut of ISIL [03:24] supply routes into Mosul. Again, these are urban areas [03:28] where ISIL is entrenched. Our partners on the ground face [03:32] a very tough fight ahead. And we're going to continue to [03:36] back them up with the support that they need to untimely [03:39] clear ISIL from Iraq. With all this said, we recognize [03:44] that progress needs to keep coming faster. No one knows [03:48] that more than countless Syrians and Iraqis living everyday [03:49] under ISIL's terror. As well as the families [03:53] in San Bernardino, and Paris, and elsewhere, who are [03:56] grieving the loss of their loved ones. Just as the United [04:00] States is doing more in this fight, just as our allies France, [04:04] Germany, and the United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy are [04:08] doing more, so must others. And that's why I've asked [04:11] Secretary Carter to go to the Middle East I'll depart right [04:14] after this press briefing to work with our coalition [04:18] partners on securing more military contributions to this [04:22] fight. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/"},"headline":"President Obama Says U.S. Hitting ISIS 'Harder Than Ever'","datePublished":"2015-12-14T15:38:25.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T22:06:14.000Z","description":"Amid terror attacks at home and abroad","url":"https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/","keywords":["National Security","Barack Obama","Obama","Terrorism","ISIS"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ac9a19971e2080b/6988753c0a4a22e3cd9c77b0/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ac9a19971e2080b/6988753c0a4a22e3cd9c77b0/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Obama makes a statement on the counter-ISIL campaign - DC","caption":"President Obama makes a statement on the counter-ISIL campaign - DC","creditText":"Olivier Douliery—EPA","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/national-security/","name":"National Security"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/","name":"President Obama Says U.S. Hitting ISIS 'Harder Than Ever'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Raw: Obama to ISIS Leaders: \"You are next\"","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/MzDYm9de/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-14T18:42:34.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MzDYm9de.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/","duration":"PT4M22S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4147492/obama-isis-isil/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```