President Barack Obama will address the nation tonight (Sept. 10) at 9 p.m. ET., laying out a plan to defeat Islamic State terrorists that have persecuted religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, and threatened the security of the United States.
Islamic State (IS) militants have wreaked havoc in the Middle East; the group has been accused of massacring Christians. Recently, two American journalists that had been kidnapped while reporting overseas were beheaded by terrorists. Videos of their executions were posted to YouTube.
The White House has said that the President’s speech tonight will explain to the American people a strategy for “degrading and ultimately destroying” IS.
CBC News reports that Obama will likely address five major points of his plan.
The first point to explain is airstrikes in Syria, and the potential for an expanded airstrike campaign. Second, the President will likely discuss troops in Iraq, though Obama has insisted that he will not be sending ground troops to the region. Third, Obama should address Congress’ stance on the U.S.’s intervention in Iraq and whether or not he has received approval. Forth, the President will discuss the “global coalition” of nations that is standing against IS, alongside the U.S. The fifth and final point that Obama should mention is how great a threat IS poses to the American people.
Obama has said that he intends to give Americans confidence that the U.S. can destroy the terrorist organization.
Publication date: September 10, 2014