President Obama defends strategy to defeat Islamic state

President Barack Obama has launched a robust defense of his strategy to defeat the Islamic State with a detailed account of territory taken from the enemy, bombs dropped and leaders killed. 

He said the US is hitting ISIL harder than ever. 

He said so far, the United States has dropped nearly nine thousand bombs since it began attacking the Islamic State last year.

President Obama has been under pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to increase the pace and intensify the campaign against the Islamic State following the recent terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, California, and Paris. 

His rare appearance at the Pentagon, after a meeting with his top national security staff, seemed designed specifically to counter criticisms that he has not devoted enough resources to destroying the group.


BBC