The US is fighting ISIS "on all fronts".

(Baonghean.vn) - This was the directive given by US President Barack Obama to his national security team on February 25, emphasizing that the US-led international campaign would defeat the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization "on all fronts".

President Obama sits at a conference table before a meeting of the US National Security Council at the State Department in Washington on February 25. The meeting focused on the global campaign to weaken and defeat ISIS, along with the Syrian issue and other regional matters. Seated to Obama's left are General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; and Secretary of State John Kerry. Photo: AP.

Obama also expressed hope that the proposed ceasefire in Syria would lead to a political solution to end the civil war and allow for a greater focus on ISIS.

President Obama commented after an extraordinary meeting at the State Department with several senior national security advisers, who briefed him on the latest news regarding parallel efforts to combat ISIS and bring peace to Syria after years of civil conflict.

Standing alongside Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and other senior advisers, Obama said, “I have just directed my team to continue accelerating this campaign on all fronts.”

Obama said that like-minded nations are moving toward offering more support to defeat ISIS. Since last summer, ISIS fighters have failed to achieve any victories in Syria or Iraq, where the group controls vast swathes of territory.

Regarding Syria, Obama did not expect the ceasefire scheduled to take effect on February 27 to immediately end years of bloody fighting between forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebels seeking to overthrow him.

The ceasefire announced this week, according to Obama, is a "test" of whether the parties are committed to broader negotiations on a political transition period, a new constitution, and free elections. He asserted that Syria's future cannot have a place for President Assad, a key point of contention with the Syrian leader's supporters, Russia and Iran.

The US President stated, "We will certainly continue to have a struggle," while noting that ISIS, the Nusra Front, and other organizations are not part of the aforementioned negotiations.

Obama argued that Russia and its allies – including the Assad regime – have a responsibility to fulfill their commitments under the agreement. The ceasefire was only reached after months of Russian airstrikes, which the U.S. claims strengthened Assad and allowed his forces to retake territory, altering the balance of power in the Syrian civil war. The U.S. president stated, "The whole world will be watching this ceasefire."

Thu Giang

(According to AP)