Washington: Islamic State (IS) poses an “imminent threat” to American interests and must be destroyed on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border, US military leaders say.
Defence secretary Chuck Hagel was among those sounding the alarm, just days after the group posted a video on social media showing one of its fighters beheading American journalist James Foley, who was kidnapped in Syria.Â
Hagel warned IS was better armed, trained and funded than any recent militant threat including Al Qaeda.
“They are beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of… military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded. This is beyond anything we’ve seen.”
IS had to be defeated both in Iraq and Syria and the US was exploring “all options” to attack it.
Hagel rejected the notion Syrian president Bashar al-Assad could be an ally in the fight, saying he was a central part of the problem.
“If they achieve that vision, it would fundamentally alter the face of the Middle East and create a security environment that would certainly threaten us in many ways,” he said.
“This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated,” General Dempsey said.
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