WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after President Obama’s national address Wednesday night on his strategy to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).
“The decision to use military force is never an easy one, but I think the President’s decision to expand American military action against the Islamic State is the right one. ISIS has the resources, training, battle experience, and intention to pose a direct threat not just to Americans and American interests in Iraq and Syria, but to our regional allies, our European allies, and eventually, to all of us here on American soil.
“The President gave a strong speech tonight. It was one that Americans needed to hear. The environment in the Middle East today is dangerous and unpredictable, and I respect that the President has resisted previous calls for overreaching. The President is doing the right thing in methodically trying to build a coalition in the region to equip and train regional militaries, and to be thoughtful and deliberate not just for the first day and the first month of this conflict, but over the long term. What we heard tonight was a strategy, and I support it.”