Kerry: The US will 'neutralize' ISIS quicker than it did al-Qaida

"I am confident that if we stay steady, keep our heads in thinking creatively, but also being strong and committed to our fundamental values, we are going to defeat Daesh."

By REUTERS
Updated: NOVEMBER 20, 2015 07:15
Kerry says US can "neutralize" ISIS quicker than it did al Qaeda
WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday the United States has the ability to "neutralize" Islamic State much faster than it was able to do with al Qaeda.
"We began our fight against al-Qaida in 2001 and it took us quite a few years before we were able to eliminate Osama bin Laden and the top leadership and neutralize them as an effective force. We hope to do Daesh much faster than that and we think we have an ability to do that," he told reporters.
"President Obama has already ordered increased efforts. He has been doing that before the Paris attacks, over the course of the last months -- increased efforts, and we are seeing the results of those in ways," Kerry added, "and I am confident that if we stay steady, keep our heads in thinking creatively, but also being strong and committed to our fundamental values, we are going to defeat Daesh."
Kerry's comments follow statements made at the G20 Summit in Turkey, where world powers met to discuss a global initiative in dealing with the ISIS threat.
The US said it would work with France to intensify air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, after the attacks in Paris killed 129 people.
The French government has called the Paris attacks an act of war and said it would not end its air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date on Sunday targeting the Islamic State's stronghold in the city of Raqqa. The operation was carried out in coordination with US forces.
Speaking in an interview with US network NBC's Meet the Press on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Turkey, US Deputy National security adviser Ben Rhodes said getting arms directly to fighters on the ground in Syria and Iraq seemed to be working in the fight against Islamic State.
Separately, Rhodes told reporters that Islamic State has the aspiration to launch attacks on any member of the US-led coalition but said there was no specific credible threat against the United States.
ISIS released several propaganda videos through their social media channels on Thursday, threatening attacks on US soil, including New York City and Washington DC. 


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