Obama announces ‘broad coalition’ to fight Islamic State extremist group --- President Obama on Wednesday night outlined an open-ended campaign to combat the threat posed by the Islamic State, significantly expanding the counter­terrorism strategy that has been a hallmark of his presidency. -- Obama said in a prime-time speech televised from the White House that the United States will join “with our friends and allies to degrade, and ultimately destroy, the terrorist group known as ISIL,” using an alternative acronym for the group that has emerged in Iraq and Syria. -- Saying the United States is meeting the threat with “strength and resolve,” the president also sought to assuage the concerns of Americans who are wary of another foreign entanglement, insisting that the offensive against the militant group will not involve combat troops but will rather be a “steady, relentless effort” conducted through airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq, and by supporting military partners on the ground. -- “I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil,” he said. Obama compared the new initiative to smaller-scale fights the United States has engaged in. “This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years,” he said. -- But the scope of the new operation — which will immediately involve expanded airstrikes, additional U.S. personnel in Iraq and new support for moderate Syrian rebels — is likely to overshadow those two efforts. In the 13-minute address, Obama did not give a fixed date for when the operation might end, and his top aides have suggested it might last beyond his time in office. -- The president says he has the legal authority to conduct the expanded military operations without new congressional approval. “This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven,” he said. -- Still, he has asked Congress to explicitly authorize U.S. military personnel to train Syrians, Iraqis and others to combat the Islamist militants in both countries, saying, “I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.” -- Saudi Arabia has agreed to host and help fund the training program, according to White House officials. Obama called Saudi King Abdullah on Wednesday to discuss the operation. - Read More, Washingtonpost, http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lawmakers-weigh-giving-obama-authority-to-wage-war-against-islamic-state/2014/09/10/59f057b0-38fd-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html?hpid=z1#