Ed Henry: It Sounds Like You’re ‘Doubling Down on the Same Policies and Approach’

OBAMA I missed you ░░░░░░░░ I haven t done ░░░░░░░░ a lot HENRY I ░░░░░░░░ I missed you indecipherable ░░░░░░░░ you Mr President I ░░░░░░░░ t heard you say ░░░░░░░░ specific thing during this ░░░░░░░░ conference that you would ░░░░░░░░ differently You ve been ░░░░░░░░ it a few different ░░░░░░░░ I understand you re ░░░░░░░░ to reach out but ░░░░░░░░ ve talked about doing ░░░░░░░░ before It s almost ░░░░░░░░ you re doubling down ░░░░░░░░ the same policies and ░░░░░░░░ you ve had for ░░░░░░░░ years So my question ░░░░░░░░ why not pull a ░░░░░░░░ from the Clinton play ░░░░░░░░ and admit you have ░░░░░░░░ make a much more ░░░░░░░░ shift in course for ░░░░░░░░ last two years And ░░░░░░░░ ISIS there s pretty ░░░░░░░░ setback in the last ░░░░░░░░ days with an appearing ░░░░░░░░ the Syrian rebels who ░░░░░░░░ been routed there were ░░░░░░░░ Gitmo detainees who rejoined ░░░░░░░░ battlefield helping ISIS and ░░░░░░░░ terror groups crosstalk OBAMA ░░░░░░░░ I HENRY So my ░░░░░░░░ is are we winning ░░░░░░░░ Well I think it ░░░░░░░░ too early to say ░░░░░░░░ we are winning because ░░░░░░░░ I said at the ░░░░░░░░ of the ISIL campaign ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ long term plan to ░░░░░░░░ the Iraqi government to ░░░░░░░░ their security forces to ░░░░░░░░ sure that in addition ░░░░░░░░ our air cover that ░░░░░░░░ have the capacity to ░░░░░░░░ a ground game that ░░░░░░░░ ISIL back from some ░░░░░░░░ the territories that they ░░░░░░░░ taken that we have ░░░░░░░░ strong international coalition that ░░░░░░░░ ve now buit but ░░░░░░░░ they are on the ░░░░░░░░ providing the training providing ░░░░░░░░ equipment providing the supplies ░░░░░░░░ are necessary for Iraqis ░░░░░░░░ fight on behalf of ░░░░░░░░ territory And what I ░░░░░░░░ said was that in ░░░░░░░░ that s been complicated ░░░░░░░░ that s not going ░░░░░░░░ be solved any time ░░░░░░░░ Our focus in Syria ░░░░░░░░ not to solve the ░░░░░░░░ Syria situation but rather ░░░░░░░░ isolate the areas in ░░░░░░░░ ISIL can operate And ░░░░░░░░ is no doubt that ░░░░░░░░ of the extraordinary bravery ░░░░░░░░ our men and women ░░░░░░░░ uniform and the precision ░░░░░░░░ our pilots and the ░░░░░░░░ that have taken place ░░░░░░░░ ISIL is in a ░░░░░░░░ vulnerable position and it ░░░░░░░░ more difficult for them ░░░░░░░░ maneuver than it was ░░░░░░░░ Now there is a ░░░░░░░░ issue about trying to ░░░░░░░░ a moderate opposition in ░░░░░░░░ that can serve as ░░░░░░░░ partner with us on ░░░░░░░░ ground That s always ░░░░░░░░ the hardest piece of ░░░░░░░░ to get done There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of opposition ░░░░░░░░ in Syria along a ░░░░░░░░ from radical jihadists who ░░░░░░░░ our enemies to folks ░░░░░░░░ believe in inclusive democracy ░░░░░░░░ everything in between They ░░░░░░░░ among each other They ░░░░░░░░ fighting the regime And ░░░░░░░░ we re trying to ░░░░░░░░ is to find a ░░░░░░░░ group that we can ░░░░░░░░ with that we have ░░░░░░░░ in that we vetted ░░░░░░░░ can help in regaining ░░░░░░░░ from ISIL and then ░░░░░░░░ serve as a responsible ░░░░░░░░ to sit at the ░░░░░░░░ in eventual political negotiations ░░░░░░░░ are probably some ways ░░░░░░░░ in the future That ░░░░░░░░ always been difficult As ░░░░░░░░ know one of the ░░░░░░░░ has consistently been you ░░░░░░░░ should the Obama administration ░░░░░░░░ more support to the ░░░░░░░░ Could that have averted ░░░░░░░░ of the problems that ░░░░░░░░ taking place in Syria ░░░░░░░░ as I ve said ░░░░░░░░ part of the challenge ░░░░░░░░ it s a messy ░░░░░░░░ This is not a ░░░░░░░░ where we have one ░░░░░░░░ unified broad based effective ░░░░░░░░ NN PERSON indecipherable off ░░░░░░░░ OBAMA Let me answer ░░░░░░░░ question And so what ░░░░░░░░ are going to continue ░░░░░░░░ test is can we ░░░░░░░░ a more stable effective ░░░░░░░░ moderate opposition But that ░░░░░░░░ not the sole measure ░░░░░░░░ whether we are winning ░░░░░░░░ not Remember our first ░░░░░░░░ here Ed is to ░░░░░░░░ ISIL out of Iraq ░░░░░░░░ what we re doing ░░░░░░░░ Syria is first and ░░░░░░░░ in service of reducing ░░░░░░░░ s capacity to resupply ░░░░░░░░ send troops and then ░░░░░░░░ back in over the ░░░░░░░░ border to eventually re ░░░░░░░░ a border between Iraq ░░░░░░░░ Syria so that slowly ░░░░░░░░ regains control of its ░░░░░░░░ and its territory That ░░░░░░░░ our number one mission ░░░░░░░░ is our number one ░░░░░░░░ There are aspects of ░░░░░░░░ s going on in ░░░░░░░░ that you know we ░░░░░░░░ got to deal with ░░░░░░░░ order to reduce the ░░░░░░░░ of ISIL s operations ░░░░░░░░ for example our support ░░░░░░░░ Kurds in Kobani where ░░░░░░░░ ve been able to ░░░░░░░░ off ISIL and where ░░░░░░░░ ve been able to ░░░░░░░░ strike ISIL s positions ░░░░░░░░ That s not just ░░░░░░░░ we re trying to ░░░░░░░░ a Syria problem That ░░░░░░░░ also because it gives ░░░░░░░░ an opportunity to further ░░░░░░░░ ISIL so that we ░░░░░░░░ meet our number one ░░░░░░░░