Obama: I Don’t Think ISIS Is ‘Gaining Strength,’ ‘We Have Contained Them’

STEPHANOPOULOS The fight against ░░░░░░░░ front and center in ░░░░░░░░ exclusive interview with President ░░░░░░░░ yesterday when we spoke ░░░░░░░░ the cabinet room shortly ░░░░░░░░ the strike the president ░░░░░░░░ how difficult it would ░░░░░░░░ to eliminate the threat ░░░░░░░░ that deadly terror group ░░░░░░░░ starts STEPHANOPOULOS Even your ░░░░░░░░ critics Fareed Zakaria says ░░░░░░░░ you have on the ░░░░░░░░ is not enough Every ░░░░░░░░ months you will be ░░░░░░░░ with the same choice ░░░░░░░░ down or double down ░░░░░░░░ I think what is ░░░░░░░░ is that this is ░░░░░░░░ been a multi year ░░░░░░░░ precisely because the government ░░░░░░░░ in the Sunni areas ░░░░░░░░ Iraq are weak and ░░░░░░░░ are none in Syria ░░░░░░░░ we don t have ░░░░░░░░ forces there in sufficient ░░░░░░░░ to simply march into ░░░░░░░░ Raqqah in Syria and ░░░░░░░░ the whole place out ░░░░░░░░ as a consequence we ░░░░░░░░ always understood that our ░░░░░░░░ has to be militarily ░░░░░░░░ ISIL s capabilities cutting ░░░░░░░░ their supply lines cutting ░░░░░░░░ their financing STEPHANOPOULOS But ░░░░░░░░ is gaining strength aren ░░░░░░░░ they OBAMA I don ░░░░░░░░ think they re gaining ░░░░░░░░ What is true is ░░░░░░░░ from the start our ░░░░░░░░ has been first to ░░░░░░░░ and we have contained ░░░░░░░░ They have not gained ░░░░░░░░ in Iraq and in ░░░░░░░░ They ll come in ░░░░░░░░ ll leave But you ░░░░░░░░ t see this systemic ░░░░░░░░ by ISIL across the ░░░░░░░░ What we have not ░░░░░░░░ been able to do ░░░░░░░░ to completely decapitate their ░░░░░░░░ and control structures We ░░░░░░░░ made some progress in ░░░░░░░░ to reduce the flow ░░░░░░░░ foreign fighters and part ░░░░░░░░ our goal has to ░░░░░░░░ to recruit more effective ░░░░░░░░ partners in Iraq to ░░░░░░░░ go on offense rather ░░░░░░░░ simply engage in defense.”