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Obama Defends U.S. Approach to Countering Islamic State

DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. 2:29 PM ET 3/23/2016

BUENOS AIRES--President Barack Obama defended his strategy against the Islamic State from new criticism after this week's deadly attacks in Brussels, while urging Americans and others not to succumb to fears of terrorism at home.

Mr. Obama said critics who argue he should have cut short his trip to Argentina and Cuba, where he attended a baseball game in Havana just hours after the attacks, are misguided.

"Even as we are systematic and ruthless and focused in going after them, disrupting their networks, getting their leaders, rolling up their operations, it is very important for us to not respond with fear," Mr. Obama said at a news conference here with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri.

Continuing with normal life, he said, is a blow against terrorism. "We send a message to those that might be inspired by them to say, 'You are not going to change our values of liberty and openness, and the respect of all people,'" he said.

Mr. Obama was on the last day of a ground-breaking trip to Cuba on Tuesday when the terror attacks struck. He continued with his plans to meet Cuban President Raúl Castro, deliver an address to the Cuban people and attend a baseball game, despite criticism at home.

The Brussels attacks also re-opened questions about the U.S. approach to combating Islamic State, which Mr. Obama has pursued through a combination of airstrikes, special-operations forces raids, and cooperation with Western and local allies.

GOP presidential candidates, along with some Democrats and U.S. military officials, believe the U.S. should do more in terms of sending troops and arms.

Mr. Obama said, "There's no more important item on my agenda" than defeating the Islamic State. He added: "The issue is how do we do it in an intelligent way?"

He said his approach has taken 40% of the territory previously conquered by Islamic State, thinned its leadership ranks and forced them into hiding. Critics have noted that Islamic State has established new strongholds in Libya and managed to hold large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S. is continuing to seek out effective methods against the group, Mr. Obama said, but emphasized he wouldn't take additional action without sound reasons.

"We don't just go ahead and blow something up just so that we can go back home and say we blew something up," he said. "That's not a foreign policy. That's not a military strategy. And I do think it is important for the president of the U.S. and the administration to think through what they're doing so that they can achieve the objectives that are the priorities of the American people."

Write to Carol E. Lee at [e-mail]


(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-23-161429ET
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