WASHINGTON – A defensive President Obama pushed back against attacks of his Syria policy during a testy news conference in Turkey Monday that was dominated by the Paris attacks and where he once again ruled out introducing a large US ground force to crush ISIS.
After a weekend when his policy took heavy fire from GOP presidential candidates, Obama rejected any response to the terror threat conceived just to “make America look tough.”
He blasted critics who “seem to think if I were just more bellicose in expressing what we’re doing that it would make a difference. Because that seems to be the only thing that they’re doing is talking as if they’re tough.”
He vowed to continue the US policy of accepting refugees from war-torn Syria, notwithstanding early revelations that some Paris attackers came in with the flow of refugees.
“Many of these refugees are the victims of terrorism themselves,” Obama said. “Slamming the door in their faces would be a rejection of our values.”
Reporters repeatedly pressed Obama on whether the US strategy was sufficient or needed changing in light of new demonstrations of the reach of ISIS terror. At one point CNN’s Jim Acosta asked, “Why can’t we take out these bastards?”
A prickly Obama said in response to another question, “Alright so this is another variation on the same question … So let me try it one last time.”
Obama said if the US sent a 50,000 force to Syria, it could retake ISIS strongholds, but that wouldn’t stop attacks in some other country. He rejected a safe “no-fly” zone as well intentioned but unworkable.
“It’s best that we don’t shoot first and aim later,” he said.
The president said the way to counter the “twisted ideology” of ISIS was to build coalitions, target their leaders, partner with local forces, and ultimately take back territory to deny recruiting tools. “It is their ideology that they carry with them and their willingness to die” that makes them dangerous, he said.
“We are united against this threat,” Obama vowed. “ISIL is the face of evil. Our goal, as we’ve said many times, is to degrade and ultimately destroy this barbaric terrorist organization.”
Obama unloaded on a suggestion by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush Sunday for the US to focus on taking in Christian refugees. “We don’t have religious tests for our compassion,” he inveighed. He then slammed “shameful” rhetoric from candidates whose families “benefited from protection” from political persecution – a likely reference to Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have Cuban heritage.