Obama: US leading fight to destroy ISIS

President Obama on Saturday said the U.S. “mobilized the world to confront some of our most urgent challenges” at this week’s meeting of the United Nations.

In his weekly address, the president said he had secured significant progress on a number of diplomatic fronts, such as building support for the coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and cutting off the flow of financing and foreign fighters to extremist terror groups.

{mosads}”America is leading the world in the fight to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group,” Obama said.

On Friday, the British Parliament voted to join the U.S. in conducting airstrikes against the militants. At least five Arab countries and a number of other European allies have offered to contribute to the bombing campaign.

At the U.N., the president also secured the unanimous approval of a Security Council resolution that would require countries to adopt new laws and regulations stemming the flow of foreign fighters traveling to the Middle East to take up arms alongside groups like ISIS. Western leaders fear these radicalized individuals could return to their home countries and carry out terror attacks there.

Obama said he also used the forum to call “upon even more nations to join us on the right side of history” in sanctioning Russia over its incursions into Ukraine. 

He said the U.S. is “leading the fight” on fighting the Ebola epidemic as well.

“From the United Kingdom and Germany to France and Senegal, other nations are stepping up their efforts, too, sending money, supplies, and personnel,” he declared. “And we will continue to rally other countries to join us in making concrete commitments to fight this disease, and enhance global health security for the long-term.”

He went on to urge developing nations to curb climate change by cutting carbon pollution.

“We are heirs to a proud legacy of freedom,” Obama said. “And as we showed the world this week, we are prepared to do what is necessary to secure that legacy for generations to come.”