• published: 29 Sep 2014
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President Obama 60 Minutes interview VIDEO Barack Obama '60 Minutes' interview President Obama 60 Minutes interview VIDEO: US underestimated rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria Obama on 60 Minutes: Extra excerpts Steve Kroft interviews President Obama on 60 Minutes about ISIS, Syria, the Ebola virus, and Ukraine. Here are some Overtime excerpts from that conversation Obama: U.S. underestimated Islamic State President Obama told 60 Minutes that the United States underestimated the strength of the Islamic State before it took over large parts of Syria and Iraq, and overestimated the Iraqi army's ability to fight the militants. The Islamic State — also known as ISIL or ISIS — took advantage of the chaotic civil war in Syria to become "ground zero for jihadists around the world," Obama said in an interview aired Sunday night. The U.S. has launched airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq, part of an overall plan to roll back the militant group that has threatened the United States and its allies. "We just have to push them back, and shrink their space, and go after their command and control, and their capacity, and their weapons, and their fueling, and cut off their financing, and work to eliminate the flow of foreign fighters," Obama told CBS in the interview taped Friday. The administration also hopes to train Iraqi and Syrian forces to battle the Islamic State on the ground, without the U.S. having to commit combat troops. Obama acknowledged that American advisers on the ground in Iraq are "in harm's way," but he said that is different than having U.S. soldiers leading the fight. "There's a difference between them advising and assisting Iraqis who are fighting versus a situation in which we got our Marines and our soldiers out there taking shots and shooting back," Obama said. The Islamic State arose in the midst of a civil war against Syria leader Bashar Assad. The president acknowledged that the strength of the Islamic State took him and his administration by surprise. Obama Acknowledges U.S. Erred in Assessing ISIS "Well, I think our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria," Obama told Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes. President Obama acknowledged in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the United States had underestimated the rise of the Islamic State militant group, which has seized control of a broad swath of territory in the Middle East, and had placed too much trust in the Iraqi military, allowing the region to become “ground zero for jihadists around the world.” Reflecting on how a president who wanted to disentangle the United States from wars in the Middle East ended up redeploying to Iraq and last week expanding air operations into Syria, Mr. Obama pointed to assessments by the intelligence agencies that said they were surprised by the rapid advances made in both countries by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Continue reading the main story RELATED COVERAGE An American F-22A Raptor taxied last week before a mission over Syria.U.S., Defending Kurds in Syria, Expands Airstrikes Against Islamic State MilitantsSEPT. 27, 2014 Turkish Kurds watched Kurdish forces battle with Islamic State militants across the border in Syria on Saturday. Turkey fears the fight against the Islamic State may embolden Kurdish separatists.Turkey Inching Toward Alliance With U.S. in Syria ConflictSEPT. 27, 2014 An Iraqi soldier trying on a new uniform at a store in Baghdad. Some experts have declared the Iraqi Army a defeated force.Iraq’s Military Seen as Unlikely to Turn the TideJUNE 22, 2014 Gen. Ray Odierno, now the Army chief of staff, at a memorial for veterans last year.U.S. Army Chief Says Ground Troops Will Be Needed Against ISISSEPT. 17, 2014 “Our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that, I think, they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria,” Mr. Obama said on “60 Minutes,” the CBS News program, referring to James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. Mr. Obama added that the agencies had overestimated the ability and will of the Iraqi Army to fight such Sunni extremists. “That’s true. That’s absolutely true,” he said. Obama: U.S. underestimated rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria The U.S. had expected the Iraqi army to do more against extremists, president says in acknowledgment of intelligence shortcomings 2014 Sep 28 MORE + STUMBLE TWITTER FACEBOOK 2.0K COMMENTS 1245 President Obama acknowledged that the U.S. underestimated the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, also called ISIL) and overestimated the ability of the Iraqi military to fend off the militant group in an interview that will air Sunday on 60 Minutes. 2014 september