Obama says ISIS is 'on the defensive' after a 'bad few months'


In a rare visit to CIA headquarters, President Obama said Wednesday that the "depraved" Islamic State has had a "bad few months," and its leaders wake up every day "and understand it could be their last."
In Syria and Iraq, ISIS is "on the defensive," Obama said, and "our 66-member coalition, including Arab partners, is on the offensive." The coalition will continue missions to eliminate ISIS leaders, and "their barbarism only stiffens our unity and our determination to wipe this vile terrorist organization off the face of the earth."
Obama spent part of the day in a meeting with top security officials to discuss ISIS, and said the core of the group is shrinking. "We're sending a message," he added. "If you target Americans, you have no safe haven. We will find you."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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