Obama to Discuss ISIS Fight with National Security Council

U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting Thursday with his National Security Council at the State Department, with the U.S. in the midst of crucial foreign policy issues.

The White House says the meeting will focus on the "global campaign to degrade and destroy" Islamic State as well as Syria and other issues.

Obama reached agreement earlier this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin over a partial cease-fire in the civil war in Syria set to take effect Saturday. But Obama has only voiced cautious optimism that it will lead to further peace talks to end five years of fighting in Syria between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebel groups trying to overthrow him.

Lawmakers questioned Secretary of State John Kerry repeatedly about U.S. efforts to help end the fighting and humanitarian crisis in Syria during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Thursday.

He said the “slaughter” of innocent people was still occurring in Syria, where bombs had been dropped on hospitals and schools.

“That has obviously occurred which is why we have pushed so hard to try to get a cessation of hostilities,” said Kerry.

The cease-fire plan is part of a broader effort, backed by the U.S. and other members of the International Syria Support Group, to help foster a political transition that could help stabilize Syria and decrease threats from the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.

On the fight against IS, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the militant group's estimated strength now exceeds that globally of al-Qaida.

"ISIL including its eight established and several more emerging branches has become the preeminent global terrorist threat," Clapper told the House Intelligence Committee on Worldwide Threats.
 [VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins contributed to this report]
  voanews.com
 25/2/16