Islamic State Advances In Northern Syria As Obama Implores U.N.'s Help
Islamic State militants were able to advance into more Kurdish territory this week despite repeated U.S. airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
About 140,000 civilians were forced to flee their homes near Syria's northern border with Turkey as Islamic State forces advanced their control, and eyewitnesses reported the burning of homes and beheading of residents by Islamic State members.
According to the Reuters, the Islamic State's recent seizure of part of northern Syria was done in response to continued airstrikes by the U.S. This week, U.S. war planes have hit 13 targets on Wednesday and 22 targets on Tuesday. The airstrikes are currently targeting the Iraq and Syria border that the Islamic State uses to transfer its weapons.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday, saying that countries must join together to fight the Islamic State. "[…] there can be no reasoning - no negotiation - with this brand of evil," the president said during his 40 minute speech.
According to BBC News, more than 40 different countries attending the U.N. meeting offered to join in the fight against the Islamic State. Later a U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution that would monitor national activity to ensure no citizens were planning to join the Islamic State from home.
"The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force, so the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death," the president added during his speech.
