Washington: The US today called for stepping up “pace of actions” to destroy the Islamic State by escalating military, counter-terrorism and diplomatic efforts.
“The pace has to be picked up, and more needs to be done, and everybody understands that,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview on a TV channel.
“I do not think anybody believes it’s happening fast enough, and we are escalating our steps,” he told Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie.
Kerry said that President Barack Obama even in the last weeks before Paris terrorist attack took place made major decisions to put additional people on the ground, special forces, and took additional steps.
Obama has taken additional steps, which he said, “can’t talk about it. ”
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the November 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds.
Kerry said Islamic State has brought in people in other countries.
“It hasn’t expanded by moving to those other countries; it has taken terrorists who already exist in those other countries and they have pledged loyalty to Daesh (Arabic acronym for the ISIS),” he said.
“We know there are people who are terrorists in Libya, in Yemen, in Afghanistan, and other places. What Daesh has succeeded in doing is attracting them because of what they’ve been doing on the ground in Syria and in Iraq.
“And we have been focused on attacking them in Syria and Iraq, and I am convinced that will increase even more so in the days ahead,” he said.
The top American diplomat, however, exuded confidence that ISIS would be defeated.
“I believe ISIS is going to be defeated. ISIS is not 10 feet tall. I have absolute confidence that Daesh will be defeated and there will be increased steps taken in order to do so,” he said.
“What we need to do is not succumb to fear. People need to not panic. There is a strategy in place growing by the day, and I have no doubt whatsoever that with the help of all the nations that are united against Daesh, they are going to be defeated, and we’re going to do everything in our power to hasten that journey,” Kerry said.