United States of America President Barack Obama on Wednesday stated that his nation would dismantle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) by force.
In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Obama said, "It is time for the world, especially the Muslim community, to explicitly reject organizations like the Al-Qaeda and the ISIS. The ISIS must be degraded and ultimately destroyed and America will work in a coalition to dismantle this network of death. Those who have joined the ISIS should leave the battlefield while they can."
Obama also said that violence due to extremism was spreading across the globe. "The cancer of violent extremism is affecting many parts of the world. Ultimately, the task of rejecting sectarianism and rejecting extremism is a generational task. However, America will not give up on the pursuit to peace."
Recognising the plights of non-extremist Muslims across the world and especially in the US, Obama added, "Muslims across the world aspire to live with dignity, and when it comes to America there is no 'us and them', there is only an 'us'."
Obama also slammed Russia's actions in the Crimea, terming it "bullying". "Russia's action in Ukraine challenges the post-war order. The US and our allies will support the people of Ukraine. Russia should learn that bigger nations shouldn't bully smaller nations. We believe that right makes might and that people should be able to choose their own future," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be travelling to the United States on September 26, is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 27.
