CRI听力:Obama Makes Address on Anti-ISIL Campaign

President Obama said the U.S.-led coalition has made progress dismantling ISIL's core in Iraq and Syria by launching more targeted airstrikes than ever.

"We are hitting ISIL harder than ever. Coalition aircraft, our fighters, bombers and drones have been increasing the pace of airstrikes --- nearly 9000 as of today. Last month in November we dropped more bombs on ISIL targets than any other month since this campaign started."

There hasn't been a shift in strategy...the focus is still on targeted airstrikes. President Obama continues to rule out sending ground forces into Iraq and Syria.

President Obama listed off the names of ISIL leaders who had been killed in these airstrikes. He added that the latest round of coalition airstrikes have disrupted ISIL's freedom of maneuver.

"Everyday we destory as well more of ISIL's forces...their fighting positions, bunkers and staging areas, heavy weapons, bomb making forces and training camps. In many places ISIS has lost its freedom of manuever -- because they know if theymask their forces we will wipe them out."

But...Republicans in the U.S. are critical of President Obama's rare address at the Pentagon. They see the tough talk against ISIL as more of a way to dismantle doubts about his foreign policy after the attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino.

Obama warned that the US and its partners faced a 'very tough fight ahead' and despite some progress, there's still work to be done.

"We recognize that progress needs to keep coming faster. No one knows that more than the countless Syrians and Iraqis living everyday under ISIL's terror as well as the families in SB and Paris and elsewhere who are grieving the loss of their loved ones."

During his address, Obama announced that he's sending Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to the Middle East to help secure more help in the fight against the Islamic State.

"Just as the US is doing more in this fight. Just as our allies...France, Germany and the UK, Australia and Italy are doing more, so must others. That's why I have asked Secretary Carter to go to the Middle East -- he will depart right after this press briefing -- to work with our coalition partners on securing more military contributions to this fight"

He also said that Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Moscow on Tuesday in order to push diplomatic efforts to finally put an end to the Syrian civil war.

For CRI I'm Ellen Scott in Washington.