President Barack Obama committed to bolster training and other assistance to Iraq in the battle against Islamic State while urging the government there to step up and broaden recruitment for security forces.
Obama said the U.S. doesn’t yet “have a complete strategy” to accelerate recruitment and training of Iraqi forces. Islamic State’s capture of the city of Ramadi exposed weaknesses in the Iraqi army, and Obama said the U.S. and its allies are trying to help build up the country’s defenses.
