10/09/2014 10:39
Obama says he 'has authority' to widen IS fight
President Barack Obama has said that he has the authority to widen military action against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and Syria without the approval of Congress, the BBC reported.
He will still ask Congress to approve the arming of Syrian opposition forces.
Mr Obama is due to give a speech on Wednesday night in which he will outline his anti-IS strategy.
IS militants have taken over large parts of Syria and Iraq in recent months and have declared a "caliphate."
In the past month, IS militants have beheaded two US journalists in protest against American airstrikes on its forces in Iraq.
Mr Obama discussed his anti-IS strategy with leaders from both parties at the White House on Tuesday. A spokesman said the talks were "productive."
The meeting with Congressional leaders came a year after lawmakers blocked Mr Obama's previous plans for missile strikes against Syria.
Mr Obama has ruled out the possibility of a US ground operation against IS but has signalled he may expand airstrikes to include Syria.
"Over the course of months, we are going to be able to not just blunt the momentum of [IS]," he said on Sunday. "We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities; we're going to shrink the territory that they control; and, ultimately, we're going to defeat them."