President Obama said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham poses a “medium and longterm threat” to the US, but that other terrorist groups may present more immediate threats, and said “ISIS is just one of a number of organizations that we have to stay focused on,” mentioning al Qaeda in Yemen and Boko Haram. He said the US cannot just “play whack-a-mole and send US troops occupying various countries wherever these organizations pop up.” Mike Rogers, head of the House Intelligence Committee, countered that the fight against ISIS is in the US national security interest. Secretary of State Kerry said ISIS poses a “threat not only to Iraq, but to the entire region,” and urged Arab countries to stop funding Sunni fighters in Syria and Iraq.
