President Barack Obama claimed ISIS fighters are “not religious warriors” but are “thugs” and “thieves.”
Speaking from the Treasury Department on Tuesday, Obama said, “Our coalition continues to be on offense. ISIL is on defense and it has now been a full year since ISIL has been able to mount a major successful offensive operation on either in Syria and Iraq. As ISIL continues to lose territory, it also continues to lose the money that it is its life blood.”
“As a result of our strikes against its oil infrastructure and supply lines, we believe that we’ve cut ISIL’s revenue from oil by millions of dollars per month and destroying the storage sites where they keep their cash, we’ve deprived ISIL of many millions more.”
Obama went on to say, “ISIL is no effectively cut-off from the international financial system and cutting off ISIL’s money may not be as dramatic as military strikes but it is critically important and we are seeing results,” Obama said. “ISLS’s cash reserves are down and it has had to cut salaries for its fighters. It’s resorting for more extortion of those trapped in its grip and by ISIL’s own admission, some of its own leaders have been caught stealing cash and gold.”
“Once again ISIL’s true nature has been revealed. These are not religious warriors. They are thugs, and they are thieves.”