Pressure Mounts on Obama to Act on Islamic State

Republicans Press for More Action Against Islamic State

By Colleen McCain Nelson and Adam Entous, WSJ
Updated Aug. 24, 2014 8:04 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama faces pressure at home and in the Middle East to quickly step up strikes at Islamic State militants, but also reluctance from some within his own party and European allies to do so.

The leading options under consideration for strikes in Syria—if Mr. Obama decides to expand the fight—are narrow in scope, designed to prevent the Islamic State from carrying out any plots that threaten Americans and from resupplying its forces in neighboring Iraq. Officials played down prospects for a broad-based campaign to uproot and destroy Islamic State's xvast fighting force in Syria.

Republicans seized on Islamic State's battlefield gains in Syria and the beheading of a U.S. journalist last week to step up calls for a more aggressive stance. As the U.S. military said Sunday it carried out two more air strikes in Iraq, Republicans urged more decisive military action to include airstrikes in Syria.

All options must be on the table for defeating Islamic State, including deploying U.S. ground troops in Syria if military commanders decide they are needed, said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on CNN's "State of the Union." "We've got to win and stop these guys," he said.

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