'Network of Death': Obama Vows to Dismantle ISIS

JERUSALEM, Israel -- One day after the U.S. launched airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, President Barack Obama vowed before the U.N. to lead a coalition in dismantling what he called ISIS's "network of death."

He also challenged Middle Eastern leaders to do their part in confronting the ideology that gave rise to the jihadist army.

"Ultimately, the task of rejecting sectarianism and extremism is a generational task - a task for the people of the Middle East themselves," Obama told the to the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday. "No external power can bring about a transformation of hearts and minds."

Despite the renewed counter-terrorism campaign, the president made it clear that America is not "at war with Islam." 

"When it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them -- there is only us," Obama said.

The president's U.N. address comes one day after he met with representatives of the five-nation Arab coalition that supported the attacks. Some say it may be the beginning of a long campaign against ISIS.

"Well, it is a wonderful opportunity for me to welcome these leaders, friends, partners from the region and to say thank you to all of them for their participation and commitment to rolling back the violent extremism that has so disrupted Iraq and Syria and threatens the region as a whole," Obama told Arab leaders.

The Pentagon briefed Israeli officials before the attacks and said their initial assessments indicated the strikes were successful. The targets included the Islamic State and a less well-known group of al Qaeda veterans called Khorosan, encamped near the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The Pentagon said the Khorosan was planning attacks against U.S. airplanes.
 
"We have been watching this group closely for some time, and we believe the Khorasan group was nearing the execution phase of an attack either in Europe or the homeland," Lt. Gen. William C. Mayville, Jr., the top operations officer of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. "We know that the Khorasan group has attempted to recruit Westerners to serve as operatives or to infiltrate back into their homelands."

Some Republicans supported the attacks though they do have concerns about the coalition.

"Even though these allies really play both sides, Qatar especially, there are reports that Qatar finances ISIL and they're home to al Jazeera, which is routinely broadcasting very anti-American sentiments -- and that's their focus," Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said.

"At least they're protecting both sides. Hat off to them for participating," she said. "All of these countries have a lot at stake if these terrorists keep expanding. I support the president; I wish we had started earlier."

Ros-Lehtinen added that the fight against terrorism is the "new normal."

In the meantime, an estimated 140,000 Kurdish refugees have fled to Turkey after another onslaught by the Islamic State.

"The war is going now," Kurdish Syrian Mustafa Hussein said. "IS is attacking Kurdish villages.  We were in a village and we went to the next village; they attacked it. We went to another village and they attacked it too. Then we went to the city [Kobani]. The people in the city fled too. They said they are heading to Kobani. After that we came to the border and passed over here."

These refugees are some of the latest victims of the Islamic State. Now that an air campaign has begun, many in the region hope it will help roll back the scourge of this barbaric group.