Obama: Battle against ISIS Could Take Decades

President Barack Obama is proposing a new strategy in the fight against ISIS, saying the battle against the Islamic State will not be quick. In fact, he says it could take decades.

During a rare visit to the Pentagon, Obama laid out his revamped strategy, saying the fight against the Islamic State will require more than just weapons.

"No amount of military force will end the terror that is ISIL unless it's matched by a broader effort, political and economic," he said.

The president said coalition forces will go after the heart of ISIS, but he did not call for more bombing or more troops, announcing instead a shift in focus to counter the terror group's public relations tactics.

Obama pointed to a string of ISIS defeats in the region due to airstrikes targeting the group's supply lines. But he said more needs to be done to recruit and train Syrians for the fight on the ground.

When it comes to lone wolf terrorists in America inspired by ISIS, the president admitted they're harder to detect, saying U.S. national security must remain vigilant.

Obama pointed to increased efforts to counter ISIS's propaganda that's spreading worldwide via social media.

"We also have to acknowledge that ISIL has been particularly effective at reaching out to and recruiting vulnerable people around the world, including here in the United States," he said.

While the fight against ISIS will be long, the president said he's confident the terrorists won't win.

But Republicans remain skeptical, saying Obama's plan doesn't go far enough.

"A speech isn't a strategy," said Cory Fritz, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "At no point in his remarks did President Obama indicate he's doing anything to change course and actually build the broad, overarching plan that's needed to take on these savage terrorists and win."

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said the president "doesn't have a strategy."

"I didn't sense that he had a rock solid strategy on how to deal with this and defeat it," Chaffetz said.