Obama vows "not hesitate to take action" against IS in Syria

One month after authorizing U.S. military to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) forces in Iraq, U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday vowed that he "will not hesitate to take action" against the Islamic State in Syria.

"Last month, I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances," Obama said in a prime time address about U.S. strategy on IS Wednesday night at White House.

"Since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory."

According to the president, the United States will do with its friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy IS forces, which poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East, including American citizens, personnel and facilities.

He noted that U.S. will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat and use air power to take out IS forces "wherever they exist".

"Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy," he said.