WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- President Obama told reporters Russian military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is "only strengthening ISIL" during his report on the U.S. economy on Friday.
The report comes as Russia continues airstrikes over Syria to support a regime battling both the Islamic State -- radical Sunni militants also identified as Daesh and by the acronyms IS, ISIS and ISIL -- and moderate U.S.-backed Sunni rebels dissatisfied with the Assad regime.