Advocates: Cut off oil funding to Islamic State

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- A U.S. peace advocacy group said cutting off weapons and oil funding streams for the Islamic State were better options than the use of military force.

President Barack Obama laid out his plans to contain the threat posed by the Islamic State, known variably as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in an address to the nation Wednesday evening.

"We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy," the president said.

His agenda called for airstrikes against terrorist targets in Iraq in a broad-based strategy that may include support from U.S. allies in Europe and in the Middle East.

Kevin Martin, executive director for U.S. advocacy group Peace Action, argued for a non-military solution to the problem.

"It's time to stop the bombing and escalation and use the other tools of U.S. foreign policy -- working with allies in cutting off weapons, oil and funding streams for starters -- which will be much more active in dealing with ISIS," he said in a statement.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil called on U.N. member states to take action to prevent the export of smuggled crude oil. The ministry said it was troubled by reports that crude oil taken from territory controlled by the Sunni-led terrorist group was reaching the international market.