Fight against Islamic State will be 'long-term,' Obama tells coalition military chiefs

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- While Islamic State militants have "tactical momentum on several fronts," military chiefs involved in the U.S.-led operation against IS asserted Tuesday the coalition maintains "strategic momentum."

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin Dempsey hosted 21 foreign chiefs of defense for a meeting at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to discuss coordination efforts to counter IS, also referred to as ISIL.

"The participating leaders acknowledge that although the military dimension of the campaign alone will not be decisive, the coalition's military effort will contribute to overall success," an unidentified military official said after the meeting.

President Barack Obama spoke at the meeting, telling the foreign defense ministers "this is going to be a long-term campaign. There are not quick fixes involved. We're still at the early stages. As with any military effort, there will be days of progress and there are going to be periods of setback."

To date, 60 nations have joined the coalition to counter IS.

The 21 countries that participated in Tuesday's meeting were: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.