WASHINGTON- U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement this evening reacting to President Obama’s address outlining plans for U.S. efforts against ISIL:

“After calling on the president to take additional actions against ISIL, I am encouraged by his statement this evening and his willingness to take strong action to defeat ISIL.  Tonight, the president has announced the United States’ willingness to lead a coalition to destroy ISIL, and I support these efforts.  Now is the time for our allies in the Middle East to step up and help us rid the region and the world of the threat this group poses. We cannot afford to rule out military options or allow ISIL to make any further progress. Our unequivocal and unrelenting goal must be to pursue these terrorists wherever they go and destroy them.”