Obama: Coalition Hitting ISIS Harder Than Ever

President Obama says the U.S.-led coalition is hitting ISIS harder than ever.

After a high-level meeting at the Pentagon, Obama said the coalition has fired roughly nine-thousand bombs at ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. He insisted that his anti-ISIS strategy is moving forward with a great sense of urgency on multiple levels.

The President noted that ISIS leaders cannot hide and said the message from the coalition is, "You are next." He also warned that the fight will continue to be difficult.

Meantime, Obama is dispatching Defense Secretary Ash Carter to the Middle East to try and convince allies to contribute more to the military effort against ISIS.

The President has faced growing criticism over his anti-ISIS strategy since the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Obama called both attacks revolting. The deadly mass shooting in San Bernardino has not been officially linked to ISIS but the two shooters have been described as "self-radicalized" and were likely motivated by overseas terrorist attacks.

Obama also noted that the U.S. terror alert system is being updated and aims to help Americans stay "vigilant and safe."  (Metro Networks Inc.)