Ferguson police chief: "I think I can see this through"
(CNN) - Police Chief Thomas Jackson - a central figure in the protests that flared in Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting of an unarmed black teen - says he has no plans to step down despite mounting calls that he must go.
Saying he "intends to see this thing through," Jackson told CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Thursday that he has been working with community leaders and others to create a dialogue in the community.
"Yes, I think I can see this through and come out on the other side with the community, the region and even the country a whole lot better," he said.
Jackson's statements come as the grand jury is expected any day to deliver a decision on whether to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Obama: American troops "will not have a combat mission"
Washington (CNN) - With approval in hand to arm and train Syrian rebels to fight the so-called Islamic State terror group, President Barack Obama said Thursday the plan keeps with "the key principle" of U.S. strategy: No American combat troops on the ground.
"The American troops deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission," he said in televised remarks from the White House.
"Their mission is to advise and assist our partners on the ground. ...We can destroy ISIL without having our troops fight another ground war in the Middle East."
More than 40 countries, including Arab nations, have offered assistance in the battle against Islamic State, known as ISIS or ISIL, the President said.
Lawmaker: We have to execute a smart strategy to defeat ISIS
(CNN) - It's too soon to say what steps the United States will take against ISIS in Syria, President Barack Obama said Thursday.
"I don't want to put the cart before the horse," Obama told reporters during a White House news briefing. "We don't have a strategy yet."
Obama said he's asked America's top defense officials to prepare "a range of options" about what the United States could do to go after ISIS in Syria, which he described as "a safe haven" for the Sunni extremist group that calls itself the Islamic State.
The President's remarks follow days of speculation about whether the United States had a plan to go after ISIS in Syria.
"We need to make sure that we've got clear plans, that we're developing them. At that point, I will consult with Congress and make sure that their voices are heard," Obama said. "But there's no point in me asking for action on the part of Congress before I know exactly what it is that is going to be required for us to get the job done."
Hamas rejects new truce, fighting rages on
Gaza (CNN) - Hamas and Israel blamed one another Tuesday for the lack of a cease-fire in a conflict that has left more than 1,200 people dead, raising questions about just what it will take to end the fighting in Gaza.
International efforts to broker a deal to end the violence failed again, with Hamas rejecting a cease-fire proposal put forward by the Palestinian Authority that called for a 24-hour truce that could be extended to 72 hours. Hamas maintains that any deal must include an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said any truce must allow for its protection against tunnels used by Palestinian militants in Gaza to make their way into Israel.
"Hamas is responsible for all deaths on their side and on our side because they are the ones who kept this conflict going," Mark Regev, a spokesman for Netanyahu, told CNN.
Witness describes frantic scene at Seattle college campus shooting
(CNN) - A gunman opened fired Thursday at Seattle Pacific University, killing one person and wounding three before a student tackled him, Seattle police said.
The gunman was reloading a shotgun when the student, working as a building monitor, knocked him down, Police Capt. Chris Fowler told reporters.
"Once on the ground, other students jumped on top of them and subdued the shooter," he said.
The suspect, whose identity was not immediately released, is in custody, police said.
The shooting began inside the foyer of Otto Miller Hall, which houses the university's science, math and engineering departments, when the gunman confronted three people and shot them, Fowler said.
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