(AP) President Barack Obama says U.S. forces in Iraq "do not and will not" have a combat mission as part of the effort against Islamic State militants. 

Obama received a briefing Wednesday from officers at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida. That command oversees military efforts in the Mideast. 

The president says the fight against the Islamic State group cannot be America's alone and will require a broad coalition. He says some nations will assist the U.S. with airstrikes and others will help train forces. 

On Tuesday, the top U.S. military officer said American ground troops may be needed to battle the militants if Obama's current strategy fails. 

The meeting came just a day after Obama visited Atlanta to boost the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Obama called the Ebola crisis a threat to world security as he ordered up to 3,000 U.S. military personnel to the region along with an aggressive effort to train health care workers and deliver field hospitals. Under the plan, the government could end up devoting $1 billion to containing the disease.



The two days Obama spent outside Washington underscore the multiple challenges facing his administration. Both are national security threats that are costing lives and threatening regional stability.