At UN, Obama marches on with coalition against ISIL

President Barack Obama sits down with more than 100 leaders at the United Nations on Sept. 29 to push ahead with the US-led campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group despite Russia's rival plan.

Russia has been invited to the counter-terrorism summit held a day before Moscow hosts a special UN Security Council meeting on the same issue, two events bound to highlight sharp differences in approach.
 
The meeting comes a day after Obama clashed with President Vladimir Putin over the crisis in Syria during duelling UN speeches, but said the United States was willing to work with Russia and Iran to end the four-year conflict.
 
After sending troops and fighter planes to Syria, Putin called for a "broad coalition" to defeat the jihadists and warned it would be an "enormous mistake" to sideline President Bashar al-Assad's military from the fight.
 
The counter-terrorism summit takes place a year after Obama stole the limelight at the last UN gathering when he vowed to crush ISIL and called on countries to join the United States in the campaign.
 
Since then, the jihadists have captured territory in Syria and Iraq and gained a foothold in Libya, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East, with alliances as far afield as Nigeria's Boko Haram.
 
Iraqi leader Haider al-Abadi and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari are among the key speakers at the event, held on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
 
Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, whose country was badly shaken by the 2011 massacre of 77 people by right-wing extremist Anders Brieivik, will also address the gathering.    

One country that has not been invited is Iran even though it is playing a major role in the fight...