The same day that the White House confirmed the third American death — this time that of aid worker Peter Kassig — at the hands of ISIS terrorists, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized Obama’s strategy against the terror group in the Middle East.
In particular, Romney said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday that Obama is “wrong” in his refusal to consider sending in American troops on the ground to fight the terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
“What we should have done by now is had American troops staying by in Iraq,” the former Massachusetts governor affirmed. “That was something we argued for years ago. The president didn’t do it. Likewise, we should have armed the moderates in Syria a long time ago so that they’d be able to keep something like ISIS from being formed.”
He went on to suggest that the gruesome videos published by ISIS on the Internet showing the beheadings of the three American hostages are “a result of the mistakes” made by Obama.
“I think the president is wrong in saying under no circumstances will he consider ground troops,” continued Romney. “No one wants to put our own ground troops there, but if you’re going to defeat something, you don’t tell the enemy exactly what you plan on doing and what you won’t do. You say, we’re going to defeat you regardless of the consequence.”
When CBS host Bob Schieffer asked whether sending troops back into Iraq should still be an option, Romney replied, “I just don’t think you take things off the table.”
On Sunday, Obama addressed the death of Peter Kassig in a statement, calling it “an act of pure evil.”
