Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told CNN that ground troops may be required to fight ISIS. “It could be necessary,” Hagel said.
“I think just as the president has said, and it is the advice I have given the president, it’s what General Dempsey has, is that we have to look at all the options,” said Hagel in the exit interview. “And I think it may require a forward deployment of some of our troops, not doing the fighting, not doing the combat work that we did at one time for six years in Iraq and we did for many, many years in Afghanistan, but to help air strike -”
The reporter interrupted, “Locate targets, intelligence?”
“Those are things where we can continue to support. I would say that we’re not there yet. Whether we get there or not, I don’t know. Whether that’s something that our millitary commanders would recommend into the future, I don’t know. But I think just as the president has made clear, I need to know your honest opinion, and he has been very forthright about that. What you think? If that’s something that you think–”
“But you are saying — you are saying you think it could be necessary,” the CNN reporter clarified.
“It could be. But I’m not willing to say that it will be necessary. I say it could be necessary,” said Hagel.
