The head of the House Armed Services Committee has warned the Obama administration not to take a “minimalist approach” against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, suggesting it would be unwise to rule out the use of U.S. ground troops against the terrorist group.
Committee Chairman Buck McKeon, R-Calif., said there is only a “narrow opportunity” to defeat the Islamic State that won’t require American boots on the ground in “surge level” numbers.
“But anyone who suggests a minimalist approach will be successful is not being clear-eyed about the challenge and resiliency of” the Islamic State, said McKeon said in a prepared statement Wednesday. “Air strikes alone will not defeat [the Islamic State], or meaningfully degrade them.”
The lawmaker said it would be “misleading to suggest that the use of any American forces on the ground is akin to ‘serial occupation.’ ”
McKeon added that because the Islamic State poises an immediate threat to the U.S. and its allies, the U.S. must act fast to destroy the terrorist group.
“Waiting until a terrorist organization is planning an ‘imminent’ attack will cost American lives, as we learned 13 years ago on Sept. 11th,” he said. “The window for targeting [the Islamic State] while it is still operating largely in the open and has not yet fully blended in with the populace is closing.
“A go-slow strategy gives [the Islamic State] the space and time to defeat potential partners, attract more foreign fighters, secure additional funding and plot and plan for future attacks against the United States, Europe and our interests in the region.”
President Obama will go on national TV Wednesday night to make his case to the public for combating the Islamic State.
