For weeks President Obama has stated that there will no U.S. boots on the ground in confronting ISIS in Iraq. The president again reiterated this on Wednesday while speaking to U.S. military personnel at McDill Air Force base in Tampa, Florida.
“As your Commander-in-Chief, I will not commit you and the rest of our Armed Forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq. After a decade of massive ground deployments, it is more effective to use our unique capabilities in support of partners on the ground so they can secure their own countries’ futures. And that’s the only solution that will succeed over the long term.”
This contradicts statements by his administration as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, speaking before the Senate Armed Service Committee opened the door for the possible use of U.S. ground forces to be used in Iraq.
“My view at this point is that this coalition is the appropriate way forward,” Dempsey said. “I believe that will prove true, but if it fails to be true and if there are threats to the United States, then I of course would go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of U.S. military ground forces.”
Even White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest further muddled the water, while speaking to reporters on Air force One regarding U.S. troops on the ground “could be in a position to even call in air strikes” on ISIS targets.
Earnest continued that President Obama would likely consider requests to “forward deploy” American advisers with the Iraqi military “on a case-by-case basis” if the situation calls for it.
Defense News reported Earnest added that there may be a need in the future “to put American troops who are already in Iraq in an advisory capacity into forward-deployed positions with Iraqi troops. Not to engage in combat. They would not have a combat role. They would not be personally or directly engaging the enemy. Rather they would be providing tactical advice to Iraqi security forces.”
If U.S. forces are calling in air strikes they are in combat!
The White House confusing nature of when or if U.S. combat troops will be used has only muddied the water and makes it more difficult as the president continues to try and build a coalition in confronting ISIS.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who served as defense secretary in both the Bush and Obama administration stated on Wednesday the Obama administration have to use U.S. ground forces to defeat ISIS.
“The reality is, they’re not gonna be able to be successful against ISIS strictly from the air, or strictly depending on the Iraqi forces, or the Peshmerga, or the Sunni tribes acting on their own,” Gates told “CBS This Morning.” “So there will be boots on the ground if there’s to be any hope of success in the strategy. And I think that by continuing to repeat that
President Obama needs to have a concise political/military strategy in confront ISIS, but also he has to have all elements of his national security apparatus on the same page and not give conflicting statements on what the U.S. will or will not do.
This emboldens ISIS as we are not committed, confuses our allies of the commitment of the United States, and will be make even more difficult in securing our allies to join a coalition in confronting ISIS.
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