On Wednesday, Ariz. Senator and Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain addressed the U.S. strategy against the Islamic State, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, whichever name they want to give the radical Islamic terrorists.
In a prepared speech he gave before Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Joseph Dunford, McCain conveyed his displeasure with the methods and tactics of U.S. politicians, the media and lobbyists under the thumb of the Obama administration while praising the troops and military leaders on the ground fighting the battle against terrorism.
“Too often it seems policy makers, politicians and the media all want to engage at the operational level. I understand,” said McCain. “Military operations are important and interesting, but I worry that we’re staring at our challenges in the broader Middle East through soda straws.”
McCain also warned of the imminent threat that ISIS represents to the United States by giving a brief synopsis of their reach.
“While the epicenter of this conflict for power and identity is in Iraq and Syria, where ISIL established its caliphate, it is a growing contagion that affects Libya, Egypt, Yemen, parts of East and West Africa, Afghanistan and beyond.” McCain told the committee. “And as we’ve seen from Paris to San Bernardino to Brussels, this threat is increasingly capable of targeting us as many of us predicted that it would.”
Later in his statement, McCain posted questions to the committee and the Obama administration, most of which should have already been addressed or answered in their entirety:
Despite the real tactical gains we have made we must ask ourselves, ‘Is this working? Are we winning? Are we getting ahead of the threats and problems we face, or are they getting ahead of us? What enduring objectives do we hope to achieve across the Middle East?’ A region that is experiencing greater turmoil than at any time since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
While President Obama has recently upped the amount of U.S. Special Forces soldiers from 50 to 300 in the past week, America continues to lead from behind. Obama stated that the deployment of 250 more soldiers would not lead in the fight against ISIS, but instead would only be providing training to local forces.
To hear what McCain had to say to the committee, watch below: