Gates: 'There Will Be Boots on the Ground If There's to Be Any Hope of Success in the Strategy' -- Weekly Standard

ISIS Strategy Unrealistic.

Robert Gates, President Obama's first defense secretary, said this morning on CBS that President Obama's strategy for defeating the Islamic State is unrealistic:

"The reality is, they're not going to 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," said Gates.

"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 [there won't be troops on the ground], the president in effect traps himself.

"I'm also concerned that the goal has been stated as 'degrade and destroy' or 'degrade and defeat' ISIS. We've been at war with al Qaeda for 13 years. We have dealt them some terrible blows, including the killing of Osama bin Laden, but I don't think anybody would say that after 13 years we've destroyed or defeated al Qaeda. And so I think to promise that we're going to destroy ISIS or ISIL sets a goal that may be unattainable. as opposed to devastating it or as the vice president would put it, following them to the gates of hell and dealing them terrible blows that prevent them from holding territory. Those are probably realistic goals."

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My Comment: Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates is not the only former U.S. government official who is saying this .... Ex-CIA director predicts 5,000 US personnel on ground by December (The Hill)