Former National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Clarke argued that “it’s very clear” the US’ ISIS strategy isn’t working and “There is nothing realistic” that will liberate any major cities on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead.”
Clarke said that while he couldn’t say if the Obama was in denial, “it’s very clear, after the fall of Ramadi, that the strategy isn’t working. It was clear before that. But it was a dirty little secret, I think, in Washington. There’s no plan, Jake, to liberate a city of a million people, Mosul. They were going to try to liberate Fallujah last month. They obviously didn’t do that. And now they’ve lost Ramadi. There’s no plan to get rid of them in Raqqa, a big city in Syria. There is nothing realistic about what we’re doing that will, in the next year or so, get rid of ISIS control of large cities in Syria and Iraq.”
Clarke added that the president is “beginning to do so” some good things against ISIS, such as considering using air support to help Iranian-backed militias. He also backed arming Sunni militias and the Kurds, regardless of the objection of the Iraqi government.
He further criticized calls to send more troops to the reason, stating, “we tried that, Jake, with painful results, with a lot of dead Americans, and a lot of Americans still suffering without limbs and with PTSD.” Although, he did recommend allowing US troops to serve as advisors closer to the front lines.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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