White House: Obama ISIS Strategy A ’Recipe That Has Succeeded’

As the debate continues over whether Islamic State terrorists have been successfully “degraded” by President Obama’s military strategy, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest encouraged Americans to not doubt the commander-in-chief.

He acknowledged that although there were “periods of setback” in the fight against ISIS, the president would “redouble our efforts” to retake Ramadi.

Earnest explained that Obama’s strategy included training Iraqi security forces, giving them necessary equipment and providing their forces with air support.

“This is a recipe that has succeeded in a variety of areas,” he said, citing the coalitions efforts to take back territory once held by ISIS such as Tikrit and Mosul.

But Earnest again ruled out the use of American combat troops on the ground in Iraq to fight ISIS directly.

“We’re not going to put U.S. military service members on the ground in a sustained combat operation,” he said.