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Obama's strategy to defeat ISIL 'unrealistic': Robert Gates

Sunday, 01 February 2015 11:42 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 02 February 2015 1:15 AM ]

Former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has described President Barack Obama's strategy for defeating the ISIL terrorist group as “unrealistic," adding that ground troops may be necessary to “roll back” ISIL.

“I think that the airstrikes have contributed to containing them, but we’re a long way, in my view, from being in a position to roll them back or push them out of Iraq,” Gates said Sunday on NBC’S “Meet the Press," referring to ISIL.

Gates, who served as Pentagon chief under Obama and former President George W. Bush, has repeatedly criticized Obama for ruling out ground forces in the fight against ISIL terrorists. He said defeating the group without boots on the ground is an “unattainable objective.”

“It will be very difficult to roll ISIS back without forward air controllers and spotters, without embedded trainers.” Gates said, using another acronym for ISIL.

“With respect to ISIS, our objective should be to deny them the ability to hang onto territory, because that gives them a base from which potentially to plot against us and against Western Europe,” he added.

Last year, Gates published a memoir in which he criticized the Obama administration for openly distrusting the US military leadership.

The ISIL terrorists, who were initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government, are engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.

They have been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

AHT/GJH

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