WASHINGTON, D.C.–The fight against the Islamic State, a.k.a. ISIS, may be a long one and some on both sides of the political aisle have been critical of Pres. Obama’s strategy of “no boots on the ground”. Thursday, Rep. Steven Palazzo (R), of Mississippi’s 4th District, questioned Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about the current strategy during a House Armed Services hearing.
Palazzo also questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey.
Palazzo started by questioning whether the U.S. has been able to successfully disrupt ISIL’s main financial sources.
“Your point, question, observation is part of the comprehensive effort we are using to stop them, it isn’t just force…As you say, if you don’t cut off that funding source they’ll keep coming, and so it’s a priority piece of the overall strategy,” said Dempsey, who offered to share more information with Palazzo regarding the topic in a classified setting.
Palazzo also inquired about the measures being taken to protect military men and women from prosecution, and closed the discussion with Dempsey and Hagel with the following Statement:
I think people look at this administration and see that they have made some mistakes in how we’ve handled ISIL and how we’ve handled Iraq, the 2011 withdrawal, and I hope that through your comments alone that this administration, and others, will be honest in not glossing over the past but looking at it honestly… because our men and women in uniform, their lives depend on it.
