Rep. Darrell Issa: Iraqi Government ‘Delusional’ About Impact From ISIS
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issa.house.gov(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, said on This Week that the Iraqi government is “delusional” about the impact of ISIS, and he would back a new congressional authorization for the use of force in Iraq to combat the threat from the Islamic militant group.
“The fact is we’re already there. We’ve had to be there,” Issa told This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos. “The government in Baghdad is still quite delusional, if you will, about what the real impact is. They’re still talking about long-term training before they’re ready to fight.”
“So the fact is that if we’re to protect the gains we made against Islamic extremism, my Marines from Camp Pendleton and others are going to have to go back again,” Issa added, speaking of forces based in Issa’s home district in California.
The White House announced Friday that an additional 1,500 U.S. forces will be deployed to Iraq, effectively doubling the troop levels on the ground. The Obama administration says the soldiers will still be in an advisory capacity, training and advising Iraqi and Kurdish soldiers.
“Iraqis should fight for their country… They’ve been trained and they should do it. The fact is the Kurds are willing to do it, I have no doubt whatsoever that the Kurds will fight, and all they need is our air support and our technical know-how,” said Issa, who has traveled to Baghdad and Erbil in northern Iraq since August.
The outgoing chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee also echoed many of his Republican colleagues in criticizing President Obama’s promise to move forward on executive action on immigration reform before the end of the year, saying such action without Congress during the lame duck session would lead to “lost opportunities.”
“I’m hoping the president will delay and have a real comprehensive discussion about what’s possible because a great deal is possible on immigration reform,” Issa said.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and likely incoming Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell said this week if President Obama decides to take action on his own, it will effectively “poison the well” for bipartisan efforts on other issues in the new Congress.
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