The influential chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee says the Obama administration's fight against the Islamic State group is at risk of becoming a "grinding failure for our nation."
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona says in a letter sent Tuesday to Defense Secretary Ash Carter that U.S. military commanders are being hamstrung by an overly cautious Obama administration.
McCain draws a parallel between the campaign against the Islamic State and the Vietnam War. He says the administration has adopted a policy of "grudging incrementalism."
Carter has described the U.S. as making considerable strides against the Islamic State. He told reporters at the Pentagon last month that the U.S. progress in eliminating members of the group's "cabinet" was hampering its ability to conduct and inspire attacks against the West.