Secretary of State John Kerry's appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, where he nixed the idea of ground troops from other countries fighting in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State (ISIS), left Rep. Mike McCaul puzzled.
Kerry said, "We're not looking to put troops on the ground. There are some who have offered to do so, but we are not looking for that at this moment, anyway."
McCaul, a Texas Republican and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told Fox News that he had "no idea" why Kerry said that.
"I was on the Sunday show yesterday, and the idea that we're not going to have other Arab nations send their combat troops to fight ISIS, particularly in Syria, to me is irresponsible," McCaul said Monday. "It makes you wonder where they are with this."
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McCaul wondered why the administration of President Barack Obama wouldn't want participation by other countries that are near Iraq and Syria, like Egypt, Jordan, or the UAE, because they are "right next door." He said the U.S. couldn't "bear the burden alone" in the fight against ISIS.
McCaul said the U.S. should encourage "the moderate Sunni Arabs to fight against the Sunni extremists."
He said that while it would be "fine" if Iran wanted to "hit ISIS," it would be a "bad mistake" for the U.S. to coordinate efforts with the Iranians because they are a "state sponsor of terror."
In order to keep the threat of ISIS terrorists from reaching the U.S., McCaul said, the emphasis needs to be on "the head of the snake" in Syria.
"If we don't hit the head of the snake in Syria, we lose, and then they come to the homeland, and then they hit us here," he said.
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