Sen. Ron Johnson says the United States is running out of options in Iraq, and he would support sending troops into the Kurdistan region of Iraq and into Jordan to help stabilize the areas.
"We're in a pretty bad state right now. This never had to happen," Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, said Thursday on CNN's
"The Lead with Jake Tapper."
The United States ceded Iraq, Johnson said, "when we bugged out in the end of 2011, when President Obama made that historic strategic blunder of not leaving a stabilizing force behind."
Republicans have been harsh critics of President Barack Obama for failing to get a status-of-forces agreement with the Iraqi government to leave some troops behind when most forces pulled out. Now, the terror group ISIS has taken over several cities in the northern region of Iraq and in eastern Syria where they are involved in that country's civil war.
"We are witnessing the breakup of Iraq," Johnson said. He said American troops can help the Kurds in the north and the nation of Jordan, but he said Baghdad may be lost. He said we should protect the Americans who are there, but has little hope the city can be saved from ISIS.
Johnson said he is still looking for a "game plan" from the Obama administration.
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