Chuck Hagel Says US Ground Troops May Be Needed to Defeat ISIS in Iraq
The United States may need to send its ground troops back into Iraq to push the Islamic State terror group out of that country, outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. He also admitted that some White House officials were not happy with his cautious approach in releasing Guantanamo detainees.
"I think it [driving out Islamic State terrorists] may require a forward deployment of some of our troops, not doing the fighting, not doing the combat work that we did at one time for six years in Iraq and we did for many, many years in Afghanistan, but to help air strike," Hagel said in an interview with CNN aired Friday.
"I would say that we're not there yet," said Hagel, who announced his resignation allegedly under pressure in November. "Whether we get there or not, I don't know. Whether that's something that our military commanders would recommend into the future, I don't know."
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Asked, "You are saying you think it could be necessary," he replied, "It could be. But I'm not willing to say that it will be necessary. I say it could be necessary."
The interview was aired hours before Islamic State, or ISIS, called Japan an ally of a "Satanic coalition" and warned that it has "an entire army thirsty for your blood" in a video showing beheading of a second Japanese hostage, Kenji Goto.
General Martin Dempsey, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also told Congress earlier that American troops could be required to take a larger role in Iraq.
Hagel, who had the authority to decide on the release of prisoners from the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also acknowledged in the same interview that some White House officials disagreed with his pace.
"Not everyone at the White House has agreed with how I've handled some of this," he said, adding it was "probably on the pace of releases."
"I have made it very clear that I will not certify ... sign anything ... to release a detainee as long as I'm secretary of Defense unless I am convinced that it is in the best interest of this country. And a substantial mitigation of risk can be verified, as closely as we can verify it," he added.
Hagel also spoke about pressure from the White House over the pace of releases. "There's pressure all the time in every job, they come from a lot of different directions. If you're not prepared to deal with pressure every day, in the job you're in … coming from a lot of different directions … then you shouldn't be in the job."
He also stood by the U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl and Taliban prisoner exchange.
"Absolutely, it was the right decision," Hagel said. "I have the responsibility and I play my own game here. Because by law I am the one official in government charged with certification of releasing detainees. I take that responsibility very seriously."
ISIS is an al-Qaeda offshoot which seeks to form an Islamic emirate in the Levant region through "jihad." The Sunni group has gained control over large territories in Iraq and Syria.
The terror group has released videos showing the beheading of five Western hostages since August – of British hostages David Haines and Alan Henning, and U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Abdul-Rahman Kassig.
