MSNBC Analyst McCaffrey: US Air Campaign Against Islamic State Has ‘Failed’ And ‘Been Ineffective’

MSNBC Military Analyst Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.) criticized the air campaign against ISIS as “failed” and declared, “The US policy has been ineffective on the employment of air power” on Saturday’s “Larry Kudlow Show.”

McCaffrey said that Kudlow’s assessment that the there wasn’t any urgency to combat ISIS after the Paris attack was “right on target.” McCaffrey continued, “The president’s announcement in Turkey was particularly unsettling. He essentially said, everything’s okay. This is going to work. It’s going to take time. And attack his critics pretty directly.” McCaffrey further said the president is “stuck” on avoiding “obvious disastrous options” like putting tens of thousands of ground troops to take over ISIS’ territory, “and at the time time, he hasn’t ramped up and created a more viable way of directly confronting ISIS on the ground.”

He also stated that the White House’s announcement that it was sending 50 special operations forces to Syria was “one of the more preposterous micromanagement, and it’s sort of a reassurance to ISIS, we’re not really going to go after you in a serious way.”

McCaffrey further said that the rules of engagement “have been so restrictive,” especially with the regards to the air campaign in Syria, that except for the battle of Kobani, “in the general sense, this has been a failed campaign.” He added, “The US policy has been ineffective on the employment of air power. You’ve got to have people on the ground.” McCaffrey later argued that in the current White House has people who, while they are “intelligent, well-meaning, well-educated people,” “overthink and micromanage the use of a blunt instrument of force.” He cited dropping leaflets before bombing oil tankers as “preposterous” and an “anemic” response.

With regards to Syria, McCaffrey stated that Syria’s current leader, Bashar al-Assad has to go, and is the problem in Syria.

Later he argued the US should “never, in any way, imply that we’re trying to work in concert with the Russians against ISIS. He further said that Russia has “bulldozed” the US and the EU.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett