On September 26, retired U.S. General David Petraeus said boots on the ground in Iraq will be required in order for U.S.-led efforts against ISIS to succeed.
And even with ground forces, Petraeus said the effort against ISIS in Iraq will last “months or years, not days or weeks.”
Bloomberg.com reports Petraeus said it will take even longer in Syria, where “we’re talking about years, many years.” He said the current use of airstrikes is “disrupting” and “gradually chipping away at the strength” of ISIS, but the airstrikes must continue at a pace that denies ISIS the ability to recover between actions.
Petraeus referenced efforts against Al Qaeda and said: “We have seen this elsewhere. You have to keep on disrupting. If you let up the pressure, then… senior leadership will come back.”
Petraeus believes Iraqi armed forces can be the boots on the ground against ISIS in Iraq. He said they “can deal with this over time.”
On September 24, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi “urged” President Obama to keep the airstrikes coming – to use them in a way that is “quick and decisive.”
The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported that the U.S.-led airstrikes killed “at least 400 militants” on the night of September 22. “Another 300 militants of [ISIS], al Nursa Front, and other militant groups were also wounded” by the strikes.
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