DEFEATING ISIS AND PRESIDENT'S SYRIA STRATEGY; Congressional Record Vol. 161, No. 164

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DEFEATING ISIS AND PRESIDENT'S SYRIA STRATEGY

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Indiana (Mr. Young) for 5 minutes.

Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of

countless Hoosiers who are concerned for our troops. Like many

Americans, we are increasingly dismayed by the Obama administration's

incoherent strategy to defeat ISIS and protect American interests

around the world.

As someone who served this country in the United States Marine Corps,

and now as an elected Representative, I take seriously our

responsibility here in Congress to demand war strategies that put

American military personnel in a position to successfully complete

their missions. This responsibility to our troops--to set them up for

victory--has contributed to a new level of frustration felt by many of

us over President Obama's disjointed foreign policy decisions in the

Middle East.

Just last Friday, without any input from Congress, and absent any

form of public debate, a White House spokesperson announced to the

world that President Obama was authorizing the deployment of U.S.

special operators directly into the fray in Syria.

Rather than hear it straight from our Commander in Chief, it took

President Obama 3 full days to appear publicly and discuss his decision

to escalate U.S. involvement and put more American boots on the ground.

On the one hand, I applaud the administration for any attempts to

degrade the capabilities of ISIS and stabilize a war-torn Syria.

However, it remains unclear what these brave special operators have

been asked to accomplish. And, what strategy will enable a few dozen

U.S. special operators to decisively drive ISIS from their stronghold

in Raqqa?

To be clear, I know many of these valorous special operators

personally. I am familiar with their remarkable ability to accomplish

seemingly impossible missions, even with the odds stacked against them.

But these warriors are not magicians. They are not a magic elixir

capable of turning the tide of a 4-year, multifaceted civil war. They

must be empowered to win.

President Obama tells us the U.S. mission is to degrade and defeat

ISIS. But for that to succeed, he must articulate a broader strategy

for the remaining 15 months of his tenure as Commander in Chief.

As it currently stands, limited airstrikes and a handful of special

forces operators will not sufficiently empower the United States and

our partners to initiate change in the region.

Unfortunately, I fear that this marks yet another instance of the

President dictating U.S. defense policy by popular opinion. This is

unfair to our men and women in uniform, their families, and it is

unfair to all Americans.

My fervent hope is that during the close of this administration, a

coherent, longer-term strategy is developed that empowers the greatest

military in the world to protect American interests and to bring

stability to a region desperately in need of peace.

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