Obama Defense Secretary: No, ISIS Is Not Contained

In his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter struck a markedly different tone from his boss President Barack Obama by saying the ISIS was not contained.

“Mr. Secretary, on the 1st of December before the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Forbes asked [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Dunford], quote, ‘Have we currently contained ISIL?’ General Dunford: ‘We have not contained ISIL,’” Senator John McCain read off.

“Mr Secretary, do you agree with General Dunford?” asked McCain.

“I agree with what General Dunford said, yes,” he responded.

“So if we have not contained ISIL, how are we to believe that we are succeeding against ISIL?” McCain pressed.

“I think that we are building momentum against ISIL,” Carter said. “I’m going to be very careful about describing– I’ve described the trajectory of that success all around Iraq and Syria.”

Watch above, via CNN.

[Image via screengrab]
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