House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, stopped short Monday of saying that the United States is “at war” with the Islamic State but acknowledged the ongoing situation is “deadly serious.”
“People use the term, we have a war on drugs and a war on this and a war on that — we have initiated hostilities against [the group], that’s for sure,” she said on MSNBC. “We’re not at a term of war that would require a declaration of war by the Congress of the United States.
“But this is deadly serious,” she continued. “I think the president is to be commended for the deliberative nature, I thought his presentation to the country was excellent in terms of what the challenge is, what the solutions are, and how it’s not just about the military … it’s about a conflict that has a political solution.”
President Obama has outlined a plan to arm and train Syrian opposition rebels and launch air strikes in the region to defeat the group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and the administration is working to build support for the plan among allies overseas and in the region.
Mrs. Pelosi commended the president for moving to work with the Iraqi government and building a coalition in the region and among NATO allies to respond to the threat.
“It’s no use going into Iraq unless there’s an inclusive government,” she said.
The terrorist group over the weekend released a video purporting to show the beheading of British aid worker David Haines — the third such video in less than a month that followed the murders of American journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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