Psaki: ‘There’s a Difference Between Being Aware of a Threat’ and Seeing ‘Level’ it Poses

RUSSERT You heard Congressman ░░░░░░░░ right there saying we ░░░░░░░░ in fact not that ░░░░░░░░ caught off guard He ░░░░░░░░ heard it in summer ░░░░░░░░ 2013 What happened PSAKI ░░░░░░░░ look first of all ░░░░░░░░ s a difference between ░░░░░░░░ aware of a threat ░░░░░░░░ seeing the level the ░░░░░░░░ poses I think anyone ░░░░░░░░ look back at the ░░░░░░░░ eight months and see ░░░░░░░░ ISIL has not only ░░░░░░░░ strength they did what ░░░░░░░░ one I think in ░░░░░░░░ world expected they would ░░░░░░░░ in Iraq That was ░░░░░░░░ part because of everybody ░░░░░░░░ the capabilities of the ░░░░░░░░ security forces So we ░░░░░░░░ certainly been aware of ░░░░░░░░ just like we ve ░░░░░░░░ aware of Khorasan But ░░░░░░░░ threat they pose the ░░░░░░░░ they ve built has ░░░░░░░░ grown over the past ░░░░░░░░ to eight months and ░░░░░░░░ ve correspondingly taken action ░░░░░░░░ that time as well ░░░░░░░░ Did the U S ░░░░░░░░ the administration in your ░░░░░░░░ perhaps weary of leading ░░░░░░░░ public into another struggle ░░░░░░░░ the Middle East purposely ░░░░░░░░ the other way sort ░░░░░░░░ saying Oh it s ░░░░░░░░ that big a deal ░░░░░░░░ Oh Luke absolutely not ░░░░░░░░ think we re all ░░░░░░░░ about this You re ░░░░░░░░ about it People who ░░░░░░░░ appearing on television around ░░░░░░░░ country are talking about ░░░░░░░░ because of some of ░░░░░░░░ horrific incidents that recently ░░░░░░░░ with the two beheadings ░░░░░░░░ American individuals American citizens ░░░░░░░░ we have long been ░░░░░░░░ this We ve been ░░░░░░░░ our support for the ░░░░░░░░ security forces We ve ░░░░░░░░ working closely with the ░░░░░░░░ government They just formed ░░░░░░░░ government a couple of ░░░░░░░░ ago That was a ░░░░░░░░ moment in time And ░░░░░░░░ course last week we ░░░░░░░░ with five Arab countries ░░░░░░░░ start this military campaign ░░░░░░░░ You bring up the ░░░░░░░░ government because that is ░░░░░░░░ that is very much ░░░░░░░░ the center of success ░░░░░░░░ at least in Iraq ░░░░░░░░ ISIS What gives you ░░░░░░░░ that this new agreement ░░░░░░░░ somehow spur the Iraqi ░░░░░░░░ forces to act for ░░░░░░░░ best interests of both ░░░░░░░░ and Shia in the ░░░░░░░░ No independent analyst has ░░░░░░░░ that can happen overnight ░░░░░░░░ is this going to ░░░░░░░░ PSAKI Let me tell ░░░░░░░░ about two things that ░░░░░░░░ happening right now with ░░░░░░░░ Iraqi government One they ░░░░░░░░ a government of course ░░░░░░░░ they are taking they ░░░░░░░░ imtplementing a new national ░░░░░░░░ As part of that ░░░░░░░░ re training a new ░░░░░░░░ guard force that includes ░░░░░░░░ tribes leaders from Sunni ░░░░░░░░ military folks from around ░░░░░░░░ country That s something ░░░░░░░░ didn t do a ░░░░░░░░ of years ago RUSSERT ░░░░░░░░ this is different training ░░░░░░░░ the group that got ░░░░░░░░ by ISIS PSAKI This ░░░░░░░░ different than what we ░░░░░░░░ a couple of years ░░░░░░░░ with the Sunni awakening ░░░░░░░░ Sunni tribes were sort ░░░░░░░░ temporarily a part of ░░░░░░░░ we were doing Now ░░░░░░░░ are incorporating them the ░░░░░░░░ government is incorporating them ░░░░░░░░ what the Iraqi security ░░░░░░░░ are doing We know ░░░░░░░░ needs to be a ░░░░░░░░ term effort The second ░░░░░░░░ that we re working ░░░░░░░░ the Iraqi government to ░░░░░░░░ is we ve done ░░░░░░░░ military assessment of their ░░░░░░░░ And what we ve ░░░░░░░░ from that is some ░░░░░░░░ the capabilities Some need ░░░░░░░░ training Some need more ░░░░░░░░ And we re working ░░░░░░░░ the Iraqi government to ░░░░░░░░ that done Those are ░░░░░░░░ boots that we re ░░░░░░░░ to have on the ░░░░░░░░ and that s what ░░░░░░░░ re imtplementing right now ░░░░░░░░ Those will be the ░░░░░░░░ in Iraq But the ░░░░░░░░ said this on 60 ░░░░░░░░ I want to read ░░░░░░░░ quote about what the ░░░░░░░░ overal is We just ░░░░░░░░ to push them back ░░░░░░░░ shrink their space and ░░░░░░░░ after their command and ░░░░░░░░ and their capacity and ░░░░░░░░ weapons and their fueling ░░░░░░░░ cut off their financing ░░░░░░░░ work to eliminate the ░░░░░░░░ of foreign fighters How ░░░░░░░░ that possible without U ░░░░░░░░ troops on the ground ░░░░░░░░ Well one I think ░░░░░░░░ the president was touching ░░░░░░░░ was the fact that ░░░░░░░░ of the reasons that ░░░░░░░░ has gained so much ░░░░░░░░ is their financial you ░░░░░░░░ capabilities RUSSERT Sure PSAKI ░░░░░░░░ they are worth billions ░░░░░░░░ people have different estimates ░░░░░░░░ that I mean that ░░░░░░░░ one of the reasons ░░░░░░░░ the oil refineries have ░░░░░░░░ such an important component ░░░░░░░░ what we re focused ░░░░░░░░ But one of the ░░░░░░░░ pieces we are working ░░░░░░░░ right now is strengthening ░░░░░░░░ Syrian opposition We have ░░░░░░░░ this train and equip ░░░░░░░░ That s going to ░░░░░░░░ on what we re ░░░░░░░░ doing We need to ░░░░░░░░ those you know individuals ░░░░░░░░ fight ISIL because they ░░░░░░░░ the ones who can ░░░░░░░░ on this fight RUSSERT ░░░░░░░░ even if our rosiest ░░░░░░░░ become true that s ░░░░░░░░ 000 Syrian moderate forces ░░░░░░░░ that enough to combat ░░░░░░░░ in Syria PSAKI Well ░░░░░░░░ first of all has ░░░░░░░░ of control over some ░░░░░░░░ areas of Syria Not ░░░░░░░░ Our air strikes that ░░░░░░░░ United States and other ░░░░░░░░ countries are doing are ░░░░░░░░ over time going to ░░░░░░░░ an impact on the ░░░░░░░░ and the mechanisms on ░░░░░░░░ ground So that s ░░░░░░░░ that will help complement ░░░░░░░░ work of the opposition ░░░░░░░░ But we re working ░░░░░░░░ on this What we ░░░░░░░░ is this is a ░░░░░░░░ that Arab countries and ░░░░░░░░ their forces on the ░░░░░░░░ need to be in ░░░░░░░░ lead on RUSSERT So ░░░░░░░░ can go after their ░░░░░░░░ and control their capacity ░░░░░░░░ their weapons all without ░░░░░░░░ forces PSAKI Well I ░░░░░░░░ air strikes in addition ░░░░░░░░ training and equipping forces ░░░░░░░░ the ground working with ░░░░░░░░ in the region is ░░░░░░░░ approach that we think ░░░░░░░░ be effective RUSSERT Jen ░░░░░░░░ State Department Spokesperson Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much PSAKI Thank ░░░░░░░░