W.H. on Obama’s ‘Strategy’ Remark: We Have One, Just Not in Syria

BLITZER Josh thanks very ░░░░░░░░ for coming in I ░░░░░░░░ you wanted to come ░░░░░░░░ the program to clarify ░░░░░░░░ the president meant when ░░░░░░░░ said we don t ░░░░░░░░ a strategy yet because ░░░░░░░░ commotion that those words ░░░░░░░░ was enormous So go ░░░░░░░░ and tell us what ░░░░░░░░ president precisely was referring ░░░░░░░░ EARNEST Well Wolf the ░░░░░░░░ was asked a specific ░░░░░░░░ about what approach he ░░░░░░░░ going to pursue when ░░░░░░░░ came to possible military ░░░░░░░░ in Syria against ISIL ░░░░░░░░ was the specific question ░░░░░░░░ was asked and the ░░░░░░░░ was explicit that he ░░░░░░░░ still waiting for plans ░░░░░░░░ are being developed by ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon for military options ░░░░░░░░ he has for going ░░░░░░░░ Syria But when it ░░░░░░░░ to confronting ISIL the ░░░░░░░░ has been very clear ░░░░░░░░ months about what our ░░░░░░░░ strategy is for confronting ░░░░░░░░ ISIL threat in Iraq ░░░░░░░░ starts with a unified ░░░░░░░░ government that can unite ░░░░░░░░ country to meet the ░░░░░░░░ that s facing their ░░░░░░░░ right now It includes ░░░░░░░░ our relationship with the ░░░░░░░░ and Kurdish security forces ░░░░░░░░ make sure that they ░░░░░░░░ the equipment and training ░░░░░░░░ they need to take ░░░░░░░░ fight to ISIL on ░░░░░░░░ ground in their country ░░░░░░░░ third component of our ░░░░░░░░ is engaging regional governments ░░░░░░░░ s certainly not in ░░░░░░░░ interest of governments in ░░░░░░░░ neighborhood to have ISIL ░░░░░░░░ havoc and perpetrating terrible ░░░░░░░░ of violence in the ░░░░░░░░ The fourth aspect of ░░░░░░░░ strategy is engaging countries ░░░░░░░░ the world in this ░░░░░░░░ And then of course ░░░░░░░░ fifth aspect of the ░░░░░░░░ the fifth component is ░░░░░░░░ use of American military ░░░░░░░░ And the president has ░░░░░░░░ American military strikes in ░░░░░░░░ to protect American personnel ░░░░░░░░ to avert humanitarian disasters ░░░░░░░░ some that s being ░░░░░░░░ against some religious and ░░░░░░░░ minorities by ISIL So ░░░░░░░░ president has been clear ░░░░░░░░ what our strategy is ░░░░░░░░ president is clear that ░░░░░░░░ strategy is one that ░░░░░░░░ not going to solve ░░░░░░░░ problem overnight but he ░░░░░░░░ also clear about the ░░░░░░░░ that our strategy can ░░░░░░░░ only be the American ░░░░░░░░ If we ve learned ░░░░░░░░ over the last 10 ░░░░░░░░ 12 years Wolf it ░░░░░░░░ that a strategy that ░░░░░░░░ includes military force will ░░░░░░░░ be an enduring solution ░░░░░░░░ this problem BLITZER All ░░░░░░░░ So let me be ░░░░░░░░ there Is the U ░░░░░░░░ strategy the president does ░░░░░░░░ a strategy in dealing ░░░░░░░░ ISIS the terrorists in ░░░░░░░░ but he does not ░░░░░░░░ have a strategy in ░░░░░░░░ with ISIS the same ░░░░░░░░ who operate in Syria ░░░░░░░░ that right EARNEST Well ░░░░░░░░ well Wolf what s ░░░░░░░░ is we have a ░░░░░░░░ strategy for dealing with ░░░░░░░░ One component of our ░░░░░░░░ strategy is the use ░░░░░░░░ military force The president ░░░░░░░░ authorized the use of ░░░░░░░░ force in Iraq to ░░░░░░░░ American personnel and to ░░░░░░░░ religious and ethnic minorities ░░░░░░░░ are vulnerable to persecution ░░░░░░░░ ISIL The aspect of ░░░░░░░░ strategy that is still ░░░░░░░░ developed by the Pentagon ░░░░░░░░ the president is discussing ░░░░░░░░ The Situation Room at ░░░░░░░░ White House right now ░░░░░░░░ what sort of military ░░░░░░░░ are available for using ░░░░░░░░ force against ISIL in ░░░░░░░░ Those options are still ░░░░░░░░ developed But when it ░░░░░░░░ to our broader comprehensive ░░░░░░░░ for dealing with ISIL ░░░░░░░░ president has been clear ░░░░░░░░ what that strategy is ░░░░░░░░ it is ensuring that ░░░░░░░░ has the support from ░░░░░░░░ international community that it ░░░░░░░░ to take care of ░░░░░░░░ own security situation The ░░░░░░░░ States military can no ░░░░░░░░ be solely responsible for ░░░░░░░░ the security situation in ░░░░░░░░ It s time for ░░░░░░░░ s government and Iraq ░░░░░░░░ security forces to be ░░░░░░░░ to be united and ░░░░░░░░ confront the ISIL threat ░░░░░░░░ their own country themselves ░░░░░░░░ So when the president ░░░░░░░░ those words We don ░░░░░░░░ have a strategy yet ░░░░░░░░ want to be precise ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ to harp too much ░░░░░░░░ this but when he ░░░░░░░░ We don t have ░░░░░░░░ strategy yet what precisely ░░░░░░░░ he referring to EARNEST ░░░░░░░░ was referring to military ░░░░░░░░ for striking ISIL in ░░░░░░░░ Those options are still ░░░░░░░░ developed by the Pentagon ░░░░░░░░ obviously have spent a ░░░░░░░░ of time working on ░░░░░░░░ and they re still ░░░░░░░░ through it It s ░░░░░░░░ subject of some discussion ░░░░░░░░ The Situation Room at ░░░░░░░░ White House right now ░░░░░░░░ in terms of our ░░░░░░░░ strategy for confronting ISIL ░░░░░░░░ president has been very ░░░░░░░░ about what that is ░░░░░░░░ it can t rely ░░░░░░░░ on the use of ░░░░░░░░ military force The American ░░░░░░░░ is very effective and ░░░░░░░░ to our brave men ░░░░░░░░ women in uniform we ░░░░░░░░ already enjoyed significant success ░░░░░░░░ Iraq so far in ░░░░░░░░ ISIL We averted the ░░░░░░░░ disaster at Sinjar Mountain ░░░░░░░░ thousands of Yazidis were ░░░░░░░░ to escape persecution The ░░░░░░░░ military was able to ░░░░░░░░ Iraq and Kurdish security ░░░░░░░░ in retaking Mosul Dam ░░░░░░░░ American military airstrikes were ░░░░░░░░ effective in blunting what ░░░░░░░░ been a pretty aggressive ░░░░░░░░ by ISIL on Irbil ░░░░░░░░ location where the United ░░░░░░░░ has a consulate and ░░░░░░░░ many Americans live So ░░░░░░░░ has been an effective ░░░░░░░░ of American military force ░░░░░░░░ Iraq so far against ░░░░░░░░ but what the president ░░░░░░░░ crystal clear about is ░░░░░░░░ our strategy is much ░░░░░░░░ than just the use ░░░░░░░░ military force We need ░░░░░░░░ engage the international community ░░░░░░░░ the strategy needs to ░░░░░░░░ with an inclusive Iraqi ░░░░░░░░ that can unite the ░░░░░░░░ of Iraq to meet ░░░░░░░░ threat that s facing ░░░░░░░░ country right now.”