Jack Keane: It Was a ‘Strategic Blunder that Obama ‘Didn’t Crush ISIS Early On’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT clip starts ░░░░░░░░ We ve made tremendous ░░░░░░░░ in Syria with ISIS ░░░░░░░░ ve taken back virtually ░░░░░░░░ of the caliphate All ░░░░░░░░ the land Same thing ░░░░░░░░ Iraq We re making ░░░░░░░░ strides Sort of the ░░░░░░░░ story right now clip ░░░░░░░░ LEVENTHAL ISIS on the ░░░░░░░░ U S backed forces ░░░░░░░░ the terror group from ░░░░░░░░ strongholds in Iraq and ░░░░░░░░ over the past year ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon reporting ISIS has ░░░░░░░░ 98 percent of the ░░░░░░░░ it once held Most ░░░░░░░░ it since President Trump ░░░░░░░░ office But the battle ░░░░░░░░ not over yet General ░░░░░░░░ Keane is chairman of ░░░░░░░░ Institute for the Study ░░░░░░░░ War and a former ░░░░░░░░ chief of staff of ░░░░░░░░ U S Army and ░░░░░░░░ Fox News senior strategic ░░░░░░░░ General thank you for ░░░░░░░░ with us today KEANE ░░░░░░░░ to be here LEVENTHAL ░░░░░░░░ m guessing you aren ░░░░░░░░ celebrating KEANE No I ░░░░░░░░ we have a right ░░░░░░░░ take a victory lap ░░░░░░░░ in taking down ISIS ░░░░░░░░ caliphate We ve never ░░░░░░░░ an organization quite like ░░░░░░░░ They moved into Syria ░░░░░░░░ of the stalemated civil ░░░░░░░░ in 2012 with several ░░░░░░░░ Iraqi fighters 18 months ░░░░░░░░ largely using the Internet ░░░░░░░░ recruit on with some ░░░░░░░░ sophisticated messaging they grew ░░░░░░░░ 30 000 strong and ░░░░░░░░ Iraq in January of ░░░░░░░░ and the world certainly ░░░░░░░░ notice of what was ░░░░░░░░ to us And as ░░░░░░░░ result of that the ░░░░░░░░ Administration despite their claims ░░░░░░░░ this was a top ░░░░░░░░ never fired a shot ░░░░░░░░ anger against ISIS even ░░░░░░░░ the Iraqi government was ░░░░░░░░ for help for nine ░░░░░░░░ That s how long ░░░░░░░░ took And it took ░░░░░░░░ months before we ever ░░░░░░░░ after their oil fields ░░░░░░░░ was their source of ░░░░░░░░ strength That was a ░░░░░░░░ blunder that we didn ░░░░░░░░ crush ISIS early on ░░░░░░░░ Trump team came in ░░░░░░░░ at what they had ░░░░░░░░ really committed themselves to ░░░░░░░░ this caliphate as soon ░░░░░░░░ possible They enjoy the ░░░░░░░░ of that for sure ░░░░░░░░ they stopped micromanaging the ░░░░░░░░ that Obama was doing ░░░░░░░░ put additional resources on ░░░░░░░░ Special Operation Forces massive ░░░░░░░░ of air power Apache ░░░░░░░░ artillery and they let ░░░░░░░░ commanders make the decisions ░░░░░░░░ the war not guys ░░░░░░░░ the White House That ░░░░░░░░ this thing to a ░░░░░░░░ LEVENTHAL They trusted the ░░░░░░░░ on the ground Does ░░░░░░░░ lose luster because they ░░░░░░░░ t own real estate ░░░░░░░░ KEANE Oh yeah absolutely ░░░░░░░░ became an incredible organization ░░░░░░░░ developed an iconic brand ░░░░░░░░ were able to expand ░░░░░░░░ 30 countries They inspired ░░░░░░░░ or directed 40 attacks ░░░░░░░░ NATO countries alone This ░░░░░░░░ what they ve been ░░░░░░░░ to in the last ░░░░░░░░ years So now they ░░░░░░░░ t have the territorial ░░░░░░░░ to be sure Their ░░░░░░░░ are in hiding literally ░░░░░░░░ to survive And this ░░░░░░░░ important Rick we have ░░░░░░░░ had some success against ░░░░░░░░ Internet messaging That s ░░░░░░░░ of the National Security ░░░░░░░░ and the Special Operations ░░░░░░░░ have combined together and ░░░░░░░░ we ve begun to ░░░░░░░░ down their messaging and ░░░░░░░░ communications some of which ░░░░░░░░ very sophisticated and we ░░░░░░░░ been struggling with it ░░░░░░░░ a couple of years ░░░░░░░░ is a virtual caliphate ░░░░░░░░ it is crucial that ░░░░░░░░ shut that thing down ░░░░░░░░ They started small and ░░░░░░░░ to some 30 000 ░░░░░░░░ then U S Forces ░░░░░░░░ coalition fighters were able ░░░░░░░░ cut them down For ░░░░░░░░ most part I saw ░░░░░░░░ figure of a few ░░░░░░░░ left that have dispersed ░░░░░░░░ much do those numbers ░░░░░░░░ Can they build the ░░░░░░░░ back up again KEANE ░░░░░░░░ s unlikely These are ░░░░░░░░ numbers still in Syria ░░░░░░░░ Iraq They ve returned ░░░░░░░░ what they were before ░░░░░░░░ were able to establish ░░░░░░░░ caliphate That is a ░░░░░░░░ organization operating in the ░░░░░░░░ That s what they ░░░░░░░░ doing in and around ░░░░░░░░ Not a threat to ░░░░░░░░ regime but killing innocent ░░░░░░░░ on an infrequent basis ░░░░░░░░ s what they will ░░░░░░░░ now However they have ░░░░░░░░ around the world and ░░░░░░░░ still are able to ░░░░░░░░ and inspire people to ░░░░░░░░ their own citizens as ░░░░░░░░ are painfully aware of ░░░░░░░░ New York City over ░░░░░░░░ last 14 months And ░░░░░░░░ certainly has occurred in ░░░░░░░░ on multiple occasions Some ░░░░░░░░ those will continue I ░░░░░░░░ over time as we ░░░░░░░░ against the ideology of ░░░░░░░░ Islam itself a generational ░░░░░░░░ and we now have ░░░░░░░░ of the kingdom of ░░░░░░░░ Arabia who has organized ░░░░░░░░ countries in a global ░░░░░░░░ to go after this ░░░░░░░░ That s the first ░░░░░░░░ forward in the Muslim ░░░░░░░░ to really take this ░░░░░░░░ on We ll eventually ░░░░░░░░ making progress here but ░░░░░░░░ viewers have got to ░░░░░░░░ that ISIS or radical ░░░░░░░░ is not going away ░░░░░░░░ we can certainly reduce ░░░░░░░░ impact as we have ░░░░░░░░ here in Syria and ░░░░░░░░ Iraq LEVENTHAL You mentioned ░░░░░░░░ ISIS leaders are in ░░░░░░░░ I think one of ░░░░░░░░ big concerns is that ░░░░░░░░ battle trained fighters who ░░░░░░░░ made it off the ░░░░░░░░ are in hiding and ░░░░░░░░ guess I m wondering ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence on that ░░░░░░░░ good a handle do ░░░░░░░░ have on who those ░░░░░░░░ are and where they ░░░░░░░░ be KEANE Many were ░░░░░░░░ to include former director ░░░░░░░░ the ISIS fighters once ░░░░░░░░ pushed them off the ░░░░░░░░ they would return to ░░░░░░░░ homes by the thousands ░░░░░░░░ has not happened First ░░░░░░░░ all the United States ░░░░░░░░ had very few involved ░░░░░░░░ the fight In Europe ░░░░░░░░ ve had somewhere in ░░░░░░░░ neighborhood of 6 000 ░░░░░░░░ 8 000 And only ░░░░░░░░ small percentage of those ░░░░░░░░ returned home Listen the ░░░░░░░░ majority of these guys ░░░░░░░░ dead Rick We ve ░░░░░░░░ tens of thousands of ░░░░░░░░ in Syria and in ░░░░░░░░ And that is good ░░░░░░░░ because as we know ░░░░░░░░ was barbarism in his ░░░░░░░░ order in the early ░░░░░░░░ of ISIS reign of ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ have to fear as ░░░░░░░░ re aware of who ░░░░░░░░ are nonetheless inspired by ░░░░░░░░ LEVENTHAL General jack Keane ░░░░░░░░ always appreciate your insight ░░░░░░░░ Good talking to you.”