Graham: Obama W.H. ‘Probably the Only People in the World’ Who Think We’re Winning

“The goal is to degrade and destroy ISIL and deny them a safe haven in Syria and Iraq to attack America. That goal is not being achieved. We are going backwards, not forward. So when the White House says we are winning, they are probably the only people in the world that think that ...

I don’t know why the president called these people the J.V.s in January and denied he said it. I can’t explain why the president draws red lines and doesn’t act. All I can tell you is that their strategy is not working. And ISIL has a strategy. I think Oliver North is on to something.

Their goal is not to take Baghdad, but to make this new government dysfunctional. I think you will see a series of attacks inside of Baghdad, maybe against our embassy, but against seats, powers, centers of the Iraqi government. ISIL has one goal - to keep the Iraqis separated and make sure this new government cannot pull the Sunni tribes away in Anbar Province to attack them.

So, I think their efforts are really to disrupt the formation of a new government that could effectively challenge them. That’s what their goal is regarding Baghdad.”