CNN’s Tapper to Rhodes: Why Haven’t You Already Ramped up the Fight Against ISIS?

TAPPER: “Why are you ready to ramp it up now? Why aren't - you already ramped it up?”

RHODES: “Well, we have, Jake. We have been conducting thousands of airstrikes over the course of the last year. What we're talking about is getting additional support from allies and partners, I think, who can do more with us in providing support to opposition on the ground and providing the types of airstrikes that can take out ISIL leaders and deny them the critical infrastructure that they depend on. What we have seen, Jake, is there are elements of the strategy that, when they're properly resourced, they work in rolling back ISIL, as we saw in Sinjar with the Kurds on the offense, as we have seen in these leadership targets. We have to do more of that. And we're going to be able to do that, for instance, with the special operations contingent that will be going to Syria to help facilitate those operations. So, we are in an effort to intensify those elements of the strategy that are yielding progress, even as we have to constantly evaluate how the threat is changing and what more needs to be done to deal with the threat.”