House Dem: Military action ‘not the solution’ to ISIS

There is no “military solution” for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Niki Tsongas.

In an op-ed Thursday, Tsongas said she is “deeply concerned” about President Obama’s military campaign against ISIS and the potential for it to “spill into future administrations.”

{mosads}”Ultimately, U.S. military action is not the solution; all the military might in the world will not eliminate this threat. The regional players must take the lead in re-establishing the security and stability of their region, and if they aren’t willing to put forth the effort, we have to ask ourselves if we should be fighting that fight for them,” wrote Tsongas, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

She cited recent comments made by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey that he could envision a future scenario where he would recommend embedding U.S. ground forces in certain battles, “raising serious concerns over the slippery slope on which we may find ourselves, crystallizing the alarming uncertainties surrounding this effort.”

Tsongas called for a “robust national discussion” about Obama’s strategy that includes a full debate in Congress.

“We should not be making near-term decisions with long-term consequences without robustly debating these questions and fully considering the substantial and unpredictable risks of these actions,” she wrote.