Kerrey: Obama ‘behind the ball’ on ISIS

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) criticized President Obama for underestimating the impact of Islamic extremist groups, saying his decision to remove U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011 “was a mistake.”

“We underestimated the threat of a global jihad … ISIS is just a part of it,” Kerrey said during an interview on John Catsimatidis’ radio show to air Sunday on New York’s 970 AM. “This is a global jihad that comes out of the Muslim religion. Our intelligence underestimated the threat, and the president did as well.”

{mosads}The former presidential candidate noted Obama’s recent military involvement, but said he would have launched the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) earlier so the U.S. wouldn’t be “behind the ball.”

“It’s not just about ISIS,” Kerrey reiterated. “This is a global jihad with many locations … Nigeria, Somalia and elsewhere where organizations have sworn themselves to kill as many Muslims, Christians and Jews as they can to establish their religious order.”

A former Navy SEAL officer, Kerrey suggested that the Secret Service’s recent security lapses around Obama could encourage global terrorism. 

“Our president should never be in that kind of security risk,” he said of the incident last month where an armed man jumped the White House fence and wasn’t apprehended until he entered the mansion’s unlocked front door.

The backlash culminated in former director Julia Pierson’s resignation this week.

Kerrey also weighed in on the upcoming midterm election, which is less than a month away. He predicted that Republicans would add Senate control to their House majority.

When asked about a favorite presidential candidate for 2016, Kerrey placed his bet on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who he considers a friend.

“The odds of Hillary Clinton being the nominee of the Party are almost 100% … I think people just trust that she can do the job.”