Ohio governor: We need boots on the ground in ISIS fight

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), who is considering running for president in 2016, said in an interview published late Tuesday that there needs to be “some boots on the ground” to combat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

{mosads}“You will not solve this problem with only air power,” Kasich told The Washington Post. “There needs to be a coalition of NATO, Arab states, and ultimately some boots on the ground to stop the advancement of that group.”

But he also said that the U.S. “probably” shouldn’t engage in the kind of “nation-building” that marked the last conflict in Iraq.

“It is probably something that can be addressed without an extended affair and without nation-building or any of that,” he said.

Kasich has given some indications that he is considering running for president — including by traveling to South Carolina, an early primary state, on Wednesday.

He told the Post that he has had conversations about foreign policy with Republicans like ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), former Sen. John Sununu (N.H.) and former Rep. Bob Walker (Pa.).

Foreign policy has become an early focus of the conversation about the 2016 race. Several possible Republican contenders have already made trips abroad to improve their credentials on global affairs. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is seen as a likely front-runner if he launches a campaign, will speak about foreign policy at an event in Chicago on Wednesday.

The comments also come as Congress is debating whether to approve a request from President Obama for an authorization of the use of military force against ISIS. At issue is the request’s prohibition on “enduring offensive ground combat operations.” Some liberals have criticized that language as being too vague to stop the extensive use of troops, while conservatives have said that they view the language as too restrictive.