John Kerry suggested today that the task of defeating the Islamic State could fall to Iran and the Syrian government if the US was “failing miserably” in its effort to defeat the jihadists.
Secretary of State Kerry testified at the Senate Foreign Relation Committee hearing on US strategy for combating ISIS.
The Telegraph posted the transcript:
Rubio: The reason this isn’t a hypothetical is there may come a point where what you’re saying is the only thing that can solve this problem is US combat forces and we are not going to do that and Isil gets to stay.
Kerry: But I think that we are so far away from that “being the only way” and being a hypothetical.
Rubio: Well let me ask you this-
Kerry: No, let me just finish the question. I’m not going to get into hypotheticals but you’re presuming Iran and Syria don’t have any capacity to take on ISIL, I mean who knows. I don’t know what’s going to happen here. Let’s start down this road-
Rubio: Let me ask you about that then. What you’re saying now is there is the potential for the US will be coordinating with Iran?
Kerry: No I never said anything about coordinating. If we are failing and failing miserably who knows what choice they might make.