Here we go again with another of these GOP Reps who think the answer to everything is more air strikes. We've had Rep. Duncan Hunter out there pushing for air strikes against Iran and attacking President Obama on foreign policy. This Sunday it was Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who wants air strikes in Fallujah as a solution to the problem with the recent wave of violence sweeping Iraq.
Kizinger doubled-down on the statement he released last week: Rep. Adam Kinzinger: U.S. Should Assist Iraq With Limited Air Power:
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) released a statement Monday about the recent outbreak of violence due to al Qaeda terrorist activity in Iraq.
2013 was the most deadly year for Iraq since 2008, according to the Huffington Post. Violence has been on the rise since the United States pulled out its troops in 2011.
“The resurgence of violence in Iraq is a direct result of the Obama administration’s short-sighted policy decisions and hurried withdrawal from the region,” said Kinzinger. “As I have repeatedly said, when America withdraws from our leadership role in the world, chaos and violence inevitably fill the void. What’s happening now dishonors all those who put their lives on the line to bring stability to this country, and I hope the Administration learns from this lesson as we make strategic military decisions elsewhere in the region.”
Kinzinger told the Hill that he believes the United States should be willing to assist in ways without reintroducing troops, including the use of its air power.
“While we cannot reintroduce ground soldiers in Iraq after leaving, I do support robust intelligence operations and, in some cases, limited air power in assisting the Iraqi government,” he said.
Kinzinger is a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Kinzinger admitted on This Week that he did not know if the strikes would "solve the problem," but believes we should go in there anyway.
RADDATZ: I want to turn on this and get to domestic politics in just a moment. But I cannot pass up what you believe should happen in Iraq.
Now, we have Al Qaida flying flags in Fallujah. I was in Fallujah the day before U.S. troops pulled out. That was the flashpoint. We lost almost a hundred Marines there fighting. You think we should employ air strikes?
KINZINGER: Yeah. Look, this is Al Qaida. This isn't an internal Sunni-Shia thing going on. I've always said, and the president has said, anywhere Al Qaida exists, they shouldn't feel safe. If they exist in Fallujah, they should not feel safe.
RADDATZ: To what end?
KINZINGER: To what end? It's helping the Iraqi government to push Al Qaida out of Fallujah.
RADDATZ: So we should side with Maliki, who has been siding with Iran and Russia?
KINZINGER: Against Al Qaida? Absolutely. Absolutely.
RADDATZ: And you think that'll solve the problem?
KINZINGER: I don't know if it'll solve the problem, but it'll help push Al Qaida out of Fallujah. I think the problem exists because there's no policy from this administration in Syria. And this has expanded this everywhere.
(CROSSTALK)
KINZINGER: When you have Al Qaida in Fallujah, my goodness, I hope we're going to...
RADDATZ: I don't think he's going to...
BRAZILE: ... resources...
RADDATZ: I don't think he's going to get any resources to do that.
BRAZILE: But no troops on the ground.
KINZINGER: I agree. No troops on the ground.
