A weekend ground attack that resulted in the death of ISIS head of oil operations Abu Sayyaf, was a success, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Sunday, and she hopes more such raids are launched.
"My assessment is that it was a success, the one-two punch that we should do more," the California Democrat told ABC's
"This Week with George Stephanopoulos" program Sunday. "I believe that if we're not going to put troops on the ground then we've got to use our special operations forces."
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On Saturday,
U.S. Army commandos launched a rare ground attack in Syria, killing Sayyaf and capturing his wife, Umm Sayyaf, who remains in custody. The Delta Force commandos also rescued a woman that American officials said was being enslaved at the location.
A U.S. defense official said the commandos slipped across the Iraqi border aboard Black Hawk helicopters and V-22 Osprey aircraft with the intention of capturing Abu Sayyaf, but after a firefight ensued, the militant was killed, along with about a dozen ISIS fighters.
Such raids, said Feinstein, allow the United States to "go in and collect intelligence" while capturing prisoners who may be able to help in the fight against terrorism.
"This is the second time that this has been tried in Syria," Feinstein said. "The first time it was not successful; that was to rescue hostages. But, now, this was, I think, a picture-perfect raid. Everything went according to plan."
However, Feinstein said she remains worried about the threat posed by ISIS, which is now in at least 12 countries around North Africa and the Middle East.
"It is organized, she said. "It is an impressive fighting force. It occupies territory, it runs a government and most importantly it is evil. It annihilates in the most brutal of ways. We have to get serious about what we're going to do not only to contain but to eradicate this force."
Feinstein also addressed the ongoing discussion in Washington over President Barack Obama's trade agenda. Last week, Senate Democrats blocked debate https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/senate-blocks-action-obama/2015/05/12/id/644129/ on a bill that would have smoothed the path for a Pacific trade pact with a vote of 52-45, short of the 60 votes that were needed.
And while there are some Democrats who disagree with Obama on the legislation, Feinstein said Sunday she's not one of them.
"I support the trade bill," said Feinstein. "I'm a born and raised Californian. On the rim of the largest trading basin of the world, nothing is going to decrease the trade between countries along the Pacific Ocean."
As such trade has surpassed trade on the Atlantic coast "several years ago," Feinstein said, "the ability to have enforcement mechanisms to prevent anti-dumping, is very important."
Sections on enforcements and trade assistance passed the Senate with more than 70 votes, she pointed out, and combining the three sections make a "very good bill."
She also said she wanted to clarify that while many believe the legislation is for corporate America, "in California, 95% of the trade is carried out by companies and businesses of less than 500 people," making the bill beneficial for many people.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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