You can't call President Barack Obama's strategy to confront Islamic State (ISIS) militants one that exemplifies effective leadership, Foreign Policy editor and CEO David Rothkopf says.
The blast at Obama's policies came during an interview with
MSNBC, when he was asked if Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry could build a coalition of Arab League states that would be as effective as President George H.W. Bush's coalition-building before the Persian Gulf War.
But Rothkopf said there were big differences between the conflicts.
"The first time around, we put together a coalition but we did the bulk of the heavy lifting," Rothkopf said. "We put the boots on the ground. We led the way. I don't think the president has the desire to do it this time."
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The interview was posted online by the
Washington Free Beacon.
Though the Obama administration has trumpeted its efforts at putting together a
coalition to confront ISIS, Rothkopf said such a union has actually been around for some time already.
"What's different is that the United States wants in," he said.
"For the past three years, people have been saying, get involved in Syria; get involved in trying to find a way to push back on these extremist forces. They said it again after ISIS took Fallujah in January," Rothkopf said.
"It's only now that the United States is saying, 'OK, we're ready' – and that's not exactly leadership. It's not exactly putting together a coalition."
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