State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf continued to try to make amends for her Monday remark that the U.S. cannot kill its way out of war against ISIS.
She appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where Gen. Michael Hayden had wondered earlier if she would like to walk back her comments.
Host Mika Brzezinski asked Harf if she wanted to take a “mulligan” on what she said Monday on “Hardball.” (RELATED: State Dept Spokeswoman: ‘We Cannot Kill Our Way’ Out Of War Against ISIS)
“I’m not sure I would take a mulligan on this one, but I think [Hayden] went on to say something I would agree with,” Harf said. “In the short term … we are killing them, and we will continue killing ISIS terrorists that pose a threat to us. We’re very good at that. General Hayden can to speak to that better than anyone.”
“But in the longer term, and this isn’t specific to ISIL, military commanders, politicians of both parties, counterterrorism experts all agree that if you’re going to prevent terrorist groups from spreading to other places and getting more recruits, you have to look at that root causes that can lead people to extremism. You have to do all of it,” Harf explained. “You have to take them on militarily, but you have to look at things like governance, like opportunity, so these groups aren’t able to get more people to their cause.”
“No mulligan taken,” Brzezinski said. “I get it.”