President Barack Obama’s appointee to serve as Undersecretary of the U.S. Army, Patrick Murphy, told a Senate committee Tuesday that ISIS is not contained. That view is different than what the president believes.
In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Murphy said that he is “concerned” about the violence that ISIS has recently carried out. (VIDEO: Army Chief Of Staff Uses Term ‘Radical Islam’)
“Rep. Murphy, is ISIS contained?” Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain asked Murphy.
Murphy replied, “Well, senator, I’m not currently, as you know, in government, but let me tell you what I know from my personal perspective, Mr. Chairman. When you look at things like the Russian airliner —” (VIDEO: Watch Obama’s Spokesman Squirm When Asked About If ISIS Is ‘Contained’)
“You can start out by saying yes or no,” McCain interrupted.
“I would say no, because, Mr. Chairman,” Murphy explained. “When you look at things like the Russian airliner, when you look at things like the Paris attacks, which killed civilians, when you look at things like the ISIL-inspired attack in California, when you look at ISIL operations currently in Ramadi and Mosul, I’m concerned, as we all are concerned.”
“And we must, and I think Secretary Carter and General Milley have said that we must accelerate our prosecution in the war against ISIL immediately. And if confirmed, Mr. Chairman, I will do just that, to make sure that we take the fight to them.” (VIDEO: Obama: ISIS Not Gaining Strength)
Murphy is an Iraq War veteran and former Pennsylvania Democratic congressman from 2007 until 2011. (VIDEO: Defense Secretary Ash Carter: We Have Not Contained ISIS)