Hagel: Taking out Assad won't put IS 'back in the box'
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel shot down reports that the Obama administration is considering a change of targets in its fight against the Islamic State.
Senior US officials denied Nov. 13 that the Obama administration is considering making the removal of Bashar al-Assad a key plank in its strategy to defeat the Islamic State (IS).
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that the focus remains on helping Iraqi forces defeat the Sunni militant group inside Iraq. The remarks follow a CNN report Nov. 12 indicating a rethink inside the White House amid complaints from coalition partners such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia that want Assad removed.
"There is no change in strategy," Hagel told Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who voted against legislation to train and equip Syrian rebels in September.
"Assad's part of the equation, of course," Hagel said. But "just alone dealing with Assad, where we are now … that's not going to put [IS] back in the box."
