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Robert Gates: U.S. can't beat Islamic State militants without 'boots on the ground'

19 September 2014 20:51 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates criticized President Barack Obama's strategy to "degrade and destroy" the Islamic State (also known as ISIS and ISIL) without sending in ground troops, APA reports quoting news.yahoo.com.

"The reality is they're not going be able to be successful against ISIS strictly from the air, or strictly depending on the Iraqi forces, or the peshmerga, or the Sunni tribes acting on their own," Gates said in an interview on "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday. "So there will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy. And I think that by continuing to repeat that [he won't send in ground troops], Obama in effect traps himself."

Gates is not alone in his criticism of the president. According to a newCBS News/New York Times poll released on Wednesday, 57 percent of Americans don't think Obama is being tough enough in dealing with the Islamist militants, while 31 percent think his approach is about right.

The poll also found Obama's approval rating when it comes to terrorism is at a record low: 41 percent approve of his handling of the threat of terror — down 12 percentage points since March. Compare that to May 2011, after the killing of Osama bin Laden, when 72 percent approved.

"We've been at war with al-Qaida for 13 years. We have dealt them some terrible blows, including the killing of Osama bin Laden," Gates said. "But I don't think anybody would say that after 13 years we've destroyed or defeated al-Qaida."