U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on President Obama's Address to the Nation on the Administration's Strategy to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin made the below statement following President Obama's address to the nation on the Administration's strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

“It was important for the President to lay out clearly the nature of the threat to American interests and how we are going to work with a broad coalition of international partners, including Arab partners in the immediate region, and the Iraqi government to deal with this threat before it grows.

“ISIL is a group of barbaric terrorists who represent a threat to American personnel and interests in Iraq, and to the stability of Iraq and the region. So I do support using American leadership to help build an international coalition that both provides military assistance to confront this terrorist threat and helps build an inclusive and unified Iraqi government that has the capacity to be a strong partner in counterterrorism efforts against ISIL. 

“I was pleased to hear the President say there will not be American combat troops on foreign soil, but I remain concerned about the potential for open-ended U.S. military engagement in the Middle East. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past so it’s important for the Administration to work with Congress as a partner and to set clear goals and benchmarks of success for American engagement in this mission.”