Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan says the United States cannot destroy the ISIL terrorist group militarily on the battleground.
“I believe firmly that we’re not going to resolve this problem on the battlefield,” Brennan said during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation”, aired on Sunday.
The CIA chief argued that it was up to the Iraqi and Syrian governments to decide how they are going to restore peace in their nations.
“There has to be a viable political process that’s able to bring together the actors inside Iraq and Syria and for them to be able to decide how they are going to have a peaceful future,” he said.
“So it’s a combination of military and political pressure that needs to be brought to bear,” added Brennan, who served as chief counterterrorism adviser to President Barack Obama before heading the CIA.