Ruppersberger Defends Obama On ISIL 'Strategy'

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Sunday defended President Barack Obama’s much-criticized Thursday remark that when it comes to taking on the Islamic State extremist group in Syria, “We don’t have a strategy yet.”

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the Maryland congressman said the Obama administration is working to develop a plan and that “when the time is right, we will do what we have to do.”

Ruppersberger said dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, in Syria was very different than dealing with the group in Iraq, where “the government wants us to come in.” Syria, he said, has sophisticated air defense systems, and the United States has limited intelligence about potential targets in the war-ravaged country.

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