Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Republican Dan Sullivan sparred over the best way to respond to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)on Thursday night, with both saying they disagreed with President Obama — and each other.
Sullivan, a Marine and former assistant secretary of State during the Bush administration, fired back. “Inaction has its own consequences,” he said, accusing Begich of taking “options off the table” and saying he wouldn’t admit that the pilots flying bombing missions against ISIS were “combat troops.”
Sullivan didn’t address whether or not he thought large numbers of American troops should be put back on the ground in Iraq, but suggested smaller numbers should be considered.
“If we need combat troops to protect personnel, to protect the embassy, to protect ambassadors like we didn’t have in Benghazi, to protect pilots, I would be for it,” he said.
Begich said he wasn’t answering the question.
“The question is fundamental. Do you believe that we should put American troops back on the ground in a massive scale back in the Middle East? I don’t,” he said.
