Washington D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) issued the following statement on reports that ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in northern Syria resulting in the deaths of U.S. troops.   Ranking Member McCaul: “Today’s deadly bombing targeting our troops in Syria is a reminder that ISIS still […]

“The last administration showed what happens when arbitrary political deadlines – rather than reality on the ground – dictates policy in war zones. We must learn from the mistakes of the past, not repeat them.”

Last April I had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister al-Abadi in Baghdad at a tense time. ISIS was firmly in control of Mosul and many other parts of Iraq. Today, it is good to welcome the prime minister to the Capitol to discuss progress in this fight, and the future of the U.S.-Iraq relationship.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) today wrote Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to urge the government of Iraq to dramatically escalate planning for humanitarian relief to meet the needs of those who will be forced from their homes in the fight to liberate Mosul from ISIS, and express concern about the role of Shia paramilitary forces in the battle for Mosul and its aftermath.

Today we continue our oversight of the Administration’s response to ISIS and Islamist extremism. Specifically, we’ll be looking at the State Department’s efforts to counter ISIS’ message online.

“The United States is losing the information war to terrorists like ISIS and Hezbollah. Earlier this year, the administration rebranded the office responsible for counter messaging, but little seems to have changed. A strong, effective information offensive to counter the violent ideology being pushed by ISIS and other terrorists is long overdue. This hearing will give members an opportunity to press the administration’s top public diplomacy official on how the U.S. can be more effective.”

An unfortunate irony in the effort to combat ISIS recruitment online is that the United States – the world’s leader in technological innovation – is hardly in the game. To protect Americans at home and abroad, this must change.

ISIS relies heavily on the Internet to spread its violent ideology. Through the Internet and social media, ISIS is inspiring attacks within the United States and projecting force across the Middle East and Europe. Yet this administration’s response continues to be disjointed and inadequate. This needs to change – quickly. America’s national security depends on our ability to confront and defeat these terrorists online.

President Obama still doesn’t have a plan to defeat ISIS. The White House’s inaction and ineptness allowed these radical Islamist terrorists to spread across Syria, Iraq and Libya. Today ISIS continues to control huge swaths of land, and they are using these safe havens to inspire and plot more attacks against the United States.

Today at 10 a.m., House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) will convene a hearing entitled “U.S. Policy Toward Putin’s Russia.”