Rep. Mike Rogers: Obama Shifting Gears on ISIS Strategy

President Barack Obama's decision to go on the offense to battle the Islamist State (ISIS or ISIL) is a "gear shift" in his strategy to combat the terrorist threat, Rep. Mike Rogers told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Obama will outline his plan for combating ISIS in a speech Wednesday on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary. Rogers, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said it would be a step forward for NATO countries to join the United States in battling the terrorist organization.

"This is a gear shift for the president. I think that's important. I think, obviously, his discussions in NATO, he believed that he had support there ... All of that is progress in this particular case," the Michigan Republican said Monday.

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Rogers said he hopes the president's message on Wednesday will be a strategy to "dismantle all of ISIL," adding that the plan would have to include taking on the terrorists in Iraq as well as Syria.

Defeating ISIS would not take place by "remote control," Rogers said, but include some measure of the U.S. military.

"I'm talking about intelligence services and special capability soldiers. Not big army units," he said. "What we can do is add leverage. But when you add leverage, that means some U.S. forces are going to be exposed."

As some members of the House and Senate voice reluctance to engage the United States in another military conflict, Rogers said all members of Congress need to see the "level of threat that those of us on the National Security Committee see every day." He said the threat needs to be addressed, because the Islamic State continues to recruit Westerners while making territorial gains.

"Every time a Westerner shows up, becomes more radicalized and trained, and is willing to go back and commit an act of political terror back home — which could be Europe, could be the United States, could be Canada — that's dangerous for us," he said.

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