President Barack Obama needs a "real coalition" of countries to combat the Islamic State (ISIS) and not merely form an alliance in name only, Sen. Angus King told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"Is it going to be a real coalition, or is it just going to be a fake coalition, where the Saudis write a check now and then?" the Maine Independent said on Tuesday.
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Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that as many as 40 countries had agreed to lend troops or resources to the effort,
CNN reported.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said Sunday the countries that agreed to participate would be announced "over the coming days," as the specifics were determined on what their participation would be, according to
NBC News.
King, who is a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, said he thought there would be boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS, but didn't "think they are going to be American," because "the president, the Congress, the public really isn't there" to support that.
Congress "has a responsibility" to be involved in authorizing U.S. troops to fight ISIS and "not just stand back and second guess and criticize the president," King said, adding that he had discussed a "limited authorization that has some constraints on it" with fellow lawmakers.
Still, he said it was urgent for the U.S. to act.
"We can't just sit around and let ISIS germinate and grow and become a bigger threat. On the other hand, we've got to be sure that when we go in, we go in effectively," he said.
King stressed that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi would need to "channel his inner (Nelson) Mandela" and work toward an "inclusive government" that reached out to the Sunnis.
If he didn't do that, King said the effort in Iraq would be a "fool's errand."
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