James Jeffrey: “We need to be present in Syria, and the battle against ISIS gives us an opportunity to do so.”

If we do not play the kind of very costly and at times very difficult role that we play in the world, then you get a Syria; you get a law of the jungle in a very important area where you do have, as I said, five armies.

We would much prefer to pursue the positive agenda of deescalation and political reinvigoration I just described, but we are prepared to maintain our policy of pressure...

It was a mistake not to tell them before they learned about it from the media.

It has been American leadership through two Administrations. It has been an 80-country, an organization coalition, a true international effort.