U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell says it may be too late to effectively counter the rise of Sunni militants in Iraq.
But he maintains President Obama has a chance to avoid a similar outcome in Afghanistan.
At a meeting of the Bardstown Rotary Club Wednesday, the Republican Minority Leader sounded a sober note addressing the deteriorating security situation in Iraq.
"At this point, honestly, I'm not sure what we can do to salvage the Iraq situation. The president is going to ask for additional funds and we're going to provide that. But I think the message is let's don't allow to happen in Afghanistan what seems to have happened in Iraq," he said.
McConnell told cn2 that a residual troop presence in Afghanistan is needed to stabilize the country after the U.S. draws down its forces over the next couple years.
His Democratic Senate opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, has also gone on record opposing the use of U.S. military forces to quash the militant uprising, adding, “Ultimately, this fight is up to the Iraqi people.”
Both candidates say the U.S. should continue to provide support and intelligence to the Iraqi government.
