CIA Director John Brennan Claims Battle Versus ISIS is a Long Fight

Just recently, CIA Director John Brennan admitted that the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is going to be a long fight. He also pointed in the past months that US is coordinating with Iran in fighting against the terrorist group, but Iran-backed militia are not necessarily considered allies.

Brennan said during CBS' "Face the Nation" program last Sunday that he doesn't see the battle against the ISIS ending any time soon. The US needs to turn back ISIS, but unfortunately, it will involve a lot of bloodshed until its resolution. He revealed they saw ISIS is growing in strength, but is not taken by surprise by it. ISIS has now captured more cities, including Ramadi in Iraq, as well as Palmyria in Syria.

The BusinessInsider reported in March that Iranian-backed militias have a great effect in the war against ISIS, but Brennan said, even though US and Iran are fighting the same extremist group, he wouldn't consider Iran an ally. The Associated Press considers this as the strongest comment from an American official on the "involvement of shadowy Iranian General Qassen Soleimani."

Brennan is known for not batting away from the topic of Iran in the war against ISIS. He also claimed that they are working closely with the Iranian and Iraqi government to defeat the extremist group ISIS. TheGuardian reported in March that Brennan said the US is coordinating airstrikes with the help of Iranian forces on the ground.

Brennan also said that there seems to be "a lack of will to fight" on the side of the Iraqi forces against the ISIS, since there is coordination among them, with units that does not have leadership. He claimed that the long term solution for the war against ISIS is a strong "political solution."