CEO and Editor of Foreign Policy David Rothkopf tore apart President Obama's strategy to confront the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), calling Obama's approach "not exactly leadership."
MSNBC's Krystal Ball tried to draw a comparison to George H.W. Bush's coalition building effort before the Gulf War, asking whether Rothkopf believed Obama and John Kerry could build an effective coalition made up of Arab League states and Turkey. Rothkopf pointed out the glaring differences between the Gulf War and the current situation:
"The first time around, we put together a coalition but we did the bulk of the heavy lifting," Rothkopf said. "We put the boots on the ground. We led the way. I don't think the president has the desire to do it this time."
Despite repeated insistences from the Obama administration that it is "putting together a coalition," Rothkopf said that the 'coalition' in question has actually existed for some time, "what's different is that the United States wants in."
"For the past three years, people have been saying, get involved in Syria; get involved in trying to find a way to push back on these extremist forces. They said it again after ISIS took Fallujah in January," Rothkopf said.
"It's only now that the United States is saying, 'okay, we're ready'--and that's not exactly leadership. It's not exactly putting together a coalition."