The Obama Administration was saying that ISIS, the so-called Islamic State, was on the run. Then ISIS took Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar Province. Government troops, trained by the US, fled from the scene, along with thousands of civilian refugees. It was a blow to Iraq's Prime Minister, Haidar al-Abadi and to President Obama. The White House admits it's a setback -- but not enough to change the strategy of playing supporting role. Republicans say it proves there is no strategy after all. ISIS is likely to be a threat to American interests well into the next presidential term, leaving the candidates to debate a complex and difficult question: Was the real failure Obama's troop withdrawal or Bush's war?
ISIS and the Blame Game on the Campaign Trail
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- McCain, Graham the fall of Ramadi to ISIS
- Gates on the fall of Ramadi
- Daragahi on Ramadi's fall casting doubt on al-Abadi's control of the Iraq war
- Corn on Jeb Bush's asserations about his brother being misled into war
- Middle East Institute on ISIS advances in Iraq and Syria
- Lake on Sunni tribal leaders warning against using Shiites to retake Ramadi