Illinois State Senator Jim Oberweis says the decision to pull troops out of Iraq helped allow the rise of ISIS.
Oberweis and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin met in front of the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board this morning.
The milk-magnate is challenging Durbin for his Senate seat.
During a debate over the best way to deal with the current conflicts in Iraq, Oberweis said U.S. forces never should have left in the first place:
OBERWEIS: I think it was a bad idea to withdraw our troops and let this country fall the way it has fallen.
EDIT BOARD: How many troops should have been left there and for how long?
OBERWEIS: As a guess, 10 thousand. Certainly 5 to 10 thousand. As for how long, I don’t know how long.
But Durbin says President Barack Obama had to withdraw U.S. soldiers after the Iraqi government refused to give soldiers legal immunity.
Oberweis criticized Durbin and Obama for ruling out using ground troops in the current fight against ISIS.
Durbin says the human cost would be too great.