Lawmakers summon Pentagon leaders on Islamic State strategy

By Charles Hoskinson, Charles Hoskinson

Published December 20, 2015

Lawmakers this week plan to raise the temperature on administration officials in their push for a tougher policy against the Islamic State amid signs President Obama won't make any drastic changes following the Paris attacks.

The House Armed Services Committee has summoned Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford to a hearing Tuesday on U.S. strategy in Syria and Iraq, where they're expected to get a grilling from Republicans and some Democrats who are dissatisfied with the president's response to the Nov. 13 attacks, which killed 130 people.

It's the latest in a year-long series of efforts by the GOP-led Congress to prod Obama to do more against the extremist group. Since the Paris attacks, lawmakers have been joined in their efforts by a host of independent national security experts and former officials, including a number of retired military commanders and former Obama advisers, who complain that the president's approach only is designed to contain, rather than defeat the group.

Obama has defended his approach, saying it's the right strategy, and officials have signaled there would be no significant shifts in response to the Paris attacks other than to "intensify" and "accelerate" current efforts.