Wagner's Statement on The President's Plan to Defeat ISIL

Congresswoman Ann Wagner issued the following statement after listening to President Obama's speech on combating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) last night, attending a Members Only meeting on ISIL, participating in bipartisan, classified briefings, and attending numerous other meetings about the President's plan to defeat ISIL:

"Today, on the anniversary of our nation's darkest hour, we must never forget the thousands of innocent Americans that lost their lives thirteen years ago. As a nation, we know that the threat of terrorism is real and we must confront and defeat this threat.

"ISIL is the most ruthless and well-financed terrorist group in the world, despite the President's initial characterizations. Their goal is simple: to kill the innocent and ultimately to terrorize the United States of America and our allies. Make no mistake about it; we are at war with radical Islam. ISIL must not have a safe haven in Syria with time and space to operate and carry out attacks against the homeland. They must be destroyed.

"Our Commander in Chief has asked for the tools to defeat ISIL, and I will support the President in our efforts to complete the mission and defeat the enemy. But I remain concerned that the President does not have the long-term vision and the will to complete the mission. As Americans, we should all want the President to succeed. The cost of failure is too great. The President's rhetoric must match his action. The American people want Congress to deliberate this issue in and open and transparent way, and I stand ready to work with anyone to defend our national security and our way of life."

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