MCCAIN: ISIS Is 'Winning'

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) gave a grim assessment of the ongoing US military operations against the jihadist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS and ISIL) in an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

"They're winning and we're not," McCain said.

The US airstrikes on ISIS in August after the group began taking control of territory in Iraq. ISIS initially gained strength in Syria while fighting in the ongoing revolution against that country's President Bashar al-Assad that began in 2011.

President Barack Obama has consistently described the US military operations against ISIS as "targeted" and "limited" and indicated he will not commit ground troops to the effort. McCain has consistently called for US ground troops to take part in the operations. On "State of the Union," McCain argued Iraqi and Kurdish ground troops allied with the US are not sufficient to confront ISIS.

"The Iraqis are not winning, The peshmerga, the Kurds are not winning," said McCain.

In addition to advocating for a more aggressive response to ISIS, McCain has long called for an American bombing campaign against the Assad regime. He reiterated that argument on Sunday.

"You have to go after ISIS and Bashar Al-Assad," McCain said.