President Obama has insisted that there will be no boots on the ground in the fight against ISIS militants in Iraq.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
AGAINST EBOLA, AN ENEMY THEY CANNOT SEE. BUT FIRST TO AN ENEMY OPERATING OUT IN THE OPEN. THIS FIGHT AGAINST ISIS AND THE DEBATE THAT BROKE OUT AGAIN TODAY WAS WHETHER OR NOT THE U.S. CAN TRULY AVOID PUTTING TROOPS ON THE GROUND. IT'S WHERE WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH OUR CHIEF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT ANDREA MITCHELL.
>> Reporter: IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF MISSION CREEP? THE PRESIDENT'S TOP GENERAL TODAY OPENING THE DOOR TO REQUESTING AMERICAN BOOTS ON THE GROUND AGAINST ISIS.
>> IF WE REACH THE POINT WHERE I BELIEVE OUR ADVISERS SHOULD ACCOMPANY IRAQ TROOPS ON ATTACKS AGAINST SPECIFIC ISIL TARGETS, I'LL RECOMMEND THAT TO THE PRESIDENT.
>> Reporter: AND THIS.
>> IF THERE ARE THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES, THEN I, OF COURSE, WOULD GO BACK TO THE PRESIDENT AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT MAY INCLUDE THE USE OF U.S. MILITARY GROUND FORCES.
>> Reporter: BUT THE PRESIDENT HAS REPEATEDLY PROMISED NO BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
>> THESE AMERICAN FORCES WILL NOT HAVE A COMBAT MISSION. WE WILL NOT GET DRAGGED INTO ANOTHER GROUND WAR IN IRAQ.
>> Reporter: AND TELLING CHUCK TODD ON "MEET THE PRESS" --
>> THE NOTION THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD BE PUTTING BOOTS ON THE GROUND I THINK WOULD BE A PROFOUND MISTAKE.
>> Reporter: GENERAL DEMPSEY EVEN TOLD CONGRESS U.S. TROOPS COULD BE EMBEDDED WITH IRAQIS ON COMPLEX MISSIONS LIKE RETAKING MOSUL. AND HE SAID IT COULD TAKE A YEAR TO TRAIN ONLY 5,000 SYRIAN FORCES TO GO UP AGAINST ISIS IN SYRIA. SOMETHING CRITICS IN BOTH PARTIES SAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TWO YEARS AGO.
>> WAS THE PRESIDENT RIGHT IN 2012 WHEN HE OVERRULED HIS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, SECRETARY OF STATE AND DIRECTOR OF THE CIA AND REFUSED TO TRAIN AND EQUIP THE MODERN OPPOSITION FORCES IN SYRIA, WHICH, ACCORDING TO YOUR TESTIMONY, WE'RE DOING TODAY?
>> SENATOR, YOU KNOW THAT I RECOMMENDED THAT WE TRAIN THEM.
>> Reporter: ISIS ISN'T WAITING. TODAY IN A PROPAGANDA VIDEO CLAIMING IT SHOT DOWN A SYRIAN WAR PLANE, A CLAIM NBC NEWS CANNOT VERIFY, AND TWO BRANCHES OF AL QAEDA TWEETED A RARE JOINT MESSAGE. URGING WARRING MILITANTS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA TO STOP THE INFIGHTING BETWEEN YOU AND STAND AS ONE RANK AGAINST AMERICA'S CAMPAIGN. EVEN AS THE U.S. ESCALATED ITS AIR WAR, STRIKING ISIS TARGETS NEAR BAGHDAD. THE WHITE HOUSE QUICKLY SAID THAT GENERAL DEMPSEY'S COMMENTS WERE ONLY HYPOTHETICAL. AND UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, TONIGHT DEMPSEY'S SPOKESMAN SAID AMERICAN COMBAT FORCES ARE NOT REQUIRED NOW, BUT HE REPEATED IF THE SITUATION