Obama shifting gears on ISIS, Rogers says

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) on Monday said it appears President Obama is now presenting a more aggressive response to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Rogers was asked whether he likes what he’s hearing from Obama.

“I do, I do. I think this is a gearshift for the president,” he said.

Obama is now signaling the U.S. is building up an international coalition to battle ISIS, and the administration is putting together a comprehensive plan to defeat the group.

{mosads}Rogers said the administration can persuade reluctant members of Congress to endorse an expanded military strategy against ISIS by showing them intelligence.

“In Congress, we need to expose all members to the level of threat that those of us on the national security committees see everyday,” Rogers said.

One of the problems in the lead-up to the 9/11 attacks, Rogers said, was that the U.S. gave al Qaeda “time and space,” which he said allowed them to build up their funding.

ISIS is at an even more advanced level now, he explained, because the group has also been given time and space, but it’s already well-funded and has Western fighters.

“This is why it’s more dangerous than them,” Rogers said, comparing al Qaeda to ISIS. “You’re not going to beat them by remote control.”

Obama is set to deliver a speech on Wednesday to make the case to Americans for an expanded military campaign against ISIS overseas.