US Strategy in Question after Ramadi Falls to ISIS

In a stunning defeat for Iraqi forces this week, the Islamic State terror group killed at least 500 people Sunday and seized control of the city of Ramadi in Iraq's Anbar province.

Now thousands are fleeing in the wake of the ISIS seige. Over the weekend, many headed to Bagdad, but were stopped at a bridge for security reasons.

The United Nations said more than 100,000 people have escaped from Ramadi and the nearby area this year as violence has peaked.

The ISIS victory is reminiscent of a similar triumph last year when the terrorist group captured a third of Iraq, declaring it a caliphate – or Islamic State.

Their latest conquest brings into question the Obama administration's strategy of relying solely on airstrikes. The United States had hoped the strikes would effectively support Iraqi troops in driving ISIS out.

Meanwhile, the administration is winning praise for taking out the key energy accountant for ISIS.

On Saturday, Delta forces killed Abu Sayyaf, who oversaw ISIS oil and gas operations in Syria.

"This isn't just another person. Their revenue streams are extremely important for their survival," retired U.S. Army Special Forces Lt. Col. James Gavrilis said.

Lawmakers from both parties are applauding the raid, saying the death of a major leader is a psychological blow to ISIS and an intelligence win for the United States.

"This is a better way to gather intelligence rather than just airstirkes. It takes guts for our administration and the military to put an action like this together," Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said.

Nunes is also warning that the United States must employ a strategy to degrade ISIS across the globe, and not merely focus on containing it in Iraq and Syria.

He said the strategy would take a broad view of ISIS, which is recruiting fighters from the West and North Africa.

"ISIS I describe as 'al Qaeda 6.0,' which is what Ambassador Crocker described ISIS. So this is really the 6th generation of al Qaeda," Nunes said.

Now the question is how will the United States deal with that new generation of terrorists? Will it keep up its strategy of airstrikes or will there be more calls for boots on the ground?