Gen. Martin Dempsey: ISIS is 'a bunch of midgets running around'

Gen. Martin Dempsey: ISIS is 'a bunch of midgets running around'
(Image credit: Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images)

America's top military commander, Gen. Martin Dempsey, says the Islamic State is not the invincible force it purports to be. During a visit to Iraq over the weekend, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the group was not a military behemoth, but rather "a bunch of midgets running around with a really radical ideology," according to Reuters.

For a time earlier this year, the Islamic State appeared unstoppable as it plowed across Syria and Iraq. But Dempsey said U.S. troops and local forces had been able to "pull Iraq back from the precipice," adding that the tide was "starting to turn."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.