the obama administration had tough words. >> it's more than just an intelligence failure, it's a policy failure as well. >> of course, the solution offered by most critics is the one thing isis wants the most. american boots on the ground. the united states has 3500 military advisers in iraq helping the iraqi government take on isis. but the biggest underestimation was not of the strength of the self-style islamic state but of the weakness of the iraqi state. in the middle of 2014 when isis started taking town after town in iraq, the iraqi army essentially laid down its arms and ran away.