BBC World:  Just how grave is the crisis in Iraq?
Former US Defense Secretary William Cohen: Well obviously it’s very serious. I think the notion that ISIS may be powerful enough to invade and conquer Iraq may be slightly exaggerated…The Sunnis are distrustful, or dislike if not hate Prime Minister Maliki.

BBC World: If you were still the US defense secretary, what military option if any would you recommend?
Secretary William Cohen: I think it’s almost a case of too little, too late for military options, particularly since we have for now a few people on the ground. Most of our combat, if not all of our combat forces, were evacuated some two years ago now. The notion of using airstrikes, either by drones or combat aircraft, unless you have people on the ground, special forces and others, intelligence gatherers who can in fact identify who are the ones you are trying to kill. Unless you have that kind of capability, I would strongly advise against it.

BBC: And do you think that capability exists?
William Cohen: At this moment I don’t think it does. We obviously have very powerful overhead capability… That is no substitute completely for having on the ground intelligence.

BBC: How much of a turnaround is it: the around talking to Iran about Iraq? 
Mr. Cohen: I think we have to make it very clear to the Iranians that we are not about to become their air force. We’re not going to be intervening on their behalf to preserve their man in Baghdad. There is no question in my mind that prime minister Maliki has been governing as a sectarian leader; narrow, divisive, non-inclusive and being basically a puppet of Iran.