Former Intel Chief Says Obama Administration Ignored Signs Of Rising ISIS: Report

President Barack Obama’s former top military intelligence official, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, told CNN on Tuesday that the White House ignored reports about the rise of ISIS in 2011 and 2012 because they did not fit Obama's re-election “narrative.” According to Flynn, the president was served poorly by a small circle of advisers who were worried about his re-election prospects at the time. Flynn has also criticized both President Obama and former President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq War and involvement in the Middle East.

"I think that they did not meet a narrative the White House needed. And I'll be very candid with you, they just didn't ... " Flynn told CNN's Jake Tapper. "I think the narrative was that al-Qaida was on the run, and [Osama] bin Laden was dead ... they're dead and these guys are, we've beaten them," Flynn said, but the problem was that regardless of how many terrorist leaders are killed, they "continue to just multiply."

Obama has been slammed by opponents for referring to ISIS as a “JV squad" and the Pentagon’s inspector general is reportedly investigating complaints that the top intelligence officials manipulated reports to make the threat of ISIS appear minimal, according to CNN.