Fmr. NATO commander: U.S., NATO ground troops are needed in Syria to fight ISIS

(CNN) – A former NATO commander says U.S. and NATO ground troops are needed in Syria in the fight against ISIS.

"I would go first to get the Peshmerga from the north, Iraqi security forces from the south, and then get Turkish and NATO coming in from the northern part of Syria. If you put ISIS under a three-front war, I think we'd see that they are not 10-feet tall," said Adm. James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University and author of "The Accidental Admiral."

But Turkey, a NATO member, is reluctant to get involved in the fight against ISIS, despite the fact that the militant group seized a chunk of a key battleground town near its border.

The former NATO Supreme Commander criticized not only Turkey's, but also NATO's lack of participation in this fight for Kobani.

"I'm surprised we're not seeing traction ... from NATO. This is a NATO border in every sense. So I think the Turks are conflicted because what they really want is the downfall of the Assad regime, but I think it is dawning on them that it's time to go," said Stavridis.

For more of our interview with Adm. James Stavridis, check out the video above.