A top U.S. military officer on Tuesday said if President Barack Obama's foreign policy fails, the United States may have to send ground troops to Iraq to fight the Islamic State.

During a Capitol Hill hearing that measured Obama's ability to gather support for his strategy against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, said ground U.S. forces must be sent to Iraq and Syria.

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However, a spokesperson for the White House quickly opposed Dempsey's suggestion, saying the president will not send ground troops to the embattled countries.

In his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dempsey countered this by saying the president personally told him that if the military situation changed in the Middle East and if his plan for increased airstrikes does not work, he might recommend to the president to send ground forces to Iraq.

Dempsey's statement highlighted the problems faced by the Pentagon in implementing the president's strategy. It also came as the U.S. continued with its military attack on Iraq on Tuesday, launching two airstikes in Irbil and three airstrikes near Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Washington Democrats are worried that the U.S. intervention in the Middle East may result in an involvement in another ground war following the Afghanistan and Iraq situation.

Democratic Representative Pete Visclosky said  Washington has to be certain that it's not aiding "future threats to the region and the world."

Republicans, on the other hand, said the president needs to be more aggressive in responding to the terrorism threat in Iraq and Syria.

According to Republican Rep. Jack Kingston, since the U.S. is already involved in the Middle Eastern situation, it is vital that they win in their endeavors.

Tagsmartin dempsey, ISIL, U.S. ground troops, Iraq, anti-ISIL strategy