(CNN) Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he would send American troops to the Middle East to combat Islamic State fighters who he called "the face of evil."

Perry, the Republican 2016 presidential contender, made his comments in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash that will air Sunday on "State of the Union."

"We are going to have to have our military actively engaged" with other countries' armed forces that are combating ISIS, he said.

That means boots on the ground, Perry said.

"I'm not trying to parse the words. It's exactly what we should have," he said.

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