The terrorist assaults in Paris have dramatically modified the outlook & focus of Saturday night’s Democratic presidential debate. “I think it’s improper to turn our back on those people now”, he said. “Therefore we must choose resolve”. This is a worldwide fight, and American must lead it. But despite suggesting that Obama needs to do more, and do it faster, Hillary nonetheless maintained that she wasn’t proposing wholesale changes to Obama’s current strategy.
Advertisement
But Clinton, while advocating for a more aggressive and engaged approach, did not rebuke the commander-in-chief. Again, Hillary’s stance put her in lockstep with Obama.
In case there was any doubt, Clinton’s much-anticipated foreign policy speech on Thursday makes it clear she plans to run on her hawkish credentials.
Clinton conceded, however, that there was a problem of extremism in the Muslim world.
After the 9/11 attacks, she said the United States had made a lot of progress breaking down barriers but that Europe was “way behind”.
Clinton reiterated her support for a no-fly zone over the northern region of the country and backed the president’s use of special forces.
“As president, I would demand that Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government grant greater autonomy to Sunnis, and would provide direct military support to Sunnis and the Kurds if Baghdad fails to support them” he said. She warned Silicon Valley, a rich source of Democratic campaign funds, that preventing the government from accessing encrypted technologies used by terrorists to communicate could lead to another attack.
There were tough words about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his allies Iran and Russian Federation, which Clinton said must “face the fact that continuing to prop up a vicious dictator will not bring stability”.
Obama has been heavily criticized for the “jayvee” comparison, which was seen as part of an effort by Obama to defend his decision to remove US troops from Iraq in 2011.
“No, I am not a pacifist. I think she will be but I think it’s a bit premature”.
Clinton also dug in on the linguistic battle.
“Muslims are peaceful and tolerant people and have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism”, she insisted at one point, accusing those who spoke of “radical Islamic terrorism” of aiding the enemy by “alienating partners we need by our side”. “We need to crush their territorial domain and we need to try and secure the entire border between Syria and Turkey”, she said.
Since 2000, Hillary Clinton has raised $29.2 million from PACs and employees of major banks, hedge funds and securities firms for her Senate and presidential campaigns while her husband raised $39.7 million from Wall Street sources throughout his political career – or a total of $68.9 million.
Clinton also said the United States must welcome refugees from across the region, even as it toughens its defenses at airports, online and in the financial sector. “That is just not who we are. We are better than that”, Clinton said, echoing sentiments that Obama has repeatedly stressed on his trip through Asia. But she did not explain how doing so then would have turned out better, given that our recent investment in the “moderate opposition” of $500 million netted just four or five actual fighters!
Clinton’s plan to combat the Islamic State involves air raids, but no American troops on the ground.
When Clinton appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this year, Ellen said, “We have become a society that’s all about personality and celebrity and charm instead of it being about the person who is going to get the job done”. “We can’t outsource this”.
“From Libya to Russian Federation to China, Hillary Rodham Clinton has been the chief architect of the Obama administration’s failed policy of coddling adversaries, disrespecting allies and leading from behind”, said Steven Law, head of American Crossroads, a Republican political group, in a statement.
Advertisement
Clinton’s call came as the House passed a measure Thursday aimed at restricting the flow of refugees allowed in from Syria and Iraq.
