Rand Paul tells Saudi Arabia to fight their own fights and wipe out ISIS

Nice. I totally agree.

There is more than enough fire power in the Middle East to handle it.

RAND PAUL Republican U.S. senator from Kentucky gave this answer to an Iowan's question at a private fundraiser on Feb. 7 organized by GOP business leader Steve Sukup in Ames

"I think we do now have to do something about ISIS. I said this a year ago when I voted against sending weapons into the mess that is the Syrian civil war.

I said, 'The great irony is that we're going to be back in again.' ... I'm troubled by the fact that we'll be back — it's a thousand-year war between the Sunnis and the Shiites.

We're going to be back in the middle of a war that has no answer.

"I'm troubled by the fact that I think ISIS grew stronger as we put more and more weapons into the Syrian civil war.

One CIA agent said the only thing moderate about the Syrian rebels is their ability to fight. ...

We dropped off weapons to the moderate rebels and ISIS took them, and now ISIS has most of the weapons.

In contrast, I think the Kurds are a good fighting force, and I would give weapons to the Kurds.

I think they will fight for their homeland. I'd give them more of a homeland.

I'd give them a little more of Iraq and a little more of northern Syria and say, 'Go to town. Fight ISIS, and when you're done, you get the land.'

People say — many in our party: 'There have to be boots on the ground.' I agree.

I want the boots on the ground to be Iraqi, Turks, Kurds, Saudis.

The Saudis ... have been funding radical Islam throughout the Middle East. ... Saudi Arabia, if they want to be our ally, if they want to do trade with us, they need to behave.

They need to quit funding radical Islam.

They need to get involved. I want to see 20,000 troops from Saudi Arabia, wiping out ISIS.

"The key to getting Turks involved is there needs to be peace between the Turks and the Kurds.

If our president was any kind of leader, he'd be trying to figure out how to get Turks and the Kurds to declare peace so they then could wipe out ISIS. ...

We can help, our Air Force can help, but I don't want to see the troops back in."

This is my only source so far: [Link]

I will look for the transcripts or video.

ETA: i think the story is here, but I am not a subscriber. Where 7 presidential hopefuls stand on confronting ISIS

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Can someone please mail an atlas to Rand Paul? As, you know, Saudi Arabia doesn't share a border with Syria.

Sadly, this is just another corporate-controlled politician deflecting the narrative as far from the truth as he can, while still castigating in a manner that appropriately panders to his audience.

Tossing out, "They need to quit funding radical Islam," is not only a monumental display of mendacity, it demonstrates a potential disconnect from history. Saudi Arabia, along with the United States, created "radical Islam" in Afghanistan in the mid 1980's by injecting extremism into the Mujahideen.

Perhaps Mr. Paul should have said, "We never should have funded radical Islam, but now we need to clean up the mess we made."

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg
a reply to: ~Lucidity

Can someone please mail an atlas to Rand Paul? As, you know, Saudi Arabia doesn't share a border with Syria.

My reading comprehension must be really off today. I can't seem to find exactly where Rand Paul says Saudi Arabia shares a border with Syria. Please point it out to me.

a reply to: mister.old.school

I don't think that is an accurate assessment of Ron Paul though, I think he is undereducated on the subject as was Murray Rothbard.

Of course, you and he are correct that we should not have armed and assisted them (that has been his position for multiple decades).

But, I might ask Mr. Paul, Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of wahabism, why would they fight themselves?

He speaks wise and true. The countries in direct threat from this caliphate ISIS hopes to create in the middle east are the ones who should be providing the boots on the ground to defend their homelands.

The Kurds, with little to no help, have been fighting well against ISIS forces for well over a year. If they had some legitimate support from neighboring countries ISIS would be incapacitated in short order. Because by now everyone knows that unless it's a civilian target full of women and children then ISIS is nothing but cowards.

a reply to: greencmp

My point is that we (the United States) did not "arm and assist", we invented.

a reply to: AngryCymraeg
I'm not sure where this transcript came from...might have been someone watching it and transcribing. Ha.

a reply to: mister.old.school

If you are you saying that you think that none of this is related to mohammadanism, I disagree.

originally posted by: mister.old.school
Perhaps Mr. Paul should have said, "We never should have funded radical Islam, but now we need to clean up the mess we made."

Sometimes the person who made the mess is not the person who needs to clean it up, in fact might be the worst person to do so.

That plus it's insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Saudi Arabia, if they want to be our ally, if they want to do trade with us, they need to behave.

LOL. That is either gross ignorance or a willful lie.

Yet another person I won't vote for.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Man. Rand Paul makes it hard for me not to like him. He says some good stuff. Nice to see a Republican not spouting the "WAR WAR!" mantra that has overtaken it.

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg
a reply to: ~Lucidity

Can someone please mail an atlas to Rand Paul? As, you know, Saudi Arabia doesn't share a border with Syria.

But But

Obama Administration Official Says Saudi Arabia Borders Syria

DaaHaHaHa

I like it how the entire world knows that Saudis have been and still are funding extremist...but...they have oil...so...never mind. Infact...lets get into bed with them.

Morality be damned.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

I feel your sentiment, however there is a answer to such brutality and it does cost American lives. that answer is to meet brutality with equal and opposing brutality. My grandfather a captain in the special forces in Vietnam was asked in a top level meeting how do we win this war. His answer was a statement," as soon as we don't meet our enemy with equal brutality we have lost the war".

originally posted by: UnBreakable

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg
a reply to: ~Lucidity

Can someone please mail an atlas to Rand Paul? As, you know, Saudi Arabia doesn't share a border with Syria.

My reading comprehension must be really off today. I can't seem to find exactly where Rand Paul says Saudi Arabia shares a border with Syria. Please point it out to me.

How are they going to get to Syria then? Fly?

a reply to: xuenchen

We should invoke the Prime Directive of the Middle East and not be allowed to go there until we learn our geography!

Nevermind.

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg

originally posted by: UnBreakable

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg
a reply to: ~Lucidity

Can someone please mail an atlas to Rand Paul? As, you know, Saudi Arabia doesn't share a border with Syria.

My reading comprehension must be really off today. I can't seem to find exactly where Rand Paul says Saudi Arabia shares a border with Syria. Please point it out to me.

How are they going to get to Syria then? Fly?

Well, the border of Saudi Arabia is less than 50 miles to the border of Syria via the Iraq-Jordan border. They could fly, drive, ride bikes, whatever. Maybe you're the one that needs an atlas.

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg

How are they going to get to Syria then? Fly?

They will drive and walk.