Mitt Romney calls for war, potential ground troops against ISIS
Mitt Romney called for war against the Islamic State and criticized President Barack Obama’s “wrong’’ analysis of the group in comments at The Washington Post and on the Today Show.
“After Paris, it’s clear: Doing the minimum won’t make us safe. It’s time the president stopped hedging and took meaningful steps to defend us and our allies,’’ Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate, wrote. “Only America can lead this war, and that leadership means being willing to devote whatever resources are required to win — even boots on the ground.’’
Romney joined a chorus of politicians demanding an increased military presence against ISIS that could include U.S. ground troops. The White House has so far resisted those calls, and has maintained a U.S. campaign of airstrikes against key ISIS targets.
A day before the Paris attacks, President Obama said that the airstrikes had “contained’’ ISIS, halting their territorial advancements in Iraq and Syria.
Romney seized on those comments in light of the attacks in Paris that killed 129 people and injured more than 350.
“Now that the Islamic State is claiming credit for these attacks, we know just how wrong he was,’’ Romney wrote.
The former Massachusetts governor also spoke on the Today Show on Monday morning, and referenced Obama’s term that ISIS was a “cancer.’’
“ISIS has become stronger, and they have metastisized. It’s a cancer that’s metastisized much more broadly in the world,’’ Romney said. “If we don’t change our course and take this seriously and go to war against ISIS, we’re going to see what happened in Paris happen in the United States.’’
As during any Romney interview in recent months, he was again asked if this new outspoken criticism meant that he would run for president. He said no.
“When you run for president as I have, and you lose, it doesn’t mean you stop caring,’’ Romney said. “I care very deeply, and I’m concerned that what the president is doing is not conducive to America remaining safe.’’
Gallery: Scenes following the Paris terrorist attacks
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