WASHINGTON — (CNN) Lindsey Graham on Thursday questioned the ability of Republican candidates with little political experience to adequately respond to terrorism in the Middle East.
“I don’t know Dr. (Ben) Carson’s foreign policy. He’s got to explain it to me,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Carly (Fiorina) said she’s not reached the point where she would say we need boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria. I don’t know what point we’ve got to reach. It’s obvious to me that we’re well past the point where we need to deal with ISIL on the ground and Iraq and Syria.”
Graham said he’d support Carson over Donald Trump and committed to support the eventual Republican nominee, regardless of their plan to protect the U.S. from terrorism.
“Here’s what I would say to my colleagues: Come up with a plan of your own. I’ve given you very detailed plans. We need a ground component. Part of it has to be an American ground component or we’re going to get hit here at home,” he said.
Speaking later on CNN’s “The Lead” with Jake Tapper, Graham expanded on his position on needing ground troops to fight terrorism — saying he’s “disappointed” that the Republican Party largely seems to be favoring a less aggressive policy.
“I am a little bit confused, I guess, disappointed,” Graham said. “I believe we need to destroy ISIL and I’m committed to doing it, and if you don’t have a ground component, of which America will have to be part of, you’re never going to destroy ISIL and they’re going to hit us here.”
Graham said the idea of arming troops in the region won’t work.
“If I hear one more time that we’re going to send the Kurds to go clean up the whole world, that’s just ridiculous. The Kurdish military is not an expeditionary force,” Graham said, adding that sending Kurds into Syria could start a war with Turkey.
Speaking with Blitzer, Graham also defended his positive remarks about Hillary Clinton’s international work serving women and children in Africa.
“If the test of conservatism is that you’ve got to say bad things about everybody to be conservative or liberal, God help us all,” he said.
But the Air Force Reserve veteran said Clinton needs to answer for her role in the 2012 Benghazi terror attack and other international issues.
“She’s got a lot of things to be held accountable for, but she did some good things too,” he said. “I don’t want to live in a America where the only way you can advance yourself is to always have to run somebody else down.”
Graham was praised for both his substance and humor in the undercard debate. But limited campaign funds could make it difficult for him to reach the next prime-time debate, he acknowledged.
“I’m trying to concentrate on Iowa and New Hampshire. That’s where I hope to breakthrough. I don’t have the money to spend on national advertising, so I’ll just keep being Lindsey Graham,” he said. “Do anything I can to get my message out.”
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