[crscore]Rand Paul[/crscore] says a no-fly zone over Syria is a “recipe for World War III” and only “naive” people would be for it.
Paul, appearing on CNN’s “The Lead” with Jake Tapper Monday insisted, “a no-fly zone is actually the dumbest idea I’ve heard.”
“This would be a no-fly zone in an air space where Russia’s already flying,” explained Paul. “It would be a recipe for disaster, probably a recipe for World War III. And I think it’s such a bad idea that it probably won’t happen. But we also have to look at where we are. You mentioned Iran, Iran is in Iraq. Russia is in Iraq, or flying over Iraq and flying over Syria.”
Paul posed the question, “Are we better off or worse off with Saddam Hussein gone? Did the Iraq war help us? I think we’re worse off in every way. And this is the important question that Jeb Bush was asked initially and didn’t quite know how to answer was, knowing now what you know now would you invade Iraq again? And the answer should be absolutely not. But the answer should also be, should we go back to Iraq to another war now? Absolutely not.”
Tapper later asked Paul if he thought candidates who were proposing the no-fly zone over Syria “knew what they were talking about.”
Paul insisted, “I think they’re mistaken.” And the decision about a no-fly zone over Syria is the “most important foreign policy question of our time.” Claiming “it should be asked of every candidate. Are you for a no-fly zone? Because if you are for a no-fly zone, I think you’re naive.”
Paul said, “I think it’s a recipe for confrontation with Russia.” Contrasting the violence over Syria to the Cold War, Paul claimed Reagan “would never do a no-fly zone.” And that Reagan “would also never cut off communications with Putin.”
Paul also criticized Carly Fiorina, who he said “won’t talk to Putin” and “wants a no-fly zone” suggesting, “I’m not so sure why she has to be so bellicose, but it’s really, really naive. And we should have a debate over that about who we want leading our country.”