World

Paul: Muslims Will Think ‘Crusades Are Back’ If US Puts Boots On The Ground [VIDEO]

Reuters

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Russ Read Pentagon/Foreign Policy Reporter
Font Size:

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Sen. [crscore]Rand Paul[/crscore] galvanized his opposition to the U.S. committing ground forces to the fight against Islamic State, claiming Muslims will think the “crusaders are back.”

Paul reiterated his concerns over committing ground troops to combat ISIS to The Daily Caller News Foundation Tuesday, claiming local Iraqis and Syrians will view the effort as an occupying force.

Paul says a backlash from locals will probably occur should the U.S. utilize ground forces to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. “They don’t like us that much,” says Paul, who believes a U.S. ground force could fester an underground movement resembling the insurgency which occurred after the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“The thing is once we defeat what we can see and they [ISIS] fade into the landscape, what do you think they will be telling the radicals? The crusades are back, the Christians are back, they want to Christianize us and they are going to convert you. So then you have a festering underground movement that comes back and within a few years you have another huge insurrection.”

Instead, Paul calls for a Sunni Muslim ground force to take the lead. The presidential hopeful points out there will not be a lasting peace without Sunni Arab boots on the ground. Paul also believes leaders of the Sunni battalions should be chosen from the various tribal towns they retake from ISIS. Paul also reiterates his belief that the U.S. should cease sending weapons to countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia if they continue to aid ISIS.

Paul’s no boots on the ground policy reflects his overall concern about rampant military spending. His perspective among his fellow Republican candidates led to a heated exchange with Sen. [crscore]Marco Rubio[/crscore] during the November GOP debate in Milwaukee.

WATCH:

Paul’s no ground force commitment comes in the wake of NATO’s announcement Monday it will not supply a ground force to combat ISIS. German parliament last week committed to a non-combat support role in anti-ISIS operations, while the U.K. parliament voted in favor of expanding air operations. Given the inconsistency of the Iraqi military, the disparate nature of the Syrian rebel forces and a Kurdish force that is already stretched thin, it is unclear exactly which ground force will fill the current void.

Follow Russ Read on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.