As Russian warplanes gear up for their second day of airstrikes in Syria, Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush says the U.S. is looking more and more like an unreliable partner in the international fight to defeat the Islamic State.
The former Florida governor joined a panel of pundits on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Thursday to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to establish a no-fly zone over Syria.
“The Russian relationship has been destroyed if Putin continues to do this and we ought to be clear that’s the case,” Bush told co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. “He’s attacking the Free Syrian Army — the remnants of an army that we forgot to support during a time when it actually had strength — and now, instead of us creating a no-fly zone, he’s in effect saying there’s a no-fly zone including American Air Force.”
“We’re in a position right now where if we don’t show strength this will create problems not just in Syria, but in the rest of the world,” Bush added.
Bush, who holds the No. 6 in the latest Washington Examiner presidential power rankings, has previously blamed the rise of Islamic State on President Obama’s decision to remove U.S. combat troops from Iraq in 2011. The Florida Republican called for a no-fly zone over Syria and the ousting of Syrian President Bashar Assad months ago during a foreign policy address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
He added Wednesday that sanctions against Russia “ought to be on the table” and the U.S. ought to engage our European allies, namely France and Germany who “both have said they’re prepared to engage militarily as it relates to ISIS.”
“This president doesn’t believe that we need a strategy as it relates to ISIS or Assad,” Bush said. “He believes that we should pull back, and the void has made it worse.”
“If you look at Riyadh or Turkey looking at what’s going on, they’re saying the U.S. is not a reliable partner. This is all just doing a victory dance around President Obama and I think he should stand up and say this is still the strongest country in the world, we still have the strongest military,” he continued.
Asked whether the U.S. should participate in discussions with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the former governor said not “if [Russia’s] objective is to prop up the Assad regime.”
“I think it’s okay to talk to people who are your adversaries, but you’ve got to do it from a position of strength, not weakness,” he said, adding that “right now [Secretary of State John] Kerry is saying, ‘Well, maybe Russia can play a constructive role in Syria.'”
“Two weeks ago they were talking the exact opposite,” Bush said, noting that “every time we do nothing and [Russia] moves forward, we just change our voice. And that just creates incredible instability not just in Syria, but around the world.”
“This is not an America that I believe is the one that will create peace and security. America’s values matter and America’s strengths matter and both of those things are at risk right now because of what’s been going on,” he stated matter-of-factly.
The GOP hopeful has been busy on the campaign trail recently, rolling out several energy policy proposals that distinguish him from Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Bush is in fifth place with 9 percent. He trails three Washington outsiders — Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina — as well as his former mentee, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
