Hillary Clinton pushed for the U.S. to take in 65,000 Syrian refugees instead of the planned 10,000 as the refugee crisis continues to spiral out of control.
“I think the United States has to do more [to help and take] 65,000 and begin immediately to put into place the mechanisms for vetting the people that we would take in and really emphasize those who are most vulnerable,” said the former secretary of state during an interview on “Face the Nation.”
Clinton called the refugee crisis in Europe right now, where millions of Syrians are fleeing a civil war and the Islamic State, the worst since World War II.
The 65,000 number comes from a recommendation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The U.S. traditionally took in half of the total UNHCR approved, but scaled the program back dramatically after Sept. 11, 2001.
But in her first Sunday news show interview since 2011, Clinton took heat from host John Dickinson on her role in the Syrian civil war.
Clinton backed a plan to train and equip Syrian rebels that has backfired, as only 54 rebels have been trained to date and the Pentagon has spent nearly $49 million, according to a report in Fox News.
“I did recommend we do more to train those at the forefront of the conflict,” Clinton said. “We have a failed program.”
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said that the Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar need to take a bigger role.
“Why aren’t they taking in these refugees?” the Republican presidential candidate said in a separate interview. He said the U.S. took in 60,000 Iraqis after the war and that it would be more beneficial to the U.S. to keep Western sympathizers near their homelands where they can affect positive change.
