Bernie Sanders attacked Hillary Clinton on foreign policy Tuesday, claiming that his plan to combat the Islamic State was superior to the former secretary of state’s plan, which relies too heavily on military force.
“Senator Sanders has a lot of respect for the senior U.S. diplomats who support Secretary Clinton and question his views on ISIS and Iran. We certainly concede that former Secretary of State Clinton has more experience than Sen. Sanders, but his judgment on major foreign policy issues is far superior,” the Sanders campaign said wrote in a statement on Tuesday.
Clinton’s decision to vote for the Iraq war in 2002 helped lead to the rise of the Islamic State, the Sanders campaign argued. They also stated that Clinton’s plan to wipe out the terrorist network as well as her plans to institute a no-fly zone over Syria could have “dangerous implications.” Sanders voted against the Iraq war and protested the war in Vietnam.
While Clinton plans to begin air raids in Iraq and Syria as well as mobilize Middle Eastern ground troops, Sanders would create a coalition of Muslim allies to fight the battle. Both Clinton and Sanders are opposed to using U.S. ground troops to fight the Islamic State.
“As president, Sanders also will work to prioritize military spending to make sure we are no longer fighting the Cold War but focus our resources and priorities in fighting today’s challenges, including international terrorism,” the Sanders’ campaign added.
