South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham says he has only one idea about how to defeat the rising tide of Islamic extremism: boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria.
“I don’t know how to destroy ISIL without some ground component,” Graham, a Republican presidential contender, told Iowa State Fair-goers during the Des Moines Register Soapbox Tuesday.
Soon after being introduced onto the stage by his sister, Graham launched an informal speech about U.S. foreign policy and how he would strengthen American security as commander in chief.
“We’re going back to Iraq and we’re going to pound these guys to the ground,” the senior senator, known for his hawkish posture, said. “And we’re not leaving until the job is done.”
“If you think that you can defend this nation without some of our soldiers going back to get it right this time then I don’t know what movie you’re looking at,” he added.
The retired Air Force colonel told the relatively tepid crowed that while he, President Obama and former President George W. Bush have all made mistakes, “the biggest mistake we can make is to let those guys get strong over there because they’re coming here.”
“I know it’s been 10 years, but it’s hard folks; It’s hard to build people up that have never known anything but heartache and hatred,” Graham said of the United States’ state-building mission in Iraq.
“Thirty-five hundred soldiers on the ground is not enough, we need about 10,000,” he said. “We’ll go to the Turks, the Egyptians, the Jordanians and the Saudis and we’ll put together a regional force [then] we’re going to go into Syria and kill every one of these guys.”
When it comes to radical Islam, Graham said the U.S. needs to do “whatever it takes for as long as it takes to defeat it.” According to the South Carolina senator, ignoring ISIL and refusing to put American troops back on the ground in Iraq and Syria ensures “the second 9-11 is coming our way.”
“Make me your commander in chief and we’ll keep them from coming back here again,” he said. “Make me your commander in chief because we need someone who knows what the hell they are doing.”
Graham finished third to last among the Republican candidates with 0.7 percent support from Iowa voters participating in the state fair’s presidential poll. Only former New York Gov. George Pataki and little-known candidate Mark Everson did worse than the Palmetto State senator.
