By Greg Halbleib
Senator Dick Durbin says past ground military efforts in the Middle East show caution should be used before putting boots on the ground to fight ISIS. Durbin told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin that while the United States armed forces are the best in the world, they learned lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“What we learned is that we could have the best satellites in the world, the best missiles in the world, and yet we find ourselves humbled by roadside bombs. So, we’ve got to be careful in how we choose these fights and who we enlist as our allies.”
Durbin agrees with President Obama’s plan to find local forces that can better infiltrate ISIS. Durbin also commented on the 2016 presidential race. He believes Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for president, but that doesn’t mean the process to install her is a foregone conclusion. Durbin says there are at least two other potential candidates that will add to the discussion.
“I’m not dismissive of Barry Sanders, my colleague in the Senate, he has an army of followers and he’ll win some delegates and be an important voice in the debate. Martin O’Malley, former governor of Maryland, a fellow I know very well a very articulate and good candidate.”
Durbin says Clinton has the advantage of having been through the campaign process.
Greg can be reached at [email protected].
